I remember wanting an Apple Watch when I got into fitness. Everyone around me kept saying the Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for Apple users. I’ve seen most fitness enthusiasts in my gym and obstacle parks wearing an Apple Watch.

Add to the fact that a former flame also used an old-generation Apple Watch, I felt happy to wear one and enjoy features that connect me with him and other Apple users.

I was giddy using the walkie-talkie and other apps that helped me further the connection. But when it came to personal growth, it was limiting. I looked at competitive athletes in my chosen sport, and saw them wearing a Garmin smartwatch. Some use the Instinct, Venu, and Forerunner variants.

Now, a Garmin smartwatch isn’t new to me. I know them all too well, but I never pegged myself as an athlete to wear one. That all changed when I decided to take on an elite category for my Spartan races.

I just badly want to be better than who I was yesterday.

Why the change of heart?

Back in June, I set my sights on the Garmin epix Pro after an event at the Manila Padel Club. Everyone was gushing over the Garmin fenix 7 series but I’ve always had my eyes on the epix Pro. It didn’t seem bulky and I was enticed with its OLED screen.

After competing at the elite heat of Spartan Stadion, an explosive type of obstacle race course stretching 5 kilometers inside a national stadium, I ditched my Apple Watch Series 8. I decided to get the Garmin epix Pro.

 

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I was thrashed with my performance; I was ill-prepared and believed that I wasn’t strong enough. The Apple Watch couldn’t give me other data necessary to help me improve. Even with a personal coach to aid my strength and conditioning training, I still needed a smartwatch to boost my performance.

It’s precisely why a lot of athletes use a Garmin smartwatch. The data I needed are stacked inside the smartwatch and the Connect app which is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

Life also took another 180, shifting my priorities to loving myself more and focusing more on improving in the sport I love. Garmin’s “beat yesterday” ethos resonated with me as I took on a four-month hardcore training regimen before my next competition.

Understanding my body’s readiness

When I switched to the Garmin epix Pro, I was overwhelmed by the amount of data readily available meant for an athlete. Gone are the data and features that urge you to become more active in achieving your fitness goals. That’s what the Apple Watch is for.

Having the Garmin epix Pro provided me the insights I need that my coach and I can use to improve my performance. Of course, you can find the usual metrics such as sleep activity, heart rate, step count, respiration, and stress levels. However, there’s more to it since it’s not your regular smartwatch.

At a glance, I can check my Body Battery status which gives me a glimpse of how much energy I can still spend throughout the day. It helped me determine if I should still proceed with my training or if I should prioritize resting for faster recovery.

Sleep contributes to a big factor in making sure that my Body Battery gets fully recharged. This also affects the Training Status and Training Readiness, allowing me to proceed to my training sessions at a pace that I can handle.

A bunch of preloaded sports can be tracked using the epix Pro. However, my main focus — which I added on the shortcuts — were Strength Training, Running, Treadmill, Trail Running, and Adventure Racing.

Combine all of these and all the data work hand-in-hand in providing you an accurate report, especially in the morning.

Are you ready to put in the work?

There were inconsistencies when it came to sleep tracking. Plenty of times, the epix Pro didn’t record the extra hour I slept in whenever I suddenly woke up at four o’clock in the morning.

Nevertheless, it comes with a morning report that gave me insight into my sleep quality, the weather outlook, and other data I need. Most of the time, the morning report tells me if my body’s ready for a workout.

Nine out of ten, it says I’m not ready. My Heart Rate Variability (HRV) status indicates my ability to perform, which usually changes if I sip a little alcohol in my body or I’m just getting a lot of stress from work and my personal affairs.

Being an athlete, it’s not always a physical battle that you endure. The mental and emotional anguish take a toll on how you can perform. It’s just the epix Pro’s sensors are enough to track the changes in your body.

It’s like someone noticing the small changes in your behavior when you’re going through something, simply because they know you all too well.

Tell your friends you’re out for a run

Living on the slopes of a mountain range, my training ground has never been ideal for Zone running. Every quick run became Threshold training since I needed a lot of power to run uphill.

I didn’t realize that continuously training on the mountainside would push my VO2 Max to 57. That number is counted as ‘Superior’ since I finally belong to the top five percent of my age and gender.

In case you didn’t know, VO2 Max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize during intense exercise.

When participating in a race, a lot of contestants enter Zone 5 of their heart rate, which uses your VO2 Max. The higher the score is, the better your cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance are.

Since I’m always training on an uphill whether on a road or a trail, it trains my VO2 Max. It improves along with my Hill Score and Endurance Score on the Garmin epix Pro.

As of writing, the smartwatch tells me that I’m in one of my best condition as I’m well-trained for endurance races.

Going on races

With the race predictor feature, the smartwatch used my current running data to give an estimated finish of every distance I could run.

Currently, it estimates a 23-minute finish for a 5K run and a 52-minute finish for a 10K run. A half-marathon would take 2 hours, and a marathon would give me a four-hour and 30-minute finish.

Of course, race predictors are only based on the data your smartwatch has. Since I transitioned from the Apple Watch, it didn’t know my previous data which means I can go faster than my smartwatch’s race predictions.

 

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After all, you still decide how fast or great you want to be. It’s not a smartwatch’s job to give you the results you need to work for.

During the Xiaomi Pop Run, I brought the Garmin epix Pro while wearing the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 on my other wrist. I didn’t attempt to do a SUB-1 finish.

Instead, I used Garmin’s workout plans and customized its settings to provide me with a heart rate zone that I could use at certain distances.

Sometimes, I use races as a simulation for a time trial of how much I’ve improved. And most times, I use it as an additional mileage for an even bigger competition. In this case, the Garmin epix Pro helped me manage my heart rate when participating in a race, which would eventually help me in my future (and more competitive) races.

Made for the trails

Don’t be bewitched by the Garmin epix Pro’s appearance. It is a multi-sports smartwatch, but it’s also made for the trail, just like the fenix series.

I brought it when I was trail running every other weekend in Mount Ayaas and Mount Parawagan in Rodriguez, Rizal. It did wonders in helping me improve my trail running.

At some point, we got lost when we headed to Tuay Falls, a 3-kilometer trail after Mount Ayaas. We didn’t want to do a backtrail and tried doing the secret river path, where we followed the whole river until it led us to the end where the river merges with a basin going to the Marikina River.

 

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That time, we had nothing but our water and energy gels that were only appropriate for a 10-kilometer trail. We capped a total of 17-kilometer trail for almost eight hours.

In a place where cellular reception is nonexistent, Garmin’s Multi-Satellite Support came into play and helped in navigating the secret river. We made sure that we were following the trail through the scrollable map. Thankfully, the AMOLED touchscreen made it easier for me to check the maps even when running.

However, using the GPS mode throughout the trail drained its battery. We were lucky enough to be back in the town right before the epix Pro shut down.

It’s everything I dreamt of

As I transition into becoming a recreational athlete who aims to stand on the podium one day, the Garmin epix Pro is the smartwatch I’ve always dreamt of. I was misled into thinking that the Apple Watch would suit my needs. I still think of the Apple Watch from time to time. It’s got looks that would be perfect for everyday life.

But the life I’m living and the future I want to build would require me to wear a non-fashionable yet functional smartwatch. It’s not my ideal type, but it’s everything I need. I think that’s what matters — both in smartwatch preferences and in our love life.

The Garmin epix Pro is my GadgetMatch of 2023, and it deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

The epix Pro Sapphire 42MM and 47MM retail for PhP 62,780. Meanwhile, the epix Pro Sapphire 51mm is priced at PhP 69,050. It’s available at Garmin’s official stores and online channels.