A wrist-based GPS is a great tool for tracking time and distance while running. All you need to know is how to press start, stop and save. As a coach and runner, I’ve noticed that many of my fellow runners aren’t doing much else with the data from these smart devices. Here is a quick introduction to three metrics to use when chasing your next PR, planning balanced training loads and looking to improve your form and efficiency. Running Cadence Most GPS devices now have a way of monitoring cadence. Cadence is defined in steps per minute (spm) or revolutions per minute (rpm, counting one leg). Suunto uses revolutions per minute. Cadence allows a runner to know the speed of their leg turnover. While there are many different opinions on cadence, it is generally agreed that somewhere around 90 rpm (180 spm) is the sweet spot for running efficiency and economy. Cadence is calculated either from the device as your arm swings, from a foot pod, or a heart rate strap, where advanced monitoring is picking up the rise and fall that occurs when running. When looking at this data after a run, it is possible to see what happens to cadence in different situations such as climbing a hill, running fast, descending, or even over time as you start to tire. If your cadence is below 165 spm it is likely your running efficiency is affected. Work to improve cadence in small increments using drills and by inserting cadence sets into your runs with 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. Ideally you want to allow your new form to develop over time to prevent injury and allow for a neuromuscular connection so it becomes normal and habitual. Running Heart Rate Some of the latest wrist based running devices include heart rate measured on the wrist. The reliability of this seems to be slightly less than the chest strap which has been used for many years. Nonetheless, having heart rate collection of any sort is very useful to a runner who is training to become fitter and faster. Knowing individual lactate threshold heart rate, the point at which a body can no longer utilize all of the lactate it is producing, is essential. This can be discovered through simple field testing as a 30 minute test, in racing, or even lab testing. With these personal heart rate numbers in hand collecting heart rate data can add an objective and scientific explanation to rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and can also help illuminate what happened in a race or workout. If an athlete in a marathon looks back over a race file and sees a heart rate that is higher than normal at the beginning of the race, perhaps from effects of heat or improper pacing, they can start to understand the causes of a drop in pace later in the race. If going for a long endurance run, an athlete can set a heart rate cap and make sure they stay beneath it for the duration. This metric is very good for an athlete who gets hung up on pace during training. Heart rate is responsive to terrain, wind, heat, stress and fatigue. Running Pace and Auto Lap There are many options for monitoring pace during a run. I’ve observed a lot of runners who leave their watch settings with whatever it came with from the factory. Often this is average pace or current pace. Let’s give this some thought. When doing interval workouts, it is helpful to know the average pace of the lap and also the current pace if it is a shorter bout of work. This allows you to determine the exact pace needed. Perhaps a long endurance run is better served with overall pace. Using the auto lap feature generates a pace guide, although the runner may be going on rate of perceived exertion (RPE) or perhaps using a heart rate cap. Turning the auto lap feature OFF is a must for interval work in which data is collected in self-selected intervals and can be created by using the LAP button between intervals. I remind runners that current pace can be swayed by faulty satellite connections and not to panic if suddenly RPE and the data don’t jive. Remember, the device needs to collect data as you are moving forward, so for the most accuracy on an interval, pick up the pace for 4-6 steps before hitting the lap button. Cadence, heart rate and pace are three metrics that can dramatically change how you train and help you improve as a runner. Using them individually, or together, can help your pacing, efficiency, form, and economy, and will help you train and race more intelligently. This article by Carrie McCusker was originally published on trainingpeaks.com. McCusker specializes in athlete performance at all levels. You can learn more about her here. TrainingPeaks provides you in-depth analysis, planning tools and coaching services to help you reach your goal. Track your workouts with your Suunto watch. Afterwards analyze your heart rate, power, pace and other data with TrainingPeaks on web or in mobile and progress towards your goals.

