Wellograph: WellnessWatch

The Wellness Watch
Wellograph.com
rrp. USD$229

Whilst on the lookout for fitness tech, I stumbled across this watch. Its called the Wellness watch, and to be honest I hadn't really heard of it, and was intrigues to see what this watch could actually do. The website promised a watch, that tracked calories/steps, sleep patterns, heart rate, distance(when exercising), fitness levels and readiness for exercise. Sounds good, but what I really wanted to know - was it acurate?

The watch is available in 3 colours - Silver satin body with brown strap, white pearl body with white strap, and black chrome body with black strap. The default strap as provided is a quality leather strap, although compared to other watches this strap does feel a little flimsy in comparison to the rest of the watch. Replacement straps are available at a price of $49, including whats called a NATO strap, which seems more robust and appropriate for use if your going to exercise in it. The watch has a handy release system for the strap which allows you to interchange straps quickly and easily without the need for tools as can be seen below.

The watch comes with a 1.26" backlit LED screen with super tough sapphire glass making the watch tough enough to cope with the daily demands without fear of scratches. The case is made of stainless steel and aluminium giving the watch a feel of quality. It also doesn't look like your typical fitness tracker, looking smart enough to wear in the evening or at a function. A touch of the button activates the ligght making the screens easy to read as can be seen below.

Battery life is good with the watch lasting 6 days for me, rather than the advertised 7 days, although this could be due to me showing the watch off to every passer by attracted by its look. First question on everyones lips was "is that the iwatch" which surely is a testament to how good the watch looks.

Another positive in favour of the watch, is that it is waterproof, advertised upto 50m, however, I didnt want to test this from fear of ruining my leather strap. And data retention is also good, with the watch holding upto 4 months of data.

As can be seen from the size comparisons above in relation to my mid size G-Shock, the watch is not overly large weighing in at just 3.5oz, and sits nicely on the wrist due to the concave back on the watch, this is designed to aid the heart rate monitoring. For me the pulse monitoring was the big success story for the watch, giving accurate readings when used in conjuction with the mio link. Instant readings are available at the touch of a button. In my version of the watch, the pulse meter was accurate, however, I was too keen on how loose the strap was due to the limited holes, maybe a velcro adjustable exercise strap may be more appropriate or and adjustable link band to keep the watch closer to the wrist.

The watch monitors the pulse using a TRI-LED sensor on the rear of the watch as can be seen below and offers highly responsive readings.

Activity tracking is performed using a 9-axis accelerometer, the sensitivity of this can be adjusted to high and low. Both of which differed considerably to the step function on the iphone 6s, with low sensitivity reading on average 500-700 steps per day lower, and hogh setting reading upto 2000 steps more. Bearing in mind I am on my feet and active all day as Physical Education teacher, this can represent quite a lot of distance/steps. The watch also identified the number of cardio step in relation to general steps which was an interesting feature.

As the screens above show, the watch used a combination of heart rate/step tracking to calculate my activity and calorie use during the day, which could also be seen as a weekly graph showing how active I was on each day. The continuous tracking of the bpm gave a typical resting and max heart rate reading and with use a fitness level, this I found slightly confusing telling me I was in the 85 percentile for 47 year old, when in fact I would rather see how fit I was for my actual age of 40!

One function that really peaked my interest watch the sleep tracking. The first thing I did when I woke up in the morning was check the sleep log. With the watch giving a graph showing the percentage quality of sleep for the night as well as where dreaming/light sleep/deep sleep were taking place. I was impressed with the accuracy of this function as I did snooze one evening between 7 and 8 pm, the watch recognised that I was actually asleep, this amazed me! Well done on this feature Wellograph.

Now the final comparison test was to test the stopwatch/distance run feature on the watch, I compared this with my Garmin forerunner 220 (in conjuction with the mio link HRM). The 2 watches were taken on a 5km run (tried/tested/measured route). The stopwatch/timing function worked perfectly well with no problems in actually timing the run. Now the Wellness watch does not come with integrated GPS tracking, therefore, used the 9axis sensor to track movement, without a calibration function, my fears were realised with this being the most innacurate tracking function on the watch. The Garmin reading 5.02 km, whereas the Wellness watch reading 4.47km. In fairness the watch isnt advertised as a run tracker, its a Wellness watch. Out on the run the pulse monitoring really impressed with both watches reading with 5bpm of each other.

