Austrian adventurer, pilot and athlete Paul Gauschlbauer can’t believe come June 20 he’ll be competing in Red Bull X-Alps for the sixth time, and again chasing the Eagle across the Alps. “It means I’ve experienced more than 50 percent of the race’s history, which seems crazy somehow,” he says. “I have really lived and developed along with that race.” © Nico Holzmeyer   Making a tough race tougher The 37-year-old Suunto athlete landed in third place in the last three editions of the hike and paragliding race that starts in Salzburg and has, until now, ended on the Mediterranean Sea in Monaco. He is continuing to chase the Eagle, aka Chrigel Maurer, the generational paragliding talent that has won every race since 2009, and seems unassailable in his dominance. But perhaps the 10th edition will challenge him in new ways. The race organizers – always looking for fresh ways to make the race tougher – have implemented what Paul says is the biggest change in race history; instead of making their way from alpine peaks to the Mediterranean Sea, the 33 competitors will travel a full circle starting in Salzburg, to Mont Blanc and then ending back in the waters of Zell am See, Austria. “I think it’s tougher to make it to the goal because it’s longer,” Paul says. “We are always staying up in the high mountains. I always had the feeling in previous races that once we made it to Mont Blanc we’d basically already made it to Monaco, because the last stage was usually really fast, no more than a day from Mont Blanc down to the sea. Now we are arriving at Mont Blanc and we have to do the same thing one more time. It’s going to be really challenging.”   © wisthaler.com   The longest Red Bull X-Alps ever At 1,238 km, it’s the longest route in the race’s history, 100km further than 2019. “It’s a new chapter for the Red Bull X-Alps,” says race director Christoph Weber. “The race committee wanted to make the tenth edition of the race one to remember so we decided to break away from the past and design a completely new route; a route where athletes will be geographically closer together. The days when lead athletes enjoyed good conditions at the front while those further back suffered bad weather is less likely as they’ll all be experiencing the same weather. That will add an interesting dynamic to race.” One watch for every kilometer Suunto and Red Bull X-Alps have a long history of working together to help athletes push their limits. To celebrate the 10th and longest edition of the race, we are launching 1238 Suunto 9 Baro Titanium Red Bull X-Alps Limited Edition watches – one for each kilometre of the race. This rare watch has a titanium bezel with Red Bull X-Alps Limited Edition text on both sides and red ink-fill on top. Each one is numbered with a corresponding kilometre of the race. The Special Edition watch has a blue textile quick-release strap in two lengths with a Red Bull X-Alps and Suunto logo. An additional dual color silicone strap is included in the box. Snap one up here!    COVID-19 challenge Paul and his support person are currently training hard to prepare for the race. The COVID-19 pandemic has made preparation more challenging – Paul and his whole family came down with virus and all fortunately recovered. “I've had a hard time preparing because there was really no assurance that we were really going to race at all, he says. “Now I hope it won’t affect the race anymore.”   © Nico Holtzmeyer   Follow the incredible action live With Red Bull X-Alps you can count on every single day involving rocky ascents, dizzying flights and crucial, strategic decisions – a challenge for both body and mind. With a more demanding route than ever before, Red Bull X-Alps 2021 will be full of drama, adventure, and high-alpine action. The winner will need to be smart, strong, a master of both planning and reactivity – and have a little bit of luck. Tune in to the race along with millions of fans via its Live Tracking! Find an athlete from your country and support them from afar!    Lead images: © Nico Holzmeyer

The key aspect of progressing in your fitness is your ability to increase your training load over a longer period of time. The variables you can play with are training frequency, duration and intensity. With long-term analysis tools powered by TrainingPeaks you can now manage your training better than ever. To get started with the graphs it is important to understand the basics: Every workout gets a Training Stress Score (TSS) that is based on the intensity and duration of the workout. That’s the base for calculating training load for both short and long-time averages. Training Stress Score (TSS) is based on your anaerobic threshold power, but it can also be calculated based on your threshold heart rate or your threshold running pace. You can learn more about TSS values here. These single activities with their automatically calculated TSS values are then used to show your long-term training load. This long-term load is called Chronic Training Load (CTL) or simply “Fitness”. It is a 42-day weighted average of your TSS. The more you train – the more TSS you