Suunto Blog

Trail runner Dakota Jones shares his perspective on the deep connection between trail running and environmental responsibility. In this piece, he explains how his Footprints Running camp empowers runners to create meaningful climate action in their communities. Article by Dakota Jones One of the best things about running is that you can do it almost anywhere. As long as you have some shoes and a few clothes, you can go for a run wherever you are. (And hey – you don’t even really need that stuff, depending on the context.) Trail running was born out of this desire to embrace the experience of running and its simplicity. But this pursuit is at risk due to climate change, which is impacting not only our ability to run but the general human ability to continue to use natural resources for life, health, and prosperity. It’s a big bad scary thing and I spent too much time worrying about it and not enough time trying to do something. In 2021, I decided to change that. I am Dakota Jones, a professional trail runner from Utah who has been running competitively for 15 years. I’ve also been trying to use my platform to address environmental issues for a long time. In 2016 I took a cargo ship across the Atlantic to race in Europe instead of flying. And In 2018, I rode my bike from where I was living in Silverton, Colorado to the Pikes Peak Marathon. Then I ran the race, and the following week I biked home.  Both of these trips were exciting adventures, and on paper they saved resources. But the problem was that neither of them was repeatable on a large scale People with jobs and families simply can’t take the time and money to travel by cargo ship or bicycle. These actions may not be the overall solution to climate change, but they had been effective actions for me personally, because I had a public platform as a professional runner. The question was: how could I help people create their own similar projects that made the best use of their own skills and circumstances? A space for runners to drive impact Footprints Running camp came out of that thought process, and out of the many conversations I had with smarter friends over the next few years. The basic ideas can be summed up as follows: Running helps people be healthy and it brings them together Running as a sport is a privileged thing to do, which implies you have the time and energy to attend to more than your basic needs Many runners want to address social and environmental issues but don’t know how We put these three ideas together and created a running camp that a) brought people together in person, b) centered the messaging of the camp around community service, and c) provided education and mentorship for environmental action. The key was that we don’t just want to raise awareness about problems, we want to create direct actions. And since we’re not all senators or the leaders of large corporations, we shouldn’t be expected to create global changes. Instead, each participant at Footprints arrives with an idea for how they want to address climate change in their community. During the camp, our mentors help campers bring these projects to life. Transforming ideas into local impact  Abbie Sullivan is from Canandaigua, New York, a small town on a beautiful lake. During the last few years the lake has experienced periodic algae blooms, which is when fertilizer from outlying farms pours into the lake and consumes all the oxygen in the upper waters, making it toxic. Abbie had studied the issue during her engineering degree, but she didn’t know how to bring about action on the issue.  Her mentor was Dr. Ryan McClure, a climate scientist (and ultrarunner) from Colorado. Together they worked to develop a race in Canandaigua that brought the community together around the issue. First they identified an action to take: they partnered with a local nonprofit working on the lake’s water quality. Next, they reached out to local businesses and created a festival to partner the race. The event became an opportunity for people from all over the region to come to Canandaigua for the race and to get to know the community. Local businesses benefitted, and the runners got to race down the town’s main street. In this way, Abbie and Dr. McClure turned an environmental problem into an economic solution: now the town can see the benefit of cleaning up the lake, and they have a clear partner (the race and the local nonprofit) to whom they can turn for help. Abbie’s project is one of more than two dozen that we have helped develop during the past three years of Footprints camps. If you want to read more, check out our website here. This fall, our fourth camp took place in northern Vermont, and we were proud to expand both our scope of education and our network of partners. During the last year we have adjusted