"You slept poorly, take a rest day.” I’ve spent months training and now finally I’m on the start line of my biggest race of the year – when my watch flashes up a most unwelcome message. I feel fine and I know – from the studies in this area – that one night’s poor sleep does not equate to poor performance. But that little message nudges my brain from confidence to concern: can I push hard for four hours despite a gadget designed to assess my physiological indicators telling me a decent performance is off the cards? Are our wearables too often using misleading, even counterproductive language?
Though at the time I admit I was tempted to lob my watch into a bin, I resolved that there were still some big benefits from using wearable devices. They can arm you with data to improve your health, fitness and well-being; facilitate your engagement with others when you share the data on socials; improve your mastery as you see which skills or efforts get you better outcomes; help you correlate data with feel so you can benchmark your perception of effort; and they can, if they match your motivation style, push you into training more effectively. But none of that excuses the start-line faux pas.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
CLASSIC BIKE COLNAGO SUPER
A trailblazing bike immortalised by Merckx and Saronni
"Strava activities are the only way I know some of my friends are still alive"
...or that Bernard is doing his weekly shop
AN EXPERT'S TAKE ON... SADDLE SELECTION
Crucial advice to guide your next purchase
JUST A NUMB#R?
Approaching a landmark birthday, Charlie Graham-Dixon explores how ageing affects cycling performance and what can be done to stay ahead of the curve
RURAL PERIL
More UK cyclists are killed on rural lanes than on busy city streets. Rob Kemp investigates why and what can be done to keep us safe while riding in the countryside
A BLESSED RIDE THROUGH THE FOREST OF BOWLAND
Forgoing cloak, cassock and cross, Trevor Ward goes in search of the holy roads that helped make a Tour winner
Dame Sarah Storey claims road and 19th gold double
More success for Team GB's Paralympians in Paris, but Storey slams women's time trial course
Roglič matches Vuelta win record
Slovenian takes fourth Tour of Spain title after hunting down O'Connor's lead, writes Adam Becket
Williams crowned Tour of Britain champion
Welshman leads home resurgence at the stage race to crown an Israel-Premier Tech clean sweep, reports Tom Davidson in Felixstowe
CLASSIC BIKE CLAUD BUTLER OLYMPIC ROAD
Iconic British brand's Holdsworth-era road bike