Future S9 firmware wishlist summary

Brad_Olwin

@zrumlow @bartula Not necessarily, This was a ladder workout and I have done ladders, pyramids, etc. Admittedly, I cannot set up the intervals ahead of time but that is fine as this implementation is better. You can use different intensity zones, for example either HR, Pace or Power Zones using a couple of different screens. All you have to remember is the workout or write it down somewhere, I remember mine. For example, next Tuesday I have this:
Vo2 Pick-ups at 10k to 5k pace. After warming up 1mile Z2. Then build pace for 1 min pick-up, rest 2 min. Then pick-up 2 min, rest 2 min. Then pickup 3 min, rest 2 min. Then pickup for 4 min, rest 2min. Then pick-up for 5 min, rest 2 min. Work at 10k pace. Keep your feet moving on rest interval, allow HR to drop into Z2. Then reverse 5,4,3,2,1 w/ 2min rest. Work at 5k pace. Quick cadence. Lean into the speed from ankles, chest up and open. Drive elbows back, shoulder relaxed. Cool down Z2.

It is from my coach added to TrainingPeaks but not set up as a structured interval. I could create a TP structured interval and upload to Stryd on my Apple Watch, taking 15 to 20 min of my time and then I am locked into the interval, or…

I will start AutoSprint and set Pace Zones with my 10k target. After warm up I hit the lap button then run 1 min, rest (2min), run 2 min, rest, run 3 min, rest, run 4 min, rest, run 5 min, rest( during this rest I will reset intensity to 5k pace target, no big deal) then I can remember to run 5, 4, 3, 2 ,1 and I am done. Autosprint will automatically set the laps appropriately with rests using either pace or power if I used my Stryd. It takes no preparation time and all I have to do is remember the workout. Just like magic! Frankly, I don’t understand why you need the workouts programmed down to the second loaded into the watch, it allows no flexibility (for example, if my shoelace is undone, or if I get a cramp my intervals are screwed with your set up). With the implementation I now have I would be able to start back on the interval when ready and it would record, brilliant!

BTW, the workout is from my coach, only three of us have Suunto’s, the rest Garmin. Guess who never, ever programs in complex workouts? Anyone! All the Garmin folks find it far easier to just use the lap button, now I don’t even have to use a lap button as any complex interval I decide to run is automatically parsed into laps by either SuuntPlus Sprint SuuntoPlus Climb or SuuntoPlus Loop. Have you even tried these? From your post it does not seem so.

bart80

@Brad_Olwin I have my S9B for two weeks now. Before I was using Ambit 2 Black for 5 years and I have never used intervals implemented there. I was running the same way as you desribe, just checking the period and clicking laps, but when I have found Ambit Intervals (http://www.ambitintervals.com/#!/) planner based on Ambit Apps it was a game changer for me.

I have found that during structured trainings (fartleks, intervals) I was constantly checking the watch for time (most of my training are based on time duration) which was a little distracting. I found that if my watch will inform me about the run/rest part end it is easier for me to concentrate on workout.

@Brad_Olwin, now with S9B I had to go back to my (and yours) old technique with laps (excluding standard workouts with constant interval period - I use there intervals feature on watch). During my last fartlek piramid session (1’ + 2’ + 3’ + 4’ + 3’ + 2’ + 1’ / rest 2 ') I was trying to change duration targets (I am never using pace target) during rest but I have found this not easy, and distracting.

As I have mentioned I have my S9B for two weeks and have not used SuuntoPlus Sprints but want to try this. I have used only normal interval and yes, it is nice because it informs when run/rest period ends and that is what I desire.

So you see, structured intervals on watch can be helpful just to not distract from good workout.

Brad_Olwin

@bartula For your Fartlek session all you have to do is enable SuuntoPlus Sprint and just do the workout, you do not need to press buttons, the SuuntoPlus field will show the time elapsed in the interval and the pace.