our mission to focus on climate justice rather than simply climate change, with the aim of prioritizing the people most affected by climate change to help reduce the impacts they feel and assist them to be more prepared. In addition, we’re thrilled to partner with Suunto! Suunto is a watch manufacturer from Finland that has been operating for more than 80 years. They began by making compasses, and now they make state of the art smart watches that allow athletes and adventurers to travel to the most remote parts of the globe without ever being lost. Suunto supports environmental activism within their own brand and externally, by providing funds and products to organizations like Footprints. We’re thrilled to share this new adventure with them and excited to tell the tale. If you want to get involved with Footprints, take a look at our website and follow along on social media. We’ve found that when people have the support they need, they can do amazing things. As a nonprofit with a large and growing network of mentors and collaborators across many professional fields, we are excited to organize more camps and create more opportunities for people like you. What kind of project would you like to work on at camp? Reach out and tell us now!   Images by Ryan Thrower & Freetrail

Suunto athletes Iris Pessey, Abby Hall, and Dakota Jones reveal their pacing strategies during the UTMB Mont Blanc in Chamonix. Race tactics! How should you approach a trail race to get the best possible outcome? How do you pace a race right? We turned to three of our ambassadors – Abby Hall, Iris Pessey, and Dakota Jones – to get their tips. They each ran different distances at the UTMB Mont Blanc this year: Iris flew through the MCC, Dakota tackled the CCC, and Abby took the UTMB by its horns. In the video below, Iris, Abby and Dakota share their unique insights on balancing effort, conserving energy, and navigating the mental and physical challenges of ultra-distance racing.  Abby uses her Suunto watch's Climb Guidance to pace climbs and descents evenly, while Dakota, a strong climber, pushes harder on uphills, saying, "Racing is about taking risks." Iris breaks her race into sections, allowing her to mentally reset along the way, finding motivation in in each checkpoint.  Curious about how the pros pace themselves in tough trail races? Watch the video now to gain valuable tips on skill, strategy, and resilience that could make all the difference on your next trail race!

Last week, Suunto users around the world came together for the Suunto Commuting Day in an effort to do good for the planet. Here’s a snapshot of what the global community achieved! Small, everyday choices are the beginning of change. One single commute may not seem like much, but over time, it all adds up. And when we look at the entire Suunto community, we can see that together we can make a bigger impact! The combined CO₂e savings for the participants on Thursday, October 24 were over 65,000 kg. This collective effort shows that even small changes in our daily routines can have a real impact. 65,000 kg of CO₂e is equal to about 260 one-way flights from Paris to Berlin, where each passenger's emissions are around 0.25 metric tons for the 1.5-hour trip. It is also similar to the CO₂ absorbed by around 1,300 trees over ten years (based on Tree-Nation’s Eden Reforestation Projects in Mozambique). 65,000 kg is also equal to the emissions of 5,500 Finland-made Suunto Ocean watches generate during their whole lifespan. Half on bikes, half on foot Our data revealed that 49% of participants chose to cycle, 31% to run, and 20% to walk their commutes — each step and pedal turn contributing to both personal health benefits and a greener future. Whether on wheels, on foot, or even other creative methods, our Suunto users took meaningful action to reduce their carbon footprint. Distances covered and time invested Cyclists typically commuted around 7.9 km per trip, spending 28 minutes on average. Runners tackled 6.1 km per commute, taking 40 minutes on average. Walkers covered 2.7 km on average, enjoying 35 minutes outdoors. The bike commute distances are distributed quite evenly over different distances: roughly a third is less than 5 km, a third is between 5–10 km, and a third is over 10 km. The longest commuting rides last Thursday were over 100 km. Top commuting champions by country Our Swiss users led in cycling distances with an impressive 10.3 km being the most typical commuting distance, while runners in China topped the charts, typically covering 7.5 km per commute. Globally, France took first place for the total distance covered by its participants, followed closely by Finland, Germany, Spain, and China. Suunto’s Commuting Day is a testament to what’s possible when people come together for a common goal. These statistics show that, collectively, we’re reducing emissions, embracing healthier lifestyles, and setting a precedent for sustainable commuting worldwide. Thank you everyone for participating in the Suunto Commuting Day and also the photo contest. Winners of the Suunto Wing open-ear headphones have been contacted directly. Please remember that our small everyday choices make a difference over a longer period of time and together with the community. Keep up the good work! Learn more about tracking human-powered commutes and your CO2e savings Learn more about Suunto sustainability work