A simple procedure of reading my heart rate, also gave a readiness for exercise scale. Although to be honest I never received a reading of needing to rest, despite an active week.

Charging takes place via a magnetic cradle which uses usb cable to charge. Charging is a quick proces and I found a 2hr charge would see the watch fully charged and ready to go. As a useful feature the watch displays the time landscape when charging.

Information is shared with the Wellograph app, which is available on all platforms. For testing I used the IOS app. Registering the watch was easy to do and a simple hold of one of the buttons on the watch, turned on the bluetooth function and connected the watch to my phone, I found this one button touch functionreally handy as it saved time in going to settings to turn bluetooth on and off, a great battery saving function.

The information in the app is really well presented and easy to read/use. Well done Wellograph a well designed app

Summary.
This is a wellness tracking watch not a smartwatch. It does as it says and gives you a reading of how active you are, how many calories you are using and how well you are sleeping. A useful fitness tracking idea, if a little on the pricey side - especially in the apple watch battle! When I first put on the watch I will admit I was a little disapointed, however, it really did win me over in the end. I see this as  a watch for the general user interested in simple lifestyle tracking, not really for the person looking for a fully blown gps/run tracking watch.

Pros.

Good looking watch

Accurate pulse monitoring

Scratch resistant screen

Interchangable straps

Easy to use (2button system)

Large digit screens

Low power backlight

Low power bluetooth function

Responsive sleep tracking function

Easy to use well designed app 

Long battery life, quick charging

Cons

No GPS tracking feature.

Variable accuracy on step tracking

Straps have limited sizing holes

Poor distance measurement when out running

Aftershokz Bluez2 headphones

Afteshoks Bluez2 Bone conduction Headphones
www.aftershokz.com
www.aftershokz.co,uk
RRP.£74.95/$99.95

Listening to music on my runs! The one thing that I really need to keep me motivated, and the one thing that has caused me the most fuss over the years, with buds that just would not stay in my ears, wires that always get in the way, and death to headphones through sweat and rain.
One of my running colleagues received a pair of Aftershoks for Christmas and was delighted to receive the bluetooth version, intrigued I had a very quick go and was impressed at the sound quality after being dubious about how they would sound.
So decision made, give these a try and get a pair.

From the minute they drop through the door and you open the box, these just scream quality. a great high quality box just says "this is a quality item" and you cant wait to get them out and try them on.

so what do you get in the box!

A pair of reflective stickers for the back of you headset

USB charger cable

Size adjustment band

A nifty waterproof carry bag

So the reflective stickers, just add to the safety of these earphones, allowing the wearer to be seen at night. The USB cable feels like a quality cable, no risk of breakage there. I havent had cause to use the adjustment fit strap, as I find the headphones to be of quite a snug fit, and would only expect people with small head sizes to require the strap, ( I dont consider myself to have a physically big head). The carry bag is a nice touch for looking after your investment.

On a full charge the headphones last for up to 6 hours continuous play,  with up to 10 days charge in standby. and full charge takes approximately 2 hours. So perfect for the average marathon/half marathon/10k runner or cyclist. 

Now, Aftershokz claim these headphones to be sweat and water resistant, but they dont claim them to be waterproof! I must admit that I did actually manage to kill off my first pair of these in a particularly strenuous and very sweaty cycle turbo training session, I contacted Aftershokz and a new pair was in my hand 3 days later, great service Aftershokz! And as of yet months later and lots of sweaty sessions later there is no sign of these headphones failing. I have even had them out in heavy rain and they have worked fine for me.

So how do they work? The headphones use amazing technology, that guides mini vibrations though the cheek bones and conducts them directly to the inner. I was dubious about the quality of this before I tried them, but they really are clear and give a good sound. Ok so you dont get mega bass conduction but the sound quality is very clear and does have a great tone. The fact that these leave your ears open is a great feature, particularly for the cyclist or runner, as you really are aware of your surroundings, meaning you can hear traffic, or marshals in events. Surprisingly the vibrations are barely noticable and you do forget you have them on, however, heavy bass/loud volume can cause big vibrations which can be uncomfortable. There are built in equaliser options but I am barely  able to notice any difference between them.