@Brad_Olwin ya, so I tried this workout today. The problem is it autolaps whenever you slow down a certain amount. So, I started my first leg at about a 5:20 for about 100 meters and then realized I jumped on the gas and dropped it to my 6:00 pace. It detected this and split the watch. I had planned on doing this for 400 meters and then doing a 6:45 for 1200 meters. I could just as easily do this with intervals but saw that you mentioned it as a possibility and figured it saved me the hassel of changing the interval length.

Again, it’s a cool thought, but it is not exceedingly well executed.

@Brad_Olwin I also don’t want to be Mr. Poopy Pants but this is just another example of the inadequacies of this software.

Here is a hill repeat workout from this morning with the Suunto+ Hill featureset turned on along with 0.10 mile intervals with 0.10 mile recovery. Note that the grade of the hill that I run averages at 6% and is a constant climb so these should have been picked up. In my mind there should be either 7 climbs or 3 hills detected as I turn off after my last climb and recover. I’ll even give it the 2 hills I have to climb to get to this hill from the house and the 1 it takes to get home. Somehow though the watch counted 6 hills and only one of them was of an actual interval set (0.1 up and 0.1 down). I suspect that it’s my speed relative to the actual time it takes for measurements which causes the watch to have this poor response.

This really doesn’t affect this workout for me as I am just going all out up and down a hill, but I’m not going to use a feature out running mountains if a) it provides little utility and/or b) I can’t trust it to accurately or even precisely produce results.

I’m not even going to include the 10 repeats I did before this because it didn’t pickup a single hill, and I had to manually split each one because I selected the incorrect sport mode and couldn’t set up intervals. Ultimately, it’s just disappointing that these featuresets are produced and presumably took a good amount of time to do so when other, simpler featuresets could be produced that would produce expected results. I might be the only person with this opinion, and if so I guess it just will be what it will be.

https://www.suunto.com/move/zacharyrumlow/5f70b261780fee6ac9eeb99a

https://strava.app.link/wI7DS5NS79

Ignore the 0.18 mile interval at a ludicrous pace, my shoelace came undone coming downhill, so I had to pause the watch, and it always wigs out for the first couple of recording intervals after that.

bart80

@Brad_Olwin But the case for me is not to have the intervals automatically “lapped”. I want my watch to inform me that the interval period has ended (for example 1’ passed) and I do not have to monitor my watch.

I will test the SuuntoPlus Sprint feature but my worries are that if I have intervals shorter than 1’ (i.e. 30’') the watch will not be enough precise. For sure I will test that.

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos

@bartula said in Future S9 firmware wishlist summary:

I will test the SuuntoPlus Sprint feature but my worries are that if I have intervals shorter than 1’ (i.e. 30’’) the watch will not be enough precise. for sure I will test that

wont help in that way I agree

@bartula This is what I hoped the S9B will get 2 years ago. Configuring intervals that the watch beeps or vibrates when an interval ends. I also do not want to check during a high effort every now and then if the interval already ended.

Maybe @Brad_Olwin not only remembers his pyramid intervals but also counts the seconds so he exactly knows when his interval ends

And guess what: all my workouts are planned properly in TP and automatically sync to Garmin Connect and my watch. I just press start training and run.

But maybe Suunto will implement it into its watches sometime.

@trail-cafe let’s be frank, some people are here to be cheerleaders for Suunto and others are here to be honest about the clear limitations of their products.

isazi

@zrumlow or maybe people are different and have different requirements

cosme.costa

@zrumlow said in Future S9 firmware wishlist summary:

@trail-cafe let’s be frank, some people are here to be cheerleaders for Suunto and others are here to be honest about the clear limitations of their products.

If you are not happy with their products you can always change to other brand, if you hadn’t already, but then I do not know what do you do complaining in this very forum.