Brave the weather (or simply enjoy it if the conditions are good) and join us for Suunto Commuting Day on October 24, 2024! Small, everyday choices are the beginning of change. One single commute may not seem like much, but over time, it all adds up. And when we look at the entire Suunto community, we can see that together we can make a bigger impact!   On Commuting Day, track your human-powered commute with your Suunto device and tag it as a commute. After the event, we'll calculate how much CO2e we saved together!   Tracking CO2e savings with the Suunto app is simple: ride, run, or walk from point A to point B and save your activity. The Suunto app can automatically tag one-way trips that start and end at least 500 meters (0.3 miles) apart as commutes. If you don’t have auto-tagging on, you can enable it in the Suunto app settings ('Settings' > 'Tags'). To manually tag your commutes, go to the activity, select 'Edit', 'Add tags', and choose 'Commute'.   The reduced CO2e emissions for a single activity will be shown in the workout summary. Your monthly total for CO2e savings can be viewed in the commuting widget on the app’s home page.    You don’t even need a Suunto watch or a Suunto-compatible Hammerhead bike computer to start tracking your human-powered commutes – you can also use the Suunto app for free. Download the Suunto app for iOS here or for Android here.   Learn more about tracking human-powered commutes and your CO2e savings Share your Commuting Day activity with Suunto app for a chance to win Suunto Wing open-ear headphones! Share your Suunto Commuting Day activity on Instagram via the Suunto app and tag @suunto for a chance to win Suunto Wing open-ear headphones! Open-ear headphones are ideal for urban commutes, allowing you to listen to audio while still hearing your surroundings.   To share your commute, add a photo to your activity in the Suunto app and include the CO2e savings data for your commute. Three of the most inspiring posts shared between October 24 and October 27 will win Suunto Wing open-ear headphones. (Terms and conditions apply. Learn more here.)   Learn more about sharing with Suunto app     Calculating saved CO2e emissions CO2e demonstrates the global warming potential (GWP) of all six greenhouse gases in one number. We calculate your emission reduction by comparing cycling, walking or running to driving your car.   About the calculation CO2e (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent) emissions of travel by car (average of a petrol/diesel powered car). Emission factor: 0.166867 kg CO2e/km. CO2e demonstrates the global warming potential (GWP) of all six greenhouse gases: CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, SF6, NF3 in one number. Data source: Govt of UK, Dept. of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, 2023.   Committed to be better Learn more about our sustainability efforts here. We know we are not perfect, but we are committed to be better. 

After winning the Lavaredo Ultra Trail (for the third time!), ultra runner Hannes Namberger shares some of his activity data from the race – and his tips how you can learn from your races, too! Hannes Namberger has once again demonstrated why he's one of the world's top ultrarunners, clinching his third victory at the Lavaredo Ultra Trail by the UTMB back in June. Throughout the challenging 120 km course, Hannes relied on his deep understanding of race strategy and some valuable data that helped him be prepared for the race and ultimately stay ahead of the competition.  For a closer look at how Hannes leverages his data and insights, and to get a detailed breakdown of his race day performance, watch the full video below. And, as a bonus, you might learn a thing or two that will benefit you as well!     Learn more about Hannes's watch of choice, the Suunto Race here