The headphones have what they call Leak Slayer technology, that I assume is intended to reduce the sound that you lose to the environment, Not a great success, it does reduce sound output to the environment to an extent,it is detectable by someone next to you, but at least you dont give off the recognisable loud tinny sound you hear from children on the bus!

The headphones are really easy to set up, with all the controls placed neatly behind the ear, being bluetooth also means you dont have any fiddly wires to get in your way. I have paired the headphones, with iphone6, ipad, and older phone sony w995, no problems conecting to each and totally switchable between them all. The silver button on the photo above, is the button used to pause and play music, as well as using a double press to advance to the next track. The button is also used to accept and end phone calls, sound quality in calls is good, and reception at the other end is clear I am told. Unfortunately the button only allows skipping forward of songs, there is no backwards and also there is no fast forward/rewind function, but this doesnt detract from their appeal, after all you cant do this with a normal set of headphones can you!

I have predominantly used these headphones whilst out on training runs, or cycling with friends, and found these great for that purpose, I can listen to my music whilst holding a conversation with my running buddies. The fact that these are open ear means I am aware at all times of my surroundings, particularly when out on the road. The headphones even sit nicely under my cycle helmet.

Today I took the headphones to their first 10k event, the Great Manchester Run. To be honest the volume out in the big event wasnt great, Yes I could hear my music, but the sound from supporters, and band/radio DJs surrounding the route sometimes made it difficult to hear my music, effectively making mine just a background noise. If you like your music blasting to your ears in a big event like this, you may struggle here.

Would definitely recommend these headphones, they are the first headphones I have come across that dont require constant adjustment, they are comfortable and quite simply they do their job well, leaving you to concentrate on your activity whilst remaining safe.

Pros

sweat resistant

safety - surroundings awareness and reflective stickers

comfortable to wear

bluetooth- no wires

long lasting charge

easy setup and use

Cons

can be a little quiet in loud surroundings

not totally waterproof

can produce large vibration which can be uncomfortable

Brooks Glycerin 11

Brooks Glycerin 11 Running Shoe (RRP£120) currently available from £60

 The 11th version builds on the comfort from the Glycerin 9 and 10 and boasts  a seamless fit. I did actually consider a move away back to Asics, however, once tried on in the store there was no question that these were the most comfortable in the store, yes I had to pay a little more for these over the Asics, but it was a no brainer, and since then I have even returned and bought another pair!

The shoes have a thick durable sole with what Brooks call omni groove style grip.
The shoe provide fantastic cushioning and comfort for your run and support through its moulded heel. As you can see on the photo below the blue version also comes with reflective detailing, a great safety feature and sadly lacking from the yellow.

 One of the main problems I encountered with the 9 and 10 versions of the Glycerin was the durability of the uppers particularly within the toe box, with the shoes lasting approx 200 miles before my toe wore through the upper, leaving an unsightly hole. This area seems to have been fully addressed by Brooks and the shoes now show a more robust material, which is less "mesh-like" than the previous versions and as a result much more hard wearing, as can be seen on the photos below. These are shoes that covered 250miles(yellow) and 350miles(blue)

I really cannot fault these running shoes, they just seem to keep on going and going and for the average runner like myself, (I'm never going to win any races!!) weight is not an issue, and with use of Brooks 3d fit print overlays weight is reduced from 12.03oz on the Glycerin 10 to 11.08oz in the 11. The sole also proves to be extremely durable as can bee seen on the pics below, with only minimum wear, more noticeably on the outer heels due to my running style, but remember these shoes have covered 350 miles.