I’m not a chreerleader of Suunto, I complain from what it is important for me. So I empathize with you to a certain limit, BTW I couldn’t care less abut complex intervals, I’ve never used them and I’m not sure I’m going to do ever. For me the really ones that can complain about complex intervals are the owners of the ambits if they are really losing this feature that they already have, the owners of Spartans or S3/5/7/9 we can’t complain for a feature that has never been advertised or promised. We can ask for it, and if suunto wants/can (we do not know the watch limitations) we will have it, but if not we won’t.

Let’s be frank, the only power that we have over private companies, if we have some, is not to buy they products, so when you buy a product check before that it really fits your needs and if you are not sure you have 2 weeks to return it, or buy it in amazon and then you will have one month.

PS: I do not care about intervals (simple or complex) but if suunto decides to add the structured ones they will be welcome.

sartoric

@zrumlow said in Future S9 firmware wishlist summary:

@trail-cafe let’s be frank, some people are here to be cheerleaders for Suunto and others are here to be honest about the clear limitations of their products.

So, you’re in fact saying that people here belongs to these 2 categories :
1 - Blind fanboy
2 - Truth-bearer unsatisfied tech-restricted honest guys

A little bit restrictive, Isn’t it ?

Fenr1r

@sartoric

So, you’re in fact saying that people here belongs to these 2 categories

Perhaps not. You may be over-restrictive in your inference of @zrumlow’s restrictiveness.

“Some” + “others” =/= “all” (necessarily). Could be “cheerleaders” + “honest [limiters]” + people inquiring about watch strap colors.

sartoric

@Fenr1r

correct

Brad_Olwin

@zrumlow @cosmecosta I am fine with SuuntoPlus for MY interval training. I can remember my workouts as they are not that complicated and, yes I do have to look at the time, I can set a zone by pace, power or HR. I have an A3P and used the interval workout feature but not as much as I thought I would…too much effort.

What I really miss and wish would not have been lost.

Workout plans in the watch as I used this every day.
Training Plans. I wrote several that were highly utilized in MC
Tags. I had a lot of tags.
These are features that I am unhappy are gone and I doubt they will reappear. The workarounds are inferior and more or less nonexistent.

So, as @Fenr1r states I am neither a blind fanboy or rabid complainer. You can look at my post history and clearly see that. So far, the features of other brands, many of whom I have tried do not raise the bar sufficiently for me to move on.

PS. I was an early beta adopter of MC transitioning from the PC based Training Software and was very active on the first Suunto forum. Many of you may not know that existed. Back in the X9 and then T6 days.

Fenr1r

@Brad_Olwin said in Future S9 firmware wishlist summary:

So, as @Fenr1r states I am neither a blind fanboy or rabid complainer.

Absolutely. Your hawk-like sight is well-established.

Mi_chael

@Brad_Olwin

You think that planned workout won’t happen on SA?
It’s really nice feature mostly S9 have already this with MC.

Brad_Olwin

@Fenr1r said in Future S9 firmware wishlist summary:

@Brad_Olwin said in Future S9 firmware wishlist summary:

So, as @Fenr1r states I am neither a blind fanboy or rabid complainer.

Absolutely. Your hawk-like sight is well-established.

Funny!

Brad_Olwin

@Mi_chael said in Future S9 firmware wishlist summary:

@Brad_Olwin

You think that planned workout won’t happen on SA?
It’s really nice feature mostly S9 have already this with MC.

I’ve been asking for this and as a Field Tester I state this as a major missing feature. So far, I have no idea if this will be implemented, I miss it and if I had an inkling it was planned, I would be quite happy.

bart80

@Brad_Olwin
I fully agree with your list of missing features. Sincerely I was surprised that I cannot add a planned workout (my trainer sends me workout plan every two weeks). I was using this quite often.
Tags - totally agree.

One thing I would also admire could be the training load graph which on MC was based on Resting Time. I do not know why it was removed also from MC some time ago but something similar could be shown on SA or/and watch.