Mumbai Marathon: How Apple's Watch Series 4 can help

The marathon season is kicking in with Mumbai Marathon scheduled for Sunday, January 20, 2019. Here are some fitness apps that are relevant from a health and fitness point of view and Apple Watch compatible, for people training / gearing up for Marathon.

Apple Watch Series 4 has been refined, combining new hardware and software enhancements into a genuinely singular, unified form. The display is over 30 percent larger and seamlessly integrates into the thinner, smaller case, while the new interface provides more information with richer detail. Apple Watch Series 4 with watchOS 5 brings advanced activity and communications features, along with revolutionary health capabilities, including a new accelerometer and gyroscope, which are able to detect hard falls, give more insight to heart rate, including measurements during resting, workout, recovery, walking and Breathe sessions. With watchOS 5, Apple Watch becomes an even better fitness and workout companion. Activity competitions allow users to challenge other Apple Watch wearers, automatic workout detection provides an alert to start a workout while giving retroactive credit, and Yoga and Hiking are new dedicated workout types that accurately track active calories burned and exercise minutes earned. Running enthusiasts can take advantage of extended battery life — which is increased to six hours — for outdoor workouts and enjoy high-performance features, including cadence for indoor and outdoor runs, pace alerts for outdoor runs and rolling mile pace, which shows pace for the immediately preceding mile.

Fitness instructor Urmi Kothari says, “your training determines your race day. And ironically, even though sometimes we have done everything right, the outcome can be slightly different. Taking things seriously, Kothari is preparing for the Mumbai Marathon since long. Apart from suggesting some apps that she personally uses and recommends, as a coach and as someone who just ran the Powai Marathon, Kothari has some tips to offer to those who are preparing for the run.  

*Make sure your running plan is made to make you a better runner. Enough miles and just enough frequency and lactate threshold runs, will make sure you are peaking well before race day.

*Over training is not very uncommon. Monitor your recovery and heart rate well- not only during the runs but also on the rest days. I used Apple Watch Series4 for all the stats relating to my runs from distance, pace to Heart Rate during the runs and on waking up the next day. It also helps me monitor calories burnt so I can increase or decrease my intake and i can set reminders for hydration via the iHydrate app.

*Sometimes, your Heart Rate will be extremely high in spite of a slow run. Thats when you know your recovery is poor.

*I use the Heart app on my Apple Watch and can track it during different phases of my run as well.

*Supplements like ashwagandha, Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, Vit D 3 and Vit C and B complex are helpful in *ensuring recovery.

*Breathe: in-built native app that helps me calm my nerves before important runs

*Sleep and Stretches post run or on rest days are two most underrated recovery tools. Now i can choose yoga from the Activity app on my watch to read my stats much more accurately.

*The Outdoor Run option in the Activity app also has a "rolling pace" feature now. It displays the pace of the previous kilometer covered. Hence, it allows me to set a target pace to ensure I am pushing myself in the right zone in order to achieve my target timing.

*The Apple Watch is compatible with running apps like NRC or Strava and directly syncs the runs with my phone. I can also challenge my friends as to who closes the ring the most in the coming week and win cool badges!

*When it comes to running, music is not far behind. I absolutely enjoy my runs with my Airpods while out on my run! Talk about having the beat at my feet.

*Nothing can motivate you more than reviewing and measuring your progress week on week, month on month and the Activity app really help me look back at my performance, recovery, frequency and variety of training and relate it to my present state of energy, efficiency and skill.

Tips for marathon day…

*Don't try anything new...not clothes, socks and definitely not shoes.

*Hydrate well with electrolytes for two to three days prior to the race.

*Sleep well and stay mobile. You are probably not going to get enough sleep on the day of the race. So sleep well all through the week

*Go hard in your fast runs and slow in recovery runs.

*Do core, balance and mobility exercises for 6-7 min before the race to warm up the smaller muscles.

*Plan your pace on race day in advance

*Visualize, Train and give it your best. If you are not having fun, change your strategy

Here are some recommended apps for training with Apple Watch and iPhone:

Strava - Run, Ride, Swim - Whether you're training for a marathon or simply love taking your bike out for a ride, turn your smartphone or GPS watch into a sophisticated tracker with Strava.

3 Ways to train smarter with Strava:

*Track & Analyse: Get key stats like distance, pace, speed, elevation gained & calories burned

*New routes and maps: Mix up your training with the world's largest trail network

*Challenge and Compete: Push yourself with monthly Challenges & compete with others

Streaks Workout - The personal trainer that you actually want to use. You can customize which exercises you want to do, making it great for all ages and abilities.

Seven - 7 Minute Workout - Getting fit has never been this easy – or this much fun. Seven’s workouts are based on scientific studies to provide the maximum benefit in the shortest time possible.

Sweat by Kayla - Sweat with Kayla Itsines BBG Program, join the world’s biggest female fitness community and fast track your journey to Bikini Body Confidence! Sweat is the home of women’s health and fitness, hosting multiple trainers and programs.

WaterMinder - Get help with WaterMinder, an easy, intuitive app to track your water intake. Based on your body weight (or your personal goal), WaterMinder will remind you to drink water to reach your daily goals.

8fit Workouts & Meal Planner - 8fit helps you become healthier and happier by putting fitness and nutrition experts in your pocket. Get customized workout and meal plans to help you reach your wellness goals.

Freeletics - Lose weight, build muscle or simply get in better shape with your personal trainer, Freeletics. Train anywhere, anytime! With no equipment needed and over 900 workout variations, Freeletics is your ultimate fitness planner.

Asana Rebel - More than just yoga. Train, get fit and lose weight with yoga inspired fitness you can do at home.

Runkeeper - Reach your running goals with the ASICS Runkeeper™ app. Track exercise, set measurable goals and see progress along the way.

Breathe - Native app on Apple Watch

Nike + Run Club - Nike + offers GPS tracking details of your run, customised coaching plans that fit your goals and adapt to your progress, and non-stop motivation from your friends.