accumulate in your training – the higher your fitness is. While your long-term load is shown as “Fitness”, the short-term training load is called “Fatigue” or Acute Training Load (ATL). Fatigue is a 7-day weighted average of your TSS. When increasing training load your fatigue increases faster than fitness. These two values, fitness and fatigue, are shown in the upper graph in your Suunto app’s Diary’s ‘Progress’ view. The lower graph shows your “Form”, or Training Stress Balance. Form is basically the difference between long-term, chronic training load (CTL) and short-term, acute training load (ATL). This graph helps you understand if you are training in a way that is progressive or not. Too much load and you are too tired, too little and you are not moving forward. In Suunto app the Form graph is divided into four areas: losing fitness, maintaining fitness, productive training and going too hard. When your long-term, chronic training load is quite a bit higher than your acute, short-term load, you will start to lose fitness. Short-term hitting this area is good, for example when you want to be fresh for a race. However, training easier than you are used to for a longer time, will lead you to losing your fitness. When your current training is roughly in balance with what you are used to doing, you’ll be maintaining your fitness. To improve, add variety and load in your training. Adding more load will take you to the productive training phase: your fitness and fatigue are increasing in a manageable way. This means you are adding load but not too much compared to what you are used to doing. If you push too hard and add a lot of training stress compared to your long-term load, your form will drop. This will increase risk of illness and injury and hinder your improvements. Take a step back and allow your body to recover. Adjust the time frame When viewing the long-term analyses graphs, you can change the time perspective. Really long-term trends can be seen in the yearly view, that shows the latest four years of your training. In the monthly view you will see the latest 13 months and can easily compare your loads to a year ago, for example. The weekly view with the latest 26 weeks and the daily view with the latest 41 days are more appropriate for managing your current training loads. If you want to plan your training and see how the graphs will evolve, you can do that with TrainingPeaks’ Performance Management Chart. The activities you track with your Suunto can be automatically synced to TrainingPeaks so you can also use their advanced tools for managing and planning your training. As part of Suunto Value Pack you can get 30 days of TrainingPeaks Premium for free. Four examples of training load To make it easier for you to understand what to look for in the graphs, here are four different scenarios: Example 1: Overload This graph shows the impacts of a two-week training camp: The training load increases quickly, and at the same time the training stress balance drops very low. In this case the CTL before the camp was 66 and was pushed to 93. At the same time the training stress balance dropped to -79. These low numbers increase the risk of illness and injury. In this case, the training camp was followed by a recovery week that brought the training stress balance close to zero. Chronic training load still remained at an elevated level (close to 90), so the training camp had a positive impact on this athlete’s fitness. Example 2: Race In this graph race preparation is going nicely: The long-term training load is increasing over a long period of time meaning “fitness” is getting better. As the event gets closer, training gets lighter, fatigue goes down and the training stress balance, “form” goes up. The athlete is fresh for the big day. Example 3: Illness This graph illustrates the effects of an illness (or other break in training). At first training is going smoothly as CTL is ramping up, but then training stops for one week. ATL goes down quickly and also CTL gets lower. After the break the athlete starts training again gently. It takes about three weeks before her CTL/Fitness starts to be close to the same level she had before the break in training. Example 4: Normal This graph illustrates what quite a typical training load graph for an active person may look like: The long-term load is on a fairly good level, but not ramping up. To improve fitness, one needs to add load. Read more Training with TSS and hrTSS Training stress score in Suunto app 3 TrainingPeaks training metrics to adjust your running on the go View TSS and other power-based cycling metrics in real-time Figure out your training zones Main image: © Roger Salanova / Suunto

