Hi,
i’ve been trying to figure this out, but really can’t seem to understand the whole thing about wearables…
I am thinking that maybe a smart watch could help me in tracking my training and overall status much better than i’m doing atm. Moreover nearing my 50’s i can see i have less tolerance and get tired easier (who would have thought!).
So far i just follow the plan progression and skip the odd week if i get sick or tired; and also check on intervals.icu. I’ve been doing it for a few years, but it disregards everything else in my life and i just have to guess a lot.
Wold you think a wearable could help in my case? If so, what would you suggest to get?
I was thinking about a Garmin, since they seem to have a good platform for traking fitness and general health, plus now it seems they integrate better with TR. Apple, i’m not considering it.
Thanks for the help,
D.
Just updated to a Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire on sale for half price and loving the training Status and Body Battery functions. I think that’s exactly what you’re looking for. Any Garmin with those functions would help out with your training load.
+1 on the Garmin Fenix 6 with Sapphire glass. If the price isn’t a problem they’re a great wearable.
My Fenix 3 HR with Sapphire glass survived more than 4 years of abuse. The glass was still spotless when I retired it. (The battery wasn’t lasting long enough).
Thanks for the replies: looks like the fenix 6 would be a good option for my use then.
A couple of questions: is the sapphire glass the best option? Today on Amazon prime there is a nice discount for both the 6 pro and the 6x pro, but no sapphire glass. Also, i suppose the 6 pro would be better to wear 24/7 than the bigger 6x, right?
Best,
D.
Sapphire glass is pretty much bombproof. The bezel on the 6 Sapphire is also scratch resistant.
The value in that depends on how rough you are with your watch.
The above watch also spent a lot of time in the ocean.
Garmin 745 user. I preface my reply with a big YMMV.
As a 50 year old who has noticed a decline in my ability to perform repeated threshold runs, I can relate to the need for something to assist in the “re-calibration” of cardio expectations.
Long story “short”:
-
I run and cycle and I find that intervals.icu and Strava underestimate the impact of running. This fact throws off the Fatigue/Fitness/Form calculations so that my “form” number always indicates that I’m lying on the couch too often.
-
Garmin seems to calculate runs to have a greater impact on my fatigue levels. The Garmin 745 (as well as most Garmins) will indicate what it recommends as the workout for the day. And for me at least, it quite frequently tells me a day of rest/easy-short workout is needed.
To be honest I think at times it’s almost too conservative in its workout suggestions but my guess is the Garmin will rarely if ever put you in an over-trained state.
Good luck!
Hi, I have a Garmin Fenix 6 Pro and before that a 945. They have some really compelling features in the app and some excellent tracking abilities. Most of their flagship devices, even a generation back, will unlock more metrics than you could ever ask for as well as have the ability to be a primary activity tracker. With that said, it is user intensive. You can really deep dive the data but it can also be overwhelming.
I was a long holdout on a Whoop because I had the Garmin, but I finally tried it out and I am much more satisfied with the user experience. I still use my Garmin extensively, but the infographics and ease of use on Whoop’s app is brilliant. Those key performance indicators around recovery are served up in a way that makes sense. If you can resist getting too reliant on them to drive daily decisions, you can learn a lot about how you respond to different elements of training and lifestyle.
To be clear, you can get everything that whoop provides on a Garmin, it is more a matter of preference and engagement. I love parsing the data, but sometimes I just want an at-a-glance readout that I can use to reconcile how I feel with training decisions. Yesterday for example I felt like I was dragging all day. I had the inclination that a ride might drag me out of the funk, but I looked at my data and saw my heart rate, HRV and general sleep quality was abysmal. It took me less than 15 seconds to establish that I wasn’t just being a baby and really needed the rest so I took the day off. This morning my recovery is 90% with HRV, RHR and sleep looking fantastic! I am ready to work.
Just my experience, hope this helps 
I was just going to mention the Amazon Prime deals - I think they finish today. I’ve faffed and dawdled over this Fenix 6X Pro deal and I know I’ll regret it if I don’t buy at this low price, from memory - £425.
I think I’ve been through all the smart watches, Samsung Galaxy, Apple, Huawei (was nice being able to make calls without taking the phone) and of course Fitbit, currently have a Fenix 5 on my wrist and it’s lasted by far the longest and is the best of the bunch for activity tracking and recording the odd activity, I’d go Fenix 6 when it breaks
It looks from all the replies that a Fenix 6 pro (prime €460) or a 6x pro (prime €500) would be a good option and help me better track my load and make better decisions regarding days off or not.
Yet i’m a bit reluctant to spend this much in a few hours without even time to read some reviews or actually understand how they would work 
Ignorance is not always bliss: in this case i might miss out a good deal on a useful gadget or spend half a grand for something i will not actually want or find useful enough (i’m fully aware that i do not really need it).
That’s about all of the info you need. Ray’s reviews are always very thorough, IMO.
List out your requirements.
Look at the Garmin website wearables and click Compare for a few different ones.
Fenix is top of the range so you may find you don’t need or want all the features and a lower model is more suited.
I just spent ages deciding between the Forerunner 45,55,245,745,945 and fenix 6, 6Pro for what to get as a triathlete, and I’ve just bought the fenix 6S Pro because of the discount.
I have had a 6 Pro for a while, I love it and have zero regrets buying it.
But I don’t think it is the answer to your problems. I think learning your body better is the answer, the watch is just a gadget that might just give a little more insight.
You know, it’s what i have been thinking in the shower after the ramp test this afternoon!
I’ve been on TR for a few years now, but i think i still have a lot to learn about how my body responds to it.
Indeed i will have to clarify with myself first what i really want from this kind of device and then figure out which is best, or if i want it at all.
I have until Black Friday to figure it out 
The new 55 is pretty good although it’s the base model, it’s new and covers run bike and pool swim, has all sorts of health and performance stats so it’s worth considering the whole range imho.