Overall I am really impressed with this version of the glycerin and comes in a different colourways, blue/white, yellow/grey, green/grey. Really comfortable, really hard wearing and durable, could be too heavy for the serious speed runners amongst us but well worth the money being asked for them. When it comes to running shoes, you really cant take short cuts on price, and Brooks have proven with these that you get what you pay for - quality. Cant wait to try the Glycerin 12 if Brooks have made the same advances with the 12 they will be a must buy! 
Looks 10/10
Comfort 10/10
Lifespan 10/10
Overall 10/10 WELL DONE BROOKS!

Some specs from Brooks you may be interested in

Weight: 11.8 oz.

Profile (Heel): 34.5 mm

Profile (Forefoot): 24.6 mm

Drop from heel to forefoot: 9.9 mm

 
Features:

• BioMoGo long-lasting and environmentally friendly cushioning
• Full length Brooks DNA for personalised cushioning
• DRB Accel enhances midfoot support
• Rear and forefoot HydroFlow for superb cushioning
• S-257 Cushsole allows for maximum flexibility and cushioning
• Omega flex grooves for enhanced flexibility
• HPR green technology rubber for a durable outsole
• Moisture-managing

Garmin Forerunner 220

Garmin Forerunner 220 GPS watch

garmin.com £209.99(watch only)  £239.99(watch + heart rate monitor)

 

After 2 years of running and getting along fine with my Garmin FR10 I decided it was time to splash out and upgrade to the next model, the 220 really looked the business as wasn't too expensive, so I took the plunge and have now been using this watch for 3 months, and I have really started to enjoy using it and all the features. The 220 comes in 2 colours black/red and white/purple, and also comes in 2 options, with, or without heart rate monitor. HRM can be added at a later date and other manufacturers HRM also work, I use mine with the Mio Link.

Other runners that have had the FR10 have all commented on the clearness of the screen. The watch does have nice, large, clear digits and a great backlight that makes the watch easy to read especially in the dark

 



The charging clip really is a good design which continues to get smaller and better in my opinion, this watch has a spring loaded clip that attaches to the four metal contacts on the back of the watch as can be seen below

The watch is really easy to use, just pressing the red button as seen on the photo above, starts the process of the watch searching for satellites (which I seem to find quite  a lot quicker than I did with the FR10) The photo below show a bar above RUN which gradually fills up as the watch acquires more satellites, a full green bar and your ready to go

 

The watch has five buttons to use (not touchscreen as on the 620), they operate - backlight, start/stop, lap and scroll up/down through functions/data screens.

So as I go into the menu I have, options for

TRAINING. In here I can access and begin My Workouts (which I have created and added from Garmin connect) I can also access my Training Calendar (also downloaded from Garmin Connect) and I can also edit and set up quick interval sessions without needing to create online and download. Intervals can be set a time/distance/open so you can work regular intervals such as 5mins, 800metres, sessions requiring varying set intervals need to be configured online. You can also set whether to record a warm up and cool down in addition to your workout. I like to use the interval session whenever I can as the results give a great set of data showing how far I covered in each interval, or how quickly I completed the distance, very useful indeed.

HISTORY. This menu option as it says gives access to stored runs within the watch, so you can keep a check of how you did over recent runs, each run stored has data for distance, time taken, pace, calories used, cadence and lap distance/time details (if connecte average heart rate and maximum heart rate) all useful in that post race comparison with running parters. Within this section is also a Totals section which shows the total miles/running time for the week and month.

RECORDS. Does exactly as it says, this is where all your running records are displayed for 1mile/5k/10k/hm/marathon. longest runs distance and time. The watch also gives you notice if any of theses are beaten at the end of any run.

SETTINGS. This screen allows setting up of sensors such as footpod or heart rate monitors, also here connections to Bluetooth devices can be set up such as connections to phones to upload activities to Garmin connect apps. Here you also set up your personal profile for accurate measurements height/weight/gender/age and here also you set up heart rate zones for training. Also as you would expect are general settings which allow time setting, alarm setting, colour settings, and units settings. Here you also setup your in run screens, the watch allows 2 screens to be set up containing 3 fields on each screen which can be put together in any combination using (timer, lap time, distance, lap distance,pace, average pace, lap pace, speed, cadence, calories, heart rate, average heart rate, heart rate zone and elevation) so a really customisable watch for all running needs.