After running and racing for almost 20 years, I believe I have made every possible mistake when it comes to training for a half or full marathon. Even though some of these mistakes seem obvious in hindsight, when you are training hard to achieve a big goal, sometimes you lose perspective and make questionable decisions. So, do as I say and not as I have done if you want to experience the best possible result on race day. 1. Avoid overtraining Choose a plan that works for you and stick to it. Social media has a lot of positive and motivating influences, but not when it comes to training for 13.1 or 26.2 miles. Don’t fall into the trap of seeing what another runner is doing for mileage and think you should be doing the same. Have faith in your plan and work it each week, the way it was laid out, so you can avoid injury. Making it to the start line is the first goal. Every runner is different and you will not know how much mileage is manageable for you until you start building toward your race distance goal. Listen to your body and know yourself well enough to realize when you’re doing too much. One runner can achieve a PR (personal record) in the marathon with an 18-mile-long run and 50 to 60-mile weeks while another can handle a 22-mile-long run and 70 to 90-mile weeks. Both options are very effective and work for that specific runner. Do some experimenting to figure out where your high mileage threshold is and then stick to it. Common signs of overtraining include exhaustion, losing control of your emotions, injury, slowed paces, and not being able to elevate your heart rate. If you experience any of these for more than three days, take up to three days off. You will be surprised how good you feel when you return to running well rested. 2. Test your clothing and running shoes If you have never before run the half or full marathon distance, it is important to know when to buy new shoes. Most guidelines report 400 to 500 miles as the threshold for wear and tear but some runners need to update more often. Be sure you have the correct pair of running shoes for your feet and form, preferably by having a gait analysis done, and then replace as necessary leading up to race day. Most specialty running stores offer complimentary running analysis and then can recommend the correct shoes for your body. What you wear above your feet can sometimes make or break your race. Marathoners, and some half marathoners, need to worry about chafing. Select an outfit that you will be able to wear on race day (checking the weather ahead of time) and wear it at least once on a long training run. You want to be sure it’s comfortable and, if there are any chafe points, you can generously apply glide prior to the race start. Once you select an outfit that works for you, make sure you wear it on race day or you may have a very uncomfortable shower afterward. 3. Make Your Easy Days Easy One of the hardest lessons I learned was making my easy days truly easy. Did you know that some elite runners run up to 80 percent of their training runs at an easy pace? It takes a lot of courage to run slow. Be confident enough in your training to run easy and slowly when your training plan calls for it. Your body and mind need the break from going hard and, when you run easy and allow for active recovery, you can run your hard and long runs much more efficiently, while increasing your training base. Gradually, those easy run paces will increase so you can run faster with less effort. 4. Proper pacing We have all been guilty of stepping to the start line and going out too fast, thinking we can somehow hold a pace we never have in our training. Grandiose dreams of unreachable PRs can cultivate in the early miles of a long race and turn into nightmares mid-race or sooner. You train at a certain race pace and tempo pace for a reason. You should know (and your body should know) exactly what pace you want to run on race day. It should be practiced in training and then executed on race day. Pace calculators can help you determine what is a realistic pace and time for you. 5. Nutrition and hydration Test out your hydration and fuel plan early and often in your racing preparation. Choose several long runs on your calendar and hydrate and eat the night before and during the run as you plan to on race day. The last thing you want is stomach issues or dehydration on your big day. If you practice your race day eating and drinking during your training runs, your body and mind will be used to ingesting the specific food, gels and drinks you give it. Once you find food and beverages that work for you, use them throughout your training and do not deviate from the plan on race day. You may be tempted at the expo or at the race itself to try something new, but remember the golden rule – nothing new on race day! A half or full marathon is a major commitment in your time and effort. Make sure you avoid these five mistakes to arrive at the start line ready to achieve your goals. This article by Allie Burdick was originally published on trainingpeaks.com. TrainingPeaks provides you in-depth analysis, planning tools and coaching services to help you reach your goal. Track your workouts with your Suunto watch. Afterwards analyze your heart rate, power, pace and other data with TrainingPeaks on web or in mobile and progress towards your goals. Lead image by @EdreamsMitjaMaratóBarcelona

