Garmin and Other Services

Yesterday I wore the Suunto Peak 5 alongside the Apple Watch SE rather than the Apple Watch SE and Garmin device as I usually would. The reason for this is that I want to continue playing with Suunto devices, and I’d like to wean myself off of the Apple Watch, for at least a week or two.

In the process of doing this I was reminded that although the Apple watch is pivotal within the iOS app ecosystem Garmin is very well connected with other services. I share Garmin data with 11 services. These services are Adidas Running, AllTrails, Asics runkeeper, Decathlon (added today), komoot, Nike, Ride with GPS, Strava, TrainAsOne, Walk the Distance and Zwift.

Although connected I use Zwift, TrainAsOne and other apps much less than I used to. The point is that we often think “I need to keep wearing the Apple watch because of all the apps that feed off it, which although true to some degree, is no less true about Garmin and the apps that it can feed with data.

Yesterday, by not wearing the Garmin watch 11 services got no data about my walks into and out of Geneva and Nyon yesterday. To some degree Garmin is more central to my fitness journey than the Apple watch.

Who Cares?

I wear an Apple watch, and I would like to stop wearing it. I don’t because of all the connected services. At the same time, as I noticed yesterday and this morning, 11 servies get their data from my Garmin data, not the Apple watch. In light of this the Garmin device is more integral than the Apple watch.

And Finally

The Suunto Peak 5 currently thinks that my fitness age is 55 so I want to wear it when doing sports, to see my fitness age descend back down to 25, as it indicated a year or two ago. It’s silly, but I feel this compulsion. For that to work I should go on an endurance bike ride for several hours but I don’t want to tire myself ahead of friday’s 5:30 run.