Training load is an essential metric of goal-oriented training. Gradually increasing load will improve fitness and performance. Suunto app quantifies training load using Training Peaks’ Training Stress Score, also known as TSS. The idea of quantifying training stress was first introduced by E.W. Banister and his research colleagues in 1975. Their model is called “Training Impulse'' (TRIMP). TRIMP is calculated using heart rate and duration: a short but intense workout got a higher score than a longer, easier workout. Since then several different training load models with the same basic principle have been developed: Quantify the training load by taking into consideration the workout duration and intensity. The most well-known training load metric is Training Peaks’ Training Stress Score, TSS™. Also Suunto app uses TSS to quantify training load. TSS is calculated based on duration and power-based intensity. (When calculating intensity, anaerobic threshold power, normalised power and intensity factor are taken into account. Learn more about the details here.) To get a better understanding of the TSS values, it is good to know that a one-hour time trial effort equals 100 TSS. At the same time a three-hour easy bike ride can accumulate the same amount of training stress. As said before, the value always depends on the intensity and duration of the effort.   TSS can be based on power, pace or heart rate While TSS is originally calculated based on anaerobic threshold power, it can also be based on threshold heart rate or threshold running pace. The suitable TSS calculation method depends on the activity type and data available. Suunto app chooses the method and calculates the TSS automatically. Usually heart rate data is used, but in activities like running and swimming TSS is calculated based on threshold pace and in cycling threshold power. If there are no measurements available, then Suunto app calculates TSS based on a statistical MET (metabolic equivalent) value. The MET based calculation only considers the duration and the activity type and gives a very rough approximation of the TSS. In order to get good quality TSS metrics, use Suunto heart rate, power or pace. TSS values in Suunto app TSS (r) –- Running pace TSS (hr) – Heart rate TSS (p) – Power TSS (s) – Swimming pace TSS (met) – MET base TSS- – user has edited the value manually   Correct anaerobic threshold is key Since TSS is based on workout intensity, your intensity zones need to be correctly set up in your Suunto watch. Suunto has five different zones where the upper limit of zone 4 should be your anaerobic threshold. The default zones in your watch are based on heart rate, but you can also set up advanced zones for running (based on heart rate or pace) and cycling (based on heart rate or power). Adjust your intensity zones on your Suunto 3, Suunto 5 or Suunto 9 at ‘Settings’ -> ‘Training’ -> ‘Intensity zones’. There are basically three ways to define your heart rate zones: an estimate based on your max heart rate, a field test and a lab test. Learn more about intensity zones and about defining them in this article.   TSS quantifies also the long-term training load When each of your workouts has a Training Stress Score calculated, long term values can be derived from this. Suunto app Diary’s ‘Progress’ view tracks your training load over time and helps you keep your training in balance – whether that means progress, maintaining your fitness or avoiding over-training. You will be able to see the long-term load as Cumulative Training Load (CTL) and short-term load as Acute Training Load (ATL). When your CTL and ATL are compared, you will get Training Stress Balance (TSB) that helps you follow changes in your freshness or “form”. Learn more about long-term training load analyses here.   Read more Training with TSS and hrTSS Understand and manage your training load with Suunto app 3 TrainingPeaks training metrics to adjust your running on the go View TSS and other power-based cycling metrics in real-time Figure out your training zones   Reference E.W. Banister, T.W. Calvert, M.V. Savage, T. Bach. A systems model of training for athletic performance. Australian Journal of Sports Medicine, (1975) 7:57-61. Lead image: © Matti Bernitz/Suunto  

 One race you can definitely count on happening this year is the Wings for Life World Run. To be held on May 9, it will be a virtual race with app-based events happening in more than 70 locations around the world. Lock it into your race calendar because it’s going to be fun and for an awesome cause – 100% of the entry fees goes to finding a cure for spinal injury.   Suunto ambassador Ryan Sandes is also ambassador for the race and the captain of Team Suunto in the event. Every year, when he’s not off racing somewhere hardcore, he’s pumped to run it because of the fun atmosphere, the thrill of being chased by the Catcher Car, and because he feels passionate about running for those who can’t due to spinal injuries. Who better to ask then about how to prepare for the unique race? We caught up with Ryan and asked how he approaches it. “The cool thing with this race is the finish line is constantly moving according to the speed you’re running,” Ryan says. “Whereas with a marathon, you know you will run 42.2 km. Preparation wise this does change things a little.” Read on for Ryan’s nine tips!   