A Technological Breakthrough from Tampere University MoniCardi, a medical technology and software company originating from Tampere University, has been diligently developing novel and heart rate variability (HRV) methods to decode the intricate phenomena of the human body. The MoniCardi team aims to unveil the various physiological characteristics influenced by the heart's behavior, opening new frontiers in health and performance measurement. The Foundation: Validation with Massive Datasets MoniCardi's groundbreaking research is rooted in statistical and time-series analysis methods originally developed in computational physics. These methods have surprising, yet highly impactful applications in electrocardiography, including HRV analysis. MoniCardi's novel methods and their usefulness have been validated in various scientific studies [1-9] and they have been featured in the leading conferences of cardiology such as the Scientific Sessions of American Heart Association. The studies include exploitation of massive datasets such as the extensive Finnish Cardiovascular Study (FINCAVAS), which contains comprehensive measurement data from 4386 participants of a clinical stress test. In a recent breakthrough study [1], it was found that MoniCardi's HRV analysis of a one-minute rest phase prior to the test predicts sudden cardiac death significantly better than the conventional analysis of the complete 20-minute stress test (hazard ratios of ~2.5 and ~1.5, respectively). The superiority of MoniCardi increases further when considering all the other risk factors in the analysis. Outside clinical studies, MoniCardi's patented methodology allows accurate estimation of metabolic thresholds in sport applications. This was confirmed in a ground-breaking study published by the team in the leading physiological journal in 2023 [2]. The study was featured in several national and international news sites, including a full-page article in the main Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat (link below). The results are currently under validation in academic collaboration between Tampere University and the Finnish Institute of High-Performance Sport (KIHU). Through a partnership with Suunto launched in 2024, MoniCardi's novel technology is now entering in the use of professional athletes, sport enthusiasts and all the consumers interested in these novel features that push the HRV analysis into a completely new level and ensure practical and actionable results. Understanding Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the variation in the time intervals between consecutive heartbeats. By analyzing the fluctuations in these intervals, it is possible to gain insights into the body's state, particularly the autonomic nervous system's influence on the heart. Conventionally, HRV has been used to gauge recovery states during sleep through RMSSD (Root Mean Square of Successive Differences), which observes nightly changes in HRV to detect stress levels. At rest, the body shows significant variability between heartbeats, known as HRV. However, as the body encounters increased stress, the autonomic nervous system shifts into the fight-or-flight mode, resulting in minimal heart rate variability. This reduction in HRV can be used as an indicator to assess stress levels. Introducing DDFA: A Revolutionary Measurement Technology HRV methods are conventionally split into time-domain, frequency-domain and nonlinear methods. One of the most common nonlinear methods is Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) developed in the early 1990s. The key information provided by DFA is the overall long-term characteristics of HRV in terms of correlations, in particular, how changes in heartbeat intervals at some time affect the changes at another time. This information has powerful predictive value, but the practical usefulness of this information was unleashed only recently, when Dynamical DFA (DDFA) was developed [8,9] and further refined to assess changes in HRV correlations in a time-sensitive manner [10]. In brief, DDFA utilizes a multitude of "measure sticks" from 4 up to >50 consecutive heartbeats. At every instant of time, DDFA then gives a so-called scaling exponent - a characteristic feature of correlations in heartbeat intervals - for all these measure sticks simultaneously. This information can be precisely mapped to the physiological state during physical exercise. Real-Time Intensity Monitoring DDFA excels in assessing real-time changes in the heartbeat correlations during exercise. Training intensity directly correlates with time- and scale-dependent variations in the DDFA scaling exponent. Research indicates that increasing intensity in physical exercise decreases the scaling exponents. Eventually, at very high intensities, the beat-to-beat intervals may show so-called anticorrelations, where large and small beat-to-beat intervals alternate in a specific manner depending on the time scale. This information allows for precise monitoring of exercise intensity and physiological thresholds. Visualizing DDFA in Action A pivotal study, "Estimation of Physiological Exercise Thresholds Based on Dynamical Correlation