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The Suunto Race 2 is an impressive watch, delivering many of the same features of pricier Garmins at a cheaper price. It’s the bigger brother of the Suunto Run, with some capabilities its predecessor doesn’t have, such as the ability to access the SuuntoPlus store. There, you can download apps and integrations so your watch can do more than just the default features.
There are some real hidden gems in the SuuntoPlus store, and I’ll share my favorite uses for them below. (Suunto Race 2 users should also check out the Suunto Run hacks since most of them relate to features shared by both watches. )
Download offline maps while you’re at home
Credit: Beth Skwarecki
The Suunto Race 2 can display maps right on the watch, but you need to download those maps before you head out for your adventure. You’ll want to do this at home, on a wifi connection. If you wait until you’re at the trailhead to think of it, it will take forever (that is, if you can get the maps to download at all).
To download maps, tap the watch icon at the upper left of the screen, and scroll down to Offline maps. Rather than downloading a specific area, you’ll need to choose one of the available selections. In the U.S., the selections seem to go state-by-state; for example, I can download a Pennsylvania map and a West Virginia map separately, but I can’t download an area that includes bits of both.
Once you have the maps on your watch, you can leave your phone and home and either select Map from your widget list (to see the map without starting an activity), or view the map while navigating during a run.
Learn to use the SuuntoPlus store
Credit: Beth Skwarecki
Even though I knew SuuntoPlus was a big, uh, plus of Suunto’s higher-end sports watches, it took me a long time to realize just what a treasure trove it was. It’s not super clear how to actually use it or what it’s for, so here are the basics.
First, you have to find the SuuntoPlus apps you want. Tap on your watch icon, as you did above, and scroll down to My SuuntoPlus sports apps. If you know the name of the app you want, search for it here; otherwise, browse around.
To use a sports app, you’ll need to select an activity, like a run. Before starting the activity, scroll down and you’ll see a menu called SuuntoPlus. From here, you can select up to three sports apps to run during your activity. Each app will have its own screen in the carousel of data screens. (To move between these screens during the activity, press the dial.)
The SuuntoPlus store also allows you to sync workouts from TrainingPeaks or intervals.icu, or to connect with other devices like the Core 2 temperature sensor. If you’re already a user of one of those services or devices, check out their instructions. I’ll focus here on some of the lesser-known uses of the regular SuuntoPlus sports apps.
Set more accurate zones with a threshold test
Credit: Beth Skwarecki
If you’ve ever thought your heart rate zones might be incorrect (and they probably are), there’s a SuuntoPlus app that can help. Search for the one called Anaerobic Threshold, and follow the instructions. But be warned: they will lead you through a tough workout. After a warmup, you’ll be asked to run as fast as you can for 30 minutes. At the end, the app will tell you the heart rate that seems to correspond with your lactate threshold.
Now here’s the cool part: on your watch, go into Settings, then Training, then Intensity zones. Choose either the Default HR zones for all sports (what I’d recommend if you aren’t sure) or choose a sport under the advanced setting. Here, you can set the boundaries between your zones. The boundary at the bottom of zone 5 (and thus the top of zone 4) should be set to the number you got from the threshold test. If you’d like to tweak the other zones, Suunto has more information on how to calculate numbers for the other zone boundaries. Unfortunately they are not set automatically.
Use the cadence coach to work on your running form
Credit: Beth Skwarecki
Cadence is one of the easiest aspects of running form to change on purpose. Cadence means how many steps you take per minute (either per leg, or total). The quicker your steps, the shorter your stride, and the easier it is to keep your landing leg underneath you rather than overstriding. I’ve heard tons of running coaches say that quickening your cadence tends to fix a lot of form problems.
A SuuntoPlus app called Cadence Coach gives you a handy way to work on this, and you may find it useful for your warmups. Install the app, and make sure it’s enabled for your run.
By default, the app sets a target of 80 to 90 strides per minute. (That’s 160 to 180 total footsteps per minute.) It will beep at you if you’re running faster or slower than this, so you can use this screen to drill your form.
What if that’s not the right cadence for you, at least at this moment? Press the bottom button and the watch will pay attention to your cadence for one minute. Whatever cadence you used in that minute, that is now your target. You can use this feature to give yourself an easier target if you find the recommendation hard to follow, or select a cadence that is appropriate to the workout or terrain that you happen to be doing today.
Use the sprint app to automatically record your strides
Credit: Beth Skwarecki
This is my favorite hack, by far. Stride workouts are a great way to add some speedwork into your routine without needing to measure anything specific, but there’s no easy way to review a stride session after the fact. At least, there isn’t on most watches! The Sprint app on SuuntoPlus gives us a great tool for this exact purpose.
The Sprint app starts by giving you a 10-minute warmup. Whatever pace you run (or walk) during these 10 minutes, the app will assume this is your non-sprinting pace. After this point, just run or walk normally. Anytime you speed up to a sprint (25% or more faster than your warmup pace), the watch will recognize the speed change and mark a new lap for you. It will mark a lap again when you slow down.
There’s a short lag, between five and 10 seconds, each time—so you won’t get surgical precision, but you will get a record of how many strides you did, how long each one was, and approximately how fast you were going during each stride and during the time in between them. The only way I know how to do this on other watches is to either pre-program your strides, or manually press the lap button every time. But this app lets you play them by ear, fartlek-style.