Choose a goal With that moving finish line it’s helpful to choose a distance you aim to run in the race. Maybe that’s a 10k, a 30 km, a marathon, or going ultra distance. “Make that distance the focus of your training,” Ryan says. Use the official race Goal Calculator to determine how long, in terms of duration, you’ll run to achieve your desired distance, as well as the pace you’ll need to maintain. Go trail As a passionate trail runner, and like all trail runners being wary of road running, Ryan says preparing for the race shouldn’t stop you training off road if that’s more your schtick. With this year’s race being held virtually via the Wings for Life World Run App, it doesn’t matter where you run. But choose flatter, flowing trails so the Catcher Car doesn’t have too much of an advantage over you. Get road ready Wings for Life World Run races are usually held in urban locations that involve plenty of asphalt. If your goal is to stay ahead of the Catcher Car for as long as possible, then Ryan recommends getting used to running on the road and doing the race that way.   Two key sessions When Ryan trains for the Wings for Life World Run he focuses on two key training runs a week: one interval or fartlek session and one long run with stride bursts. Let’s look at each more closely. Interval or fartlek session: Fartlek is the Swedish word for “speed play”, and basically refers to a form of running training when you mix up the speeds you run at. Interval training is basically the same, but the focus is on running high intensity segments interspersed with a slower pace. Ryan recommends, depending on your fitness level, doing one of the following: – four eight-minute intervals – four six-minute intervals – four three-minute intervals Each interval should be a notch or two faster than your usual long run pace. Make sure you warm up first before starting them and be careful not to overdo them. You should have a good level of running fitness before trying them because it’s not uncommon for runners to get injured while doing interval training. The long run with stride bursts: Long runs can be anywhere from an hour, to three hours or longer, and the crucial point is to remember that to gain the physiological adaptations they can offer over time it’s essential to do them at an easy pace. Ryan recommends doing one long run a week and adding a little twist if you’re ready for an extra challenge – doing strides. Stride bursts, commonly called strides, involve running at 90 or 95% of your max pace in short bursts. Try doing six to eight 10 to 15-second long strides in the middle of your long run. These are an excellent way to improve speed and coordination.   Use the Catcher Car training feature with your Suunto Why wait to race day to know how you’ll do against the Catcher Car? Thanks to the partnership between Suunto and Wings for Life World Run you don’t have to. The partnership resulted in the Catcher Car training feature available on Suunto 5 and Suunto 9 watches. It enables users to train against a digital version of the iconic Catcher Car, so you’re ready to take on the real thing come race day. You’ll see how far back the Catcher Car is, and the estimated distance and time duration left before it catches you. Ryan also recommends using it on race day: “I use the Catcher Car feature on race day because it’s really cool to be able to look at your watch and see how far you are from the Catcher Car.” Try barefoot running “Something else I’d do is a little barefoot running on a rugby or soccer field, just 10 to 15 minutes once a week to strengthen your feet and lower legs,” Ryan says. “Because I find when I run on the road my calves get quite fatigued and tired.”   Stay mobile If you’re like Ryan and more of a trail runner and mountain athlete, then the repetitive motion of road running can be tough on the body. Over time it’s easy to lose mobility in key joints, especially the hips, back and shoulders. Ryan recommends doing dynamic stretching, mobility work or yoga to ensure you keep moving well. Get people involved Wings for Life World Run, like Suunto, is all about community. It’s a run we do together for the benefit of others. So, Ryan suggests signing up as many friends and family members as possible, both for your training and the race, and to join Team Suunto to raise money for spinal cord injury research. “It’s such an awesome cause,” Ryan says. “It’s a really fun and dynamic event so team up with some friends for some of your training and try to get people involved. Even if it’s just doing an easy run with a friend once a week.” Be smart on race day The race starts at 11:00 UTC, which is 11:00 AM in London, 12:00 PM in Berlin, 7 PM in Beijing, and 10 PM in Sydney. Depending on where you are in the world this means you’ll need to manage race day accordingly. “Maybe where you are you’'ll be running at night so get used now to running with a headlamp,” Ryan says. “If you’re running in the afternoon sun make sure you stay hydrated. Plan your mealtimes relative to the race time; don’t race on a full stomach or when you’re hungry. When I ran it in Melbourne the race started in the evening so it’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day, to keep eating, and maybe do some mobility exercises to stay loose.”   Images by Craig Kolesky READ MORE 5 reasons to run in the Wings for Life World Run Race the Catcher Car with Suunto    