When out on a run I found the watch really easy to use with just a quick tap on the menu up/down button to change between my chosen data screens. A quick tap on the power button gives a brief backlight which can be altered in its duration.

A tap on the red button starts/pauses and stops the run  whilst a tap on the lap button ends the current lap and starts the next, unless auto lap is configured to either a set time or distance. On completion of the run you can save or discard the run details. The feature I particularly like on this watch is the ability to upload my runs via Bluetooth to the Garmin Connect app on my phone, saving time not needing to connect to my computer after every run.
Uploading my runs to the app gives me access to a wide range of details such as route, time and distance as well as many other details as can be seen on the screen below, the number crunchers dream.

A useful feature of the watch is the ability to extend the sleep function giving you longer to start your run and not requiring constant button pressing to prevent standby, very useful as a number of times I have missed recording full runs as I have attempted to start runs only to find the watch gone into standby and needing to find signals again.

The watch also give audible beeps and vibrates to signal upcoming standby, lap completion and alerts including pace warning, heart rate warning and walk/run indicators.

The watch can also auto pause, however, this I find is not as accurate as the FR10 and as a result have now turned this off, with the watch taking longer to restart after an auto pause, leading to a few discrepancies in results in comparison to partners results.

The watch has a good battery life also on average I complete approximately 2-3hours running per week and charge the watch weekly, it never drops below 40%, no problem for the long distance runners, plenty for a 5-6 hour marathon ay struggle with an ultra run.

Garmin also say that the watch is waterproof which certainly does seem to be the case, and apparently can be used whilst swimming( I have not tried this) however, there is no claim that this watch can record distance whilst swimming, and research on the internet does show that the 220 is of no use to the swimmer in recording distance. The 220 also has no cycling settings which I believe is on the 620. Therefore, this is a watch based with the runner in mind.

The watch also has an internal accelerometer that can be used to analyse running cadence and also allows you to look at average stride length very useful in looking at how different conditions affect running styles. This also calibrates the watch enabling accurate recording whilst training without satellite signals, for example when using a treadmill giving more accurate results.

The 220 also records elevation whereas this function was missing from the FR10.

Pros
Easy to read
Comfortable
Good connectivity (Bluetooth ant+)
Waterproof
Programmable
Mid range pricing

Cons
Auto pause not too accurate
no swim/cycle mode

In general a highly recommended watch for the runner that wants to take their running to next level giving plenty of options to analyse data and to set up training sessions.





The Running Bug

website  therunningbug.co.uk

Just though I would write a few words on the running site that I spend most of time on.

The Running Bug

When im out and about at the various events, groups and training sessions, I cant believe how many people dont use this site. 3 years ago when I first started running I came across the Bug and joined up. Its free and full of like minded people, from absolute beginners to the experienced ultra runners and professional coaches.

The best thing about the Bug is the sense of community on there. Theres a section on there devoted to logging your miles, where people comment on your runs giving you encouragement and basically giving you the motivation to carry on when you think its a lost cause. 

The bug even has its own app which you can use to track and upload your runs, and you can even link runs done in strava and runkeeper.

Theres a forum section, where you can go for general chat, advice on training, as questions about tech and running gear, and even look for events/review events. Everyone is so friendly and theres even marshalls that are so welcoming and look for every opportunity to comment on your posts.
If your interested in the latest running gear, then theres a section of reviews where bug members have tested the items and reviewed them for your information.
Regular competitions and loads of interesting articles on keeping running efficient, healthy diet, various exercise techniques etc, help keep you interested and motivated.

I really cant heap enough praise on this site, if it wasnt for the bug I dont think id still be running today. I have met some many new friends who regularly meet up and get some runs together.

If your a runner/jogger or just looking at the possibility of becoming a runner, then I highly recommend this site, you really cannot do better. They even have a cyclebug too.
GET ON THERUNNINGBUG.CO.UK TODAY AND JOIN THE BEST RUNNING COMMUNITY AROUND.

Mio Link Heart Rate Monitor

MIO LINK HEART RATE MONITOR (bluetooth /ANT+ compatible)

Mioglobal.com £89.95

Look what arrived this morning my Link from Mio. Couldn't wait to open, so lets have a look in the box.

In the box we get the charger , the Link, a quick start guide (multi language) warranty, and a simple illustration guide to how/where to wear the link and how to charge.

The first thing I noticed when holding the band was wow this is soft! I was expecting a rigid plastic band which I think was down to using heart rate chest straps, bit this band was a soft silicon like rubber band, nice and comfortable and lightweight. The wrist band comes with two prongs to secure the band at the correct size and two studs which fasten any loose ends.

Further exploration of the strap finds that the actual working part of the watch is a removable chip containing the sensors and LEDs used to measure heart rate.

This photo shows the top of the chip with the power on/off switch in the middle and the indicator light at the top(more on this later)

This photo shows the bottom of the chip, with led lights and the red sensor at the center. As you can see by the logos, the Link is Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible.

So onto the wrist it goes, really comfortable, and it doesnt have to be overtight against the wrist, next question, how easy does it connect to devices? Whilst im downloading the Mio Go app, I try to link with my Garmin forerunner 220. A quick trip to settings and sensors menu on the watch, add sensor, and there it is as easy as that. A quick power on/off test and as soon as the Link is switched on, it is picked up by the watch, and reading my heart rate.

The Mio Go app also connects really quickly to the Link, and just requires a few details, name, date of birth, height, and weight, then your away. In the app I can see an instant/constant heart rate.

I am also able to select training zones in 2 modes. 

 

1 zone setting indicates training on/above/below target zone,

 5 zone mode allows customisation of 5 zone levels such as rest zone, aerobic zone, 50-60% max, all changable to suit your needs.

 Current zone level is indicated by a flashing LED on the wrist strap which changes colour as your zones change.

The charging clip is clever as it uses magnets to fasten to the band, holding securely in place (this has been an issue with some of the GPS watches I have used). simply attach the stap and connect to your usb socket and its as easy as that.

OK so thats pre use testing complete, got to say im impressed with the quality so far, so its off on a run I go! 

My first run using the link was a nice easy paced (or so I thought) 10 mile run with a group of friends. I am really impressed with the comfort of the Link, compared to the old chest strap heart rate monitors, I didnt feel the need to keep adjusting the monitor, and if im honest, I completely forgot I was wearing it, so super bonus points there. There was no indication on the band of my actual heart rate, however, that wasnt the purpose of using it (there are watches available for that) I wanted to be able to connect to my Garmin watch which this did and all the data was recorded there. I had my band set to 5zone setting which meant the flashing LED indicator changed progressively from light blue through dark blue, green, yellow, purple to red, giving me an idea of which zone I was training in, this will be better when I get better aquainted with the levels and colours.

One thing I did notice the following day when using the Mio Go app was that there was a useful battery indicator, showing me I had 2 bars, this follows approx 3 hours of testing, 2 hours out and about on the run and an hour showing off to the family and getting used to the kit, so not a bad battery life from such a small unit. Not suitable for 24/7 monitoring, but perfect for training/event monitoring.

Update- I have now been using the Mio Link for 3 weeks, and really could not be without this, the information I am getting is fantastic, linked to my garmin app and my strava app, I get feedback on my heartrate during my runs, based on training zones, and I can look at  how different conditions, terrains and activities affect me during sessions, allowing me to adapt my training accordingly, most interesting is looking at recovery rates especially during those high intensity interval sessions.

feedback graph from Garmin Connect linked to Forerunner 220

feedback chart from Strava, showing time in training zones

As a PE teacher I would be interested in introducing these to pupils within my classes, who have always struggled with the old heart rate chest straps, not least it being embarrassing even putting the straps on. Mio really have struck gold here.

VERDICT
Pros:-
Comfortable soft rubber wrist strap (available in 2 sizes)
Easy to use (1 button on/off)
Easy to clean
Bluetooth/Ant+ meaning you can connect to virtually any app/watch
Quick and easy charging  no long tangled wires

Cons:-
Hard to think of any! Battery life limited upto 10hrs but is that really a problem!

If you serious about training, go out and get one of these, Im going out and buying one now, thanks to Mio for the review sample.