Properties of Heart Rate Variability," published in Frontiers in Physiology in 2023 [2] illustrates DDFA's capabilities. The research paper presents an exercise scenario where intensity increases over time. The cyan lines denote the two metabolic thresholds: LT1 (aerobic threshold) and LT2 (anaerobic threshold), with the black dotted set on locations where these thresholds would be based blood lactate levels. This illustrates an ideal scenario where the DDFA-based analysis yields threshold levels nearly identical to those obtained using lactate-based threshold definitions. While this represents the optimal case, variations are expected in real applications. The DDFA analysis and lactate-based thresholds may differ from case to case, with heart rate measurements typically matching within +-5 beats per minute. There are also uncertainties inherent in lactate thresholds, which are subject to interpretation. Validity up to clinical accuracy MoniCardi methodology has been used to predict the overall cardiac risk and sudden cardiac death [1], and several cardiac diseases such as long QT syndrome [4,5], atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure [in preparation]. The methods have also been applied to estimate stress and sleep stages [6,7]. The prediction of sudden cardiac death [1] has gained traction and it was featured in all the big news sites in Finland (YLE, Helsingin Sanomat, Ilta-Sanomat, Aamulehti) and on several international news sites (list below). In medical technology, MoniCardi is currently collaborating with Cardiolex Medical, a Swedish MedTech company developing modern ECG devices and systems. MoniCardi is also seeking partners in wearable technologies to bring cardiac risk assessment to mass markets. References: [1] Jussi Hernesniemi, Teemu Pukkila, Matti Molkkari, Kjell Nikus, Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen, Terho Lehtimäki, Jari Viik, Mika Kähönen, Esa Räsänen, Prediction of sudden cardiac death with ultra-short-term heart rate fluctuations, JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, 2024 [2] Matias Kanniainen, Teemu Pukkila, Joonas Kuisma, Matti Molkkari, Kimmo Lajunen, and Esa Räsänen, Estimation of Physiological Exercise Thresholds Based on Dynamical Correlation Properties of Heart Rate Variability, Front. Physiol. 14 (2023). [3] Teemu Pukkila, Matti Molkkari, Matias Kanniainen, Jussi Hernesniemi, Kjell Nikus, Leo- Pekka Lyytikäinen, Terho Lehtimäki, Jari Viik, Mika Kähönen, and Esa Räsänen, Effects of Beta Blocker Therapy on RR Interval Correlations During Exercise, Computing in Cardiology 50 (2023) 10.22489/CinC.2023.104 [4] Matias Kanniainen, Teemu Pukkila, Matti Molkkari, and Esa Räsänen, Effect of Diurnal Rhythm on RR Interval Correlations of Long QT Syndrome, Computing in Cardiology 50 (2023) 10.22489/CinC.2023.287           [5] T. Pukkila, M. Molkkari, J. Kim, and E. Räsänen, Reduced RR Interval Correlations of Long QT Syndrome Patients, Computing in Cardiology 49 (2022) 10.22489/CinC.2022.284 [6] Teemu Pukkila, Matti Molkkari and Esa Räsänen, Dynamical Heartbeat Correlations During Complex Tasks – A Case Study in Automobile Driving, Computing in Cardiology 48 (2021) 10.23919/CinC53138.2021.9662676 [7] M. Molkkari, M. Tenhunen, A. Tarniceriu, A. Vehkaoja, S.-L. Himanen, and E. Räsänen, Non-Linear Heart Rate Variability Measures in Sleep Stage Analysis with Photoplethysmography, Computing in Cardiology 46 (2019); 10.22489/cinc.2019.287 [8] M. Molkkari, G. Angelotti, T. Emig, and E. Räsänen, Dynamical Heartbeat Correlations During Running, Sci. Rep. 10, 13627 (2020) [9] M. Molkkari and E. Räsänen, Robust Estimation of the Scaling Exponent in Detrended Fluctuation Analysis of Beat Rate Variability, Computing in Cardiology 45 (2018); 10.22489/CinC.2018.219 [10] M. Molkkari and E. Räsänen, Inter-beat interval of heart for estimating condition of subject, Patent pending.   Latest news of MoniCardi International news:Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240613140808.htmScience Alert: https://www.sciencealert.com/new-algorithm-can-predict-and-help- prevent-sudden-cardiac-deathMirage News: https://www.miragenews.com/tampere-university-researchers- predict-sudden-1255528/Medical XPress News: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-method-based-series-analysis-thresholds.html Finnish news: YLE: https://yle.fi/a/74-20093771Helsingin Sanomat: https://www.hs.fi/tiede/art-2000009847625.htmlIlta-Sanomat: https://www.is.fi/terveys/art-2000010505400.htmlAamulehti: https://www.aamulehti.fi/tiedejateknologia/art-2000010497986.html https://www.aamulehti.fi/tiedejateknologia/art-2000009863997.htmlSTT: https://www.sttinfo.fi/tiedote/70082024/aikasarja-analyysiin-perustuva-uusi-menetelma-helpottaa-urheilun-kynnysarvojen- maarittamista?publisherId=69818730&lang=fi