You could say that the Christmas season is not for training. The most important races of the year are over! However, Apple and TrainingPeaks are getting a head start on next year's resolutions with a new integration that lets you directly import custom workouts to the watch.
If you're not familiar with TrainingPeaks, it's an app that helps endurance athletes find training. plans for your next half marathon, triathlon, whatever. If you wish, there is also a coaching service that pairs you with an accredited trainer to customize your plan based on your schedule, performance, and individual needs. The idea is to take some of the guesswork out of what you should do to prepare for an event.
The integration itself is simple. It's based on a new watchOS 10 API and is functionally similar to how Garmin Coach workouts appear natively on a Garmin watch once you sign up for a program and sync your watch. All you have to do is enable the feature in the TrainingPeaks app settings and allow some Apple Health permissions, all of which is very easy to do.
I had to try it out myself before the official launch and it's definitely something that will appeal to people who usually buy rugged multisport watches. (The Garmin crowd, if you will.)
The TrainingPeaks running workouts I tested are pretty standard for intermediate to advanced athletes. They set me up with a Premium account, so I was also able to see some feedback from the trainers within the app. But what I enjoyed most was how it removed another barrier to getting out of bed, lacing my sneakers, and hitting the sidewalk. Analysis paralysis is real and not having to do it think about what training you are going to do is a great help to stay on track. Especially if you're tired of browsing multiple apps or websites to manage a single training plan.
For example, for my last half marathon, I was using a Runkeeper training plan but manually recording each workout on the Apple Watch. and in the phone app. Was this highly inefficient? Absolutely, especially since Runkeeper has an Apple Watch app. My problem was that I don't like the interface of the Runkeeper Apple Watch app and prefer the workout views of the native Workout app. But to get my preferred interface, I had to program my own custom runs for interval or tempo runs on the Apple Watch. that gets real old man very fast.
With the TrainingPeaks integration, there was none of that. When you open the training app, you can see what the day's workout is. The TrainingPeaks logo is clearly there and if you tap on the three-dot menu, you can check out more details about the workout or see upcoming workouts. When you finish a particular workout, that data is sent directly to the TrainingPeaks app and you can see your results there or in Apple's Fitness app.
It seems like a small thing, but speeding up all Your fitness data and plans across multiple apps, devices, and platforms can be a hassle. I'm a wearable reviewer and my own system is far from efficient. So it's nice to see this kind of functionality coming to the Apple Watch, and it's important if Apple wants the Ultra to succeed in a category that has been dominated by Garmin. Many endurance athletes don't use a single app or platform, and most other multisport watches have features and integrations that are better suited for personalized training.
However, we'll have to see how many other third-party apps take advantage of this API. I, for one, didn't love the interface of the TrainingPeaks app, and while I liked the programming, I'm more inclined to stick with the apps I'm currently using. It would be great if those apps built like TrainingPeaks and leveraged the API in the same way. But even if many do, the Apple Watch still has a ways to go before I think it will catch the attention of Garmin fans. If you really want to win over those people, you'll need to address battery life and recovery tracking next.
