Suunto SPARTAN – September Features Confirmed and still using kinematix

I had a sneaky little multisport session tonight with the SPARTAN ULTRA and found that the STRYD power data invisibly fed through to a TRAIL running profile. Probably as it should, if you think about it. I’d had a few power problems over the last few days with my PM failing so welcome news to get the STRYD power through.

I got home to find an email from Suunto awaiting confirming what I seem to remember we already knew was coming this month. These pending September features are as follows:

• Customization of sport mode settings
• Android compatibility
• Peer-to-Peer coaching in Suunto Movescount
• Annual / all-time personal best dashboard with age group comparison in Suunto Movescount
• Long-term progress analysis in Suunto Movescount
• Community training insights from peer groups in Suunto Movescount
• Weekly planning tools for yourself and your coach in Suunto Movescount
• Alarm clock

From a personal perspective I’ve highlighted what is of interest to me. But the lack of sport mode customisation-to-date, I have to say, has been a little weak. That was probably my main, unsaid, criticism so far. On the whole the ULTRA seems a super-nice bit of hardware with lots of potential for the months/(years?) to come. Ignoring that I’ve actually taken to wearing a watch for day use as it’s soooo pretty. Well, I like it.

Actually I did a bike-run today. I suppose I should have multisported that one. But the reality with some of the nice features of whatever kind, on many watches, is that often it’s just easier to do ‘it’ the occasional time manually rather than getting the automation setup incorrectly a few times and wasting an evening.

I’m still playing with KINEMATIX TUNE to tell me how bad a 5k runner I currently am. TBH I’ve struggled a bit with my injury and also the smartphone-carrying arm band; hence my recent post on the flipbelt which has saved the day on the ‘carrying stuff that you’d rather not’ front. The flipbelt means I can do faster runs AND use KINEMATIX. Today was probably HM pace (HIM looming) with heavy trainers and the GCT was surprisingly even on both sides. My problem seems to be too many heel striking steps on the right side…try getting that from the Garmin Advanced running Dynamics….you can’t.