The Suunto Spartan Collection is the newest line-up of multisport watches, building on the success of Suunto’s Ambit series. After training for several years first with a Suunto Ambit 2, then an Ambit 3 Sport, and finally an Ambit 3 Vertical, I was pretty excited to get my hands on their top-of-the-line Spartan Ultra recently so I could put some of the new navigation features to the test.

First Look: Spartan vs Ambit

With an improved battery life (up to 26 hours at ‘good’ GPS resolution), a brand new waterproof color touch screen, and a more stylish profile that would be equally at home in the office as on the mountain, the Spartan appears to have been completely redesigned from ground up when compared to the Ambit series. Now with over 80 sport modes pre-loaded, it’s got a few extra bells and whistles like step/activity tracking, and a new and improved Movescount mobile app. But along with these and all of the standard features of previous Suunto models, the Spartan manages to feel much more approachable and user friendly.

Previous models like the Suunto Ambit 3 Peak may ultimately have fallen victim to feature creep and an overly complicated interface that left many users only using part of the power under its sapphire glass face. As a tech-savvy power user, being able to customize the various screens for each sport mode and to create custom apps was all part of the fun for me. I’m not sure what percentage of other users who know how to do this (yet alone would bother) might be, but I’m willing to bet it’s small. Many people I know weren’t even aware you could pre-load routes into the watch, not to mention the Findback and Trackback tools which have got me out of a bind on more than one occasion! These navigation features are not only the most under-utilized but are the most powerful features of the Ambit series of watches in my opinion, and the most important when it comes to safety for trail runners who spend a lot of time in the backcountry.

The Suunto Spartan has addressed this with a much more intuitive user interface, and a new approach to its use of navigation. It’s now easier to load and follow routes and to use the compass, and the Findback and Trackback tools have been replaced with the new fully integrated Breadcrumbs view. Let’s dive into each of the 3 ways you can navigate with the new Suunto Spartan Ultra.

After my recent peroneal tendon injury, my MD recommended that I get custom orthotics. I wasn’t sure at first, but my physio agreed that it could be a good temporary aid as we work to build up the strength in my arches.

It’s still not clear how my biomechanics are to blame for the overuse injury, but I’m using this whole experience as an opportunity to finally address a series of minor issues and weaknesses so that I can come back strong for the long-haul (poor tracking of the knees, weak glutes, etc.).

I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to use orthotics in my Salomon Sense Ultras though. While far from ‘minimalist’, they’re definitely on the lighter and more flexible side as a performance shoe and neutral, like most trail shoes. After a fair bit of experimenting, I’ve found them to be the absolute perfect fit. I’m a mid-foot striker and I like to feel the ground beneath my feet so I wasn’t about to put on a pair of Hokas!

There’s not much I love more than running in the snow. With the winter trail running season coming to a close, I wanted to share a few of the items that I’ve come to consider essential for braving the elements.

I wanted to provide an overview of the inReach SE manufactured by Delorme which I recently got, specifically from a trail running perspective.

There are plenty of comprehensive reviews out there of all the product features and benefits, so I thought instead that I’d just quickly point out how I hope to take advantage of some of the device’s unique features in the backcountry running and racing that I do and to show you the device in action.