Training for the Wings for Life World Run is now fun and easy with the Catcher Car training feature available on Suunto 5 and Suunto 9 watches. Wings for Life World Run is a unique race that raises funds to find a cure for spinal cord injury. There is no finish line. Instead, you start with thousands of people worldwide at the same time, running as far as you can before the Catcher Car passes you.   The training feature enables users to train against a digital version of the iconic Catcher Car, so you’re ready to take on the real thing come race day. You’ll see how far back the Catcher Car is, and the estimated distance and time duration left before it catches you. Like Suunto ambassador Ryan Sandes,you can also use it on race day to know how far behind you the virtual Catcher Car is. “Being chased by the Catcher Car anywhere, anytime thanks to this new watch feature is going to add an exciting new dimension to training!” Ryan says.   How to use the Suunto training feature The virtual Catcher Car begins pursuit 30 minutes after you start, gradually speeding up as it tries to catch you. As you run, you can see how far back it is, and the estimated distance and time duration you will run before it catches you. To use the Wings for Life feature with your Suunto 5 or Suunto 9: Select your preferred activity type and, before pressing the start button, scroll down for ‘options’. Select ‘SuuntoPlus’ in the options. Select ‘Wings for Life World Run’ Scroll back up to the start view and start your exercise as normal. During your exercise, swipe left or press the middle button until you reach the Wings for Life World Run display. After you have ended the exercise, you can find the Wings for Life World Run result as part of the summary.   Images by Craig Kolesky   READ MORE 9 training tips for the Wings for Life World Run

The Wings for Life World Run is an annual fixture for many runners, including Suunto ambassador Ryan Sandes. “It’s an amazing event and it’s cool to be able to give back through the sport of running, which has given me so much,” he says. Ryan will be competing in the 2021 virtual edition of the race, to be held on May 9, and is calling for his fellow trail and ultra runners to join him. “It’s a special race with a really cool vibe,” he says. If you need more convincing, read on for Ryan’s five reasons to run it. Give back through running “It’s a good feeling being able to run for those who can’t,” Ryan says. “One hundred percent of the entry fees go towards spinal cord injury research and trying to find a cure.” Two-time motocross world champion Heinz Kinigadner and the Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz established the Wings for Life foundation in 2004. Ever since, it’s been funding research and studies on spinal cord injury. Your entry fee contributes to their goal of finding a cure.   The thrill of the chase Held every year since 2014, the Wings for Life World Run offers an extra layer of fun and excitement compared to ordinary races. Rather than running to a finish line, a Catcher Car begins chasing the participants 30 minutes after the race starts. As it passes each participant, their race is over. This means the race has no set distance. More experienced runners will run further, slower runners will run less. Last year’s winner, Michael Taylor of Great Britain, outpaced the Catcher Car for a distance of 69.92km, but the important thing is participation. Everyone sets their own goals, and everyone finishes the race. You can count on it With the pandemic still raging there is so much uncertainty about which races will happen in 2021. One race you can count on is the Wings for Life World Run. This year it will be a virtual race. Simply download the Wings for Life World Run App and decide how you want to run: on your own or with a virtual team. It doesn’t matter where you are living, you can start running with all the participants worldwide at the same time and you will be chased by the virtual Catcher Car. So add the date, May 9 to your calendar now and join Suunto Wings for Life World Run Team!   There’s tools to help you train In 2020, Suunto and the Wings for Life World Run partnered and created a new Catcher Car training feature for Suunto 5 and Suunto 9 watches. Designed to support runners training for the race, the feature enables them to train against a digital version of the Catcher Car, right on their wrist. They’ll see how far back the Catcher Car is, and the estimated distance and time duration left before it catches them.   Get that community vibe Aside from the good cause and the fun of the chase, the community vibe is what draws runners back year after year to the race. While 2021 is different, there are now more than 1,300 virtual teams and 70 Organized App Runs all over the world, and even those who run on their own are connected to the community through the App. Visit the Wings for Life World Run website to learn more and sign up!   All images by Craig Kolesky