Suunto Blog

Cyclist and mountain biker Ross Lovell is one of the four winners from our Instagram selfie contest. Here the 30-year-old Briton tells us about his passion for endurance sports and adventure...  Riding the cobbles in the Alps. How does it feel to win?  Incredible! I’ve been using an original Ambit for a couple of years and it has revolutionalised how I train. The depth of information is invaluable for enabling me to hit my targets, so I can’t wait to explore and challenge myself with the Ambit3 Sport. Just as importantly though, it’s really nice to have my photo picked by such a dedicated athlete as Conrad Stoltz. Tell us about the shot.The photo was taken on the second day of eight-days riding through the Alps. The day before we had ridden the 211km Salzkammergut Mountain Bike Trophy (with 7,000 m of ascent!), and as a shorter recovery ride we decided to take on the Kitzbuheler Horn. Wow, it was such a ferocious climb – relentless all the way to the top. On tired legs it was quite a fight. The last few switchbacks really get the burn going, with the gradient pitching to around 23%. Fighting the gradient, and whilst also trying to hold the bike in a straight line one-handed (not easy!) I quickly snapped the shot of our struggle. Ross after completing the 211km (7,000 m) Salzkammergut Trophy What are your sports? Cycling, mountain biking, running, climbing, although I wouldn’t say I’m great at any of them, I just like a good challenge and an adventure. Tell us about your adventures. I’ll have a go at anything really, so have quite a varied list of previous challenges. I’ve raced the Cape Epic and Transportugal mountain bike races, climbed in the Alps and Pyrenees, swum up rivers in Sweden, kayaked non-stop for 26-hours, run ultra marathons like The North Face 100 in the Blue Mountains and Dusk til Dawn in the UK, twice finished the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, ridden the Tour du Mont Blanc 3-times, cycled from London to Alpe d’Huez…Anything else? My first big adventure was when I was just 18 and spent six months cycling and climbing around Europe. We were completely spontaneous – just looking at maps and deciding where to go next, sleeping on beaches and on mountains. It was total freedom. We even ran the Swiss Alpine Marathon in Davos while we were there. A couple of years ago we cycled from London, through Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, mountain biked across the Alps to Lake Geneva and then ran the GR20 across Corsica, all in just 14-days. Ross's winning selfie, climbing the Kitzbuheler Horn, Austria. A recent adventure you're really proud of?On the final day of our eight-day cycling tour of the Alps, we finished with the 330km Tour du Mont Blanc, with its eight climbs and 8,000 m of ascent. The weather had one final sting in the tail. As we came over the penultimate pass – the Cormet de Roselend – we were hit by an almighty storm which caused trees to come down, lightning all around us, big hail stones, landslides. Only 50% of the riders who started the day made it to the finish, which made the accomplishment all the more special, especially after the full-on week we had already tackled. What's next? Over the weekend of September 28th/29th I will be running 120-miles non-stop across my home county of Devon in the south west of the UK – from Coast-to-Coast. www.lighthouse2lookout.co.uk.  Follow Ross via Twitter and Instagram. All images ©Ross Lovell

Our #SuuntoAdventure selfie contest has now come to an end and we're pleased to reveal the four winners below. They will each receive the new Ambit3 Sport. Selfies are everywhere. Whether it's on the top of a mountain or out on the trail, everyone loves to grab a selfie to share with friends. So at Suunto, we thought it would be a great idea to invite our fans and the wider community to send us their best shots. We were overwhelmed by the response, receiving thousands of inspiring entries via Instagram. The four winning shots were each selected by one of our Suunto ambassadors – Kilian Jornet, Emelie Forsberg, Conrad Stoltz and Greg Hill. Below, we present each ambassador's choice. Thanks to everyone who submitted images. It was a difficult choice. In the coming weeks we'll have interviews with each of the winners to hear more about the story behind their shots. Emelie Forsberg choice: Winner: Patrick Müller Suarez, @patrickamsSays Emelie: “This picture captured my imagination right away with the light – is it morning or evening? – and made me think of a long day out exploring new mountains. The picture exudes exploration.” Kilian Jornet choice: Winner: Trent Busenbark, @trentbusenbarkSays Kilian: “The picture takes us right there and lets us feel what he feels. We can feel the cold, the storm, the tiredness. Adventure is also about bad conditions and hard times that make us happy when we come home.” Conrad Stoltz choice: Winner: Ross Lovell, @rosslovellSays Conrad: “I can see how crazy steep the hill is by the gear your friend is standing on! You deserve to win for riding one handed and snapping a great photo after such a massive climb!” Greg Hill choice: Winner: Corky Still, @akskicaSays Greg: “The vast background, untouched and waiting feels like unconquered territory. And there is excitement and unlimited potential to this skier. So many ski lines waiting for them...”

After winning XTERRA UK, the Suunto ambassador Conrad Stoltz now has Denmark in his sights. Is there any stopping him? It's been a bit of a disappointing season for Conrad Stoltz so far. “It's been a bit of a roller coaster with unfortunate injuries, sickness and mechanicals,” he tells us. But the so-called 'caveman' put all that behind him after triumphing at the UK course. “I finally did my form justice and put together a phenomenal race. It's what I love best!” he says. “XTERRA UK is a race with real mountain biking and trail running – true XTERRA terrain, so I was super excited to race this course. This year I have been really disappointed with a lot of the courses which weren't technical. They were 'roadie courses’ – mostly fire roads which has been super frustrating.” “XTERRA UK put up a great event with very technical bike and run courses,” he adds. The running course saw athletes having to leap across ditches and jump over trees, for example. Check out this video to see Conrad running the route.“I was out of the swim 1min behind the leader and came off the bike with a 5 minute lead and a silly grin on my face,” adds Conrad. “It was adