Yay, I’ve figured out how to do hard running stuff without getting injured. Hill reps. Not particularly pleasant and good for fitness and form.
Dark Hill in Richmond Park is a little bit short for bike hill reps but running up the trail to the side, as shown above, takes a couple of minutes or so in very nice surroundings. It’s probably a little bit too steep for the purpose but it will do for now. 420w…not bad for running. Not for me at any rate. And an improvement on last week. I think I can do quite a bit more than that now.
Back in the glory days, I used to do my Duathlon Brick Hill sets from here. They were notably harder than today’s 6x2minutes, even though, door-to-door the whole session was 100 minutes long.
One Sunday morning, on one of those duathlon bricks, I even detoured back via Prince Charles’s pied a Terre (just to the North of the map, to see if he wanted to go for a run. The policeman wasn’t amused. I guess our future King prefers running alone? I’ve also asked Mo Farah a couple of times and he wouldn’t run with me either…maybe I smell? or something?
Link to my stuff: A typical Mo Training Week (allegedly).
I had a bit of a PITA gadget day. My Suunto Spartan Sport refused to play ball and it required a total reset before I could get it to work at all and thence to pair it with STRYD (don’t forget it now works properly as a footpod that transmits power with SPARTANs). Then I managed to get the new RunScribes to pair with the new Garmin Vivoactive 3 (review in all its “glory” #irony) but the Vivoactive failed to pick up any of the RunScribe metrics. Oh dear.
On a more positive note: I bought some coffee with the Fitbit Ionic. Things are looking up.
Yes every endurance gadget blog in the next few years is going to bore you senseless with meaningless drivel about the NFC payments that everyone else uses.
Despite having to dislocate my shoulder in order to pay at Starbucks it was a relatively painless process. Obviously, Fitbit in the UK negotiated a deal with Starling Bank before HSBC. It’s good to see they have their priorities well organised. Now me and those 5 other Starling Bank Customers can use our Ionics all throughout London to pay for stuff at ‘selected’ retailers. Read a little bit more in the Fitbit Ionic Review.
Bye for now. Off to the fireworks for some ‘fun’ #irony.
Last Updated on 17 January 2026 by the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red light therapy for niggles. It works.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