Last weekend 50 athletes from the Suunto Multisport Team descended on the trails of St. George, Utah, to kick off the team’s inaugural 2019 season. The Suunto Multisport Camp spanned three days, offering an opportunity for professional and amateur triathletes and runners to meet, participate in workshops and familiarize themselves with team product during group runs, rides and swims. “The Suunto Multisport Camp served as the perfect venue for us to gather with teammates, team management, and sponsors to celebrate the start of what we hope will be an immensely successful 2019 season. While every member of this team is focused on performance and competition, this roster of athletes comprises a unique collection of elite and amateur athletes who all have compelling stories to tell,” says Caleb Whittle, head of brand marketing for Suunto in the Americas. One of those stories came from Brian Boyle. After surviving an automobile accident that pulverized his bones and organs, stripped him of over 60 percent of his blood, stopped his heart eight times and left him in a coma for two months, Boyle powered through years of rehabilitation and has now finished seven IRONMAN 70.3s, seventeen marathons and two 100-mile ultramarathons, all while advocating for the American Red Cross. “Getting to meet so many incredible athletes at the camp that share the same enthusiasm for the sport was amazing. It was very rewarding to learn about their backgrounds and experiences, train alongside them and to be able to learn from their training and racing recommendations. After returning from camp, I'm very motivated to go into my next race, represent the team and to follow my teammates throughout the year as they participate in their events,” Brian says. Watch the video below to get a taste of what it was like in St. George! Every member of the Suunto Multisport Team will be using the Suunto 9—our latest multisport GPS watch equipped with a 120-hour battery life, wrist-based heart rate and 80 sport modes. Additional sponsors who equipped the team included Enve Composites, Jaybird, Castelli, Blueseventy, BOCO Gear, Kanberra Sport, Petzl, Nuun, and Hyperice. Suunto Multisport Team Roster 2019 Barbara Peterson Brandi Swicegood Caroline Coble Chris Johnson Dave Orlowski Deanna Newman Derk de Korver DJ Snyder Eliot Scymanski Ellen Hart Elyse Gallegos Emily Rollins Felicity Joyce Jacqui Giuliano James Burke James Hotson Jeff Mutchie Josiah Middaugh Karsten Madsen Katie Schick Katie Thomas Morales Kelly Lambert Kelsey Withrow Kinsey Laine Lisa Roberts Matt Davidson Molly Smith Ralph Nurse Roger Thompson Ryan Giuliano Sam Long Samantha Mazer Samantha Snukis Sarah Barber Shannon Coates Susanne Davis Tim Hola Timothy Winslow Trista Francis Adam Olson Alex Borsuk Allan Spangler Beth Risdon Brian Boyle David Fuentes Denise Sauriol Jonnah Perkins Jordan Grande Justin Cogley Kelly Young Liz Canty Nora Bird Robert Steffens Ryan Montgomery Sawna Guadarrama Tara Warren

When we crunched the statistics from all the training around the world during Suunto World Vertical Week 2019, we felt our hard work had paid off. It had given you all the excuse to chase meters outside, whether on behalf of your nation, chosen sport or for your own challenge – exactly our intention. There’s something about the sight of a hill or mountain in front of us that calls us to push ourselves. The challenge of the ascent is just as satisfying as the view from the top. That’s why we do it! Well done to everyone who participated. Top countries This year, we first report a major upset. In the previous two years, Austria has come out on top as the nation that achieves the most vertical gain by average. Not this year – the Alpine nation has been knocked off its perch. This year, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia, all mountainous nations, climbed more than Austria. But more surprising, Portugal also came in ahead of Austria. In the last two years the Swiss have also come in near the top, but this year they have dropped to the eighth position. What’s happened in Austria and Switzerland? Someone tell us! Honorable mention This year, Spain deserves an honorable mention. Spain came first in three divisions: totals per country, mountaineering, and trekking. It was also in the top five for four different activities: mountaineering, trekking, mountain biking and cycling. All up, Spain features in six of the nine country-related lists below, the only country to do so. Well done Espana! Here are the results by nation While these numbers might not seem so mind-blowing, remember they are averages, and a high average is indicative of many big days out in the hills. Italy 385 m Slovakia 360 m Slovenia 346 m Portugal 342 m Austria 337 m Spain 308 m Switzerland 288 m France 283 m Canada 276 m Norway 261 m Totals per country This year we also decided to look at the totals per country. In these countries, World Vertical Week participants have been really active and gotten out there to climb, even only a little, to add on their country’s total number. These little efforts have added up. Spain 645.000 m France 546.000 m Italy 379.000 m United States 377.000 m China 250.000 m Austria 216.000 m United Kingdom 183.000 m Japan 150.000 m Norway 142.000 m Switzerland 140.000 m Average ascent by activity At least as interesting as the country numbers are the activity specific stats. From these, we can see that skiers clearly put in the biggest average days. Trail running and mountain biking are probably under-represented because it’s winter in the populous Northern Hemisphere. Like Vertical Week 2018, ski touring, mountaineering and trail running came out on top this year. The question is, which nations did the most of each? Ski touring 830 m Mountaineering 594 m Trail running 474 m Mountain biking 355 m Trekking 311 m Hiking 213 m Nordic skiing 199 m Cycling 193 m Running 100 m Activity by country Ski touring France 1127m Italy 1085m Austria 864m Switzerland 828m Germany 776m Two countries pass 1000 m of vertical gain by average! Mountaineering Spain 1071m UK 947m Poland 798m USA 716m Germany 651m Trail running Hong Kong 1176m Japan 901m Malaysia 813m China 765m Portugal 713m Asia dominating, showing the growing popularity of the sport in the region! Mountain biking Italy 476m Slovakia 474m UK 437m Spain 422m Austria 394m Cycling Colombia 499m South Africa 485m Israel 446m Spain 438m Italy 363m These nations have favorable weather for cycling in March! Nordic skiing France 379m Canada 321m USA 285m Norway 243m Austria 212m Trekking Spain 566m Italy 527m Malaysia 363m Italy 362m Poland 304m Individual top performances While we can’t give away too much information here, such as who and where, we can share some insight in the individual top performances over the week: To be on the pointy end of the rankings one had to climb more than 10000 meters over World Vertical Week. And to stand out with a single activity one had to climb 4000+ meters in one go! Thank you, everyone, for participating! Read three inspiring stories from the World Vertical Week!

The fourth annual Suunto Vertical Week is coming to a close and we have selected three winners of the week’s photo contest on Instagram. Each of them will receive a powerful Suunto 9 to record their efforts! We received many other inspiring images and stories (#verticalweek) – thanks to everyone for their contributions! Keep climbing! Baby in tow in Norway We were very impressed by Hilde Hoff Nordskar in Norway. She climbed 3246 m in a week, while towing her seven-month-old baby boy, who slept through it all. Some have it easy! Well done, Hilde! “Vertical Week was overall very hard and fun and brought some new inspiration to my maternity leave,” Hilde says. “We live close to a forest and my daily goal was to summit the top of a nearby peak called 'Solobservatoriet' (580 m). With my seven-month-old son in the wagon behind, I started every morning skinning up the hill no matter the weather. The highlights was to experience the uphill in all these different winter wonderland conditions and finish every session with a big smile on my face and a very rested kid.” View this post on Instagram Punta di Terrarossa 🏔 3246 meters climbing in a week 🎿👶🏻 #VerticalWeek #Suuntoapp @suunto_norge @suunto @thule #thulebringyourkids #dæhlie A post shared by hildehoffnordskar (@hildehoffnordskar) on Mar 9, 2019 at 8:48am PST Big training block in California Eric Triplett in sunny California enjoyed a big week, climbing 3500m. This beautiful shot of sunrise from Mount Wilson illustrates the motivation behind the call to scale peaks; massive rewards for our hard work. “Suunto Vertical Week was the perfect way to finish up a three month training block for my upcoming race,” Eric says. “The race features 3000 m of climbing over 56 km so my primary goals for Vertical Week were to simulate the amount of gain relative to the distance of my race and to accumulate at least 3000 m of gain. I’m happy to say I was able to complete 3500 m for the week including a 33 km run with 2100 m of vertical. Thanks to Suunto for putting on this motivating celebration of vertical!” View this post on Instagram The sun rises on the last day of #VerticalWeek 2019 // It’s been a while since I’ve cracked 11,000ft of gain in a week so I made it a goal given both Vertical Week and that 9 Trails is coming in just two weeks. Admittedly going beyond 10,000ft seems to bring on the sore knees and other random leg pain but that only serves to highlight what to work on in the future // Been super excited about getting my hands on “Training for the Uphill Athlete” by House, Johnston and Jornet. I think it’s going to help take things next level. // I’m also very happy with where @Sagerunning training has taken me in the last 3 months. I’ve never thought I could maintain the kind weekly mileage that I have for so long. I was always afraid to put intervals into 20mi+ runs but I survived. It hasn’t been easy but listening to my body and making small adjustments has got me through. // #utlrarunning #trailrunning #runinrabbit #borntorunfree #rabbitTrail #RADrabbit #gotailwind #timetoplay #salomon #suunto #salomonrunning #9T #NineTrails #sagerunning #SanGabrielSunday #longrun #ANF A post shared by Eric Triplett (@fleshymutant) on Mar 10, 2019 at 9:08pm PDT New season in Finland Janne Korpela in Finland has begun a new training block now spring has nearly arrived. It hasn’t been in a walk in the park, either, on some days finding himself waist deep in snow. Keep going, Janne! “Vertical Week was surprisingly good, since it was only the third proper training week of the year for me with 19 hours of training,” he says. “The highlight of the week was the first day, when a six hour session was surprisingly easy. And last Sunday was a beautiful spring day! “The goal was 8000m in eight days, but we pushed it a bit yesterday to climb the height of Everest (8848 m)! I did all the climbing on an old ski slope close to my home. One lap is about 35 meters of climbing!” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Juosten (@juosten_) on Mar 10, 2019 at 6:02am PDT Lead image: © Dylan Totaro / Suunto

For some of us a climb is a challenge, an obstacle to overcome. With training we get stronger and can climb the same hill easier – or faster. But it usually does not last long before we set our eyes on even bigger or faster or more challenging climbs. For others a climb is an adventure, a promise that once we reach the top, col or ridgeline new horizons will open up and broaden our views and, on the way down, we will get to play with gravity. Whatever your motivation, Suunto’s annual Vertical Week is here again! Suunto World Vertical Week 2019 starts on Sunday, March 3rd and ends on Sunday, March 10th.   Put on your running shoes, hop on your bike or release your heels and start skinning up the hill. Track your adventures with your Suunto watch, upload your activities to Suunto app and, by the end of the week, we’ll know who climbs the most in a week. And it’s not only about individual performances: we want to see which country averages most vertical during the week and which activity takes you up the biggest climbs. To participate, join the challenge in Suunto app!   SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND WIN A SUUNTO 9 Share your Suunto World Vertical Week experiences on Instagram using Suunto app’s photo sharing with data overlays and use tag #VerticalWeek. Three of the most inspiring posts will win Suunto 9 watches. Terms and conditions apply. Read them here.   Learn how to share your activities using Suunto app Don’t have Suunto app yet? Get it now!