The Deep Dive Digest is a weekly newsletter covering the significant sports technology news from the5krunner. One email a week, free and ad-free. Each issue is also published on the site and listed below.
Read the current edition: the latest Deep Dive Digest.
Recent issues
Deep Dive Digest #31: Introducing Quick Reads, for the Time-Crunched Athlete
Deep Dive Digest #28: Edge 1060, MARQ Gen 3, Suunto Race 3S, Fitbit Edge & a Big Month for Launches
Deep Dive Digest #26: Garmin Silently Acquires Moxy, 94 Fenix 9Pro Bugs & Market Insights Galore
Deep Dive Digest #25: CIRQA Pro Leaked, Fenix 9 Pro Tested Hard & Apple Watch Ultra 4 Arrives
Deep Dive Digest #24: Fenix 9 Launch – Hardware & Features Deep Dives and the Questions That Remain
Deep Dive Digest #23: Garmin CIRQA Band Reviewed, CIRQA *RING* Incoming & the Market Shifts
Deep Dive Digest #22: Garmin’s September Fenix Crop, CIRQA Post-Launch Insights & Three Reviews
Deep Dive Digest #21: Garmin Buys TrainingPeaks, Fenix 9 Teased & CIRQA Under the Microscope
Deep Dive Digest #20: Garmin CIRQA Launch Special: Everything You Need to Know
Deep Dive Digest #17: Garmin Enduro 4 Leaked, Connect IQ 9 & the Helio Strap Pro Question
Deep Dive Digest #16: Screenless Band Wars, Garmin Sued for False Claims & Apple’s AI Gamble
Full archive
Browse every issue in the Deep Dive Digest category.
The rest of the Deep Dive series
Legal Files follows the disputes behind the products. Each weekly issue covers the patent suits, class actions, import bans and rulings involving the sports watch and fitness platform companies, with what is alleged and where each case stands. Read it when you want to know whether a legal fight could change what you can buy or use.
Regulatory Filing tracks the products that are close to sale. Each weekly issue lists new filings at the FCC, the Bluetooth SIG and the Asian and Gulf regulators, with the model number, what the record reveals and how firm the evidence is. Read it when you want to know what is coming before it is announced.
Trademark & Patent Filing tracks the names and inventions the brands are protecting. Each weekly issue lists new trademarks and patents, says what each would mean for an athlete and rates how likely it is to ship. Read it when you want an early view of where a brand is heading.
The Deep Dive Feature Files tracks what your devices actually gained. One post each week lists every meaningful new firmware feature across Garmin, COROS, Suunto, Amazfit, Polar, Wahoo, Hammerhead, Samsung and Huawei, with bug fixes and minor point releases left out. Read it when you want to know whether an update added anything worth having.
The Deep Dive Fix Files documents what went wrong and how to put it right. Each weekly issue states a sports tech fault, the hardware or software affected, and the best fix or workaround the endurance community has found, with a topic index covering the whole archive. Read it when a device is misbehaving and you want a known solution.
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.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. 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.
- Ravemen FR1000: The light and the computer mount in one unit, so nothing else goes on the bars. Better than mine.
- Ravemen FR1500SE: 1,500 lumens hanging under your Garmin, for proper night rides.
- Ravemen FR1100SE: 1,100 lumens under your Garmin, and up to 46 hours on slow flash.
- Ravemen FR500: A brighter FR300 with the same mount.
- 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.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red and infrared light for sore knees, Achilles and other joints after hard training. I use it.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who supports it.
Support the site: Follow (free, fewer ads) · Subscribe (paid, ad-free) · Buy Me A Coffee
Written by real people, with AI assistance. Fact-checked and verified for originality. See the Editorial Policy. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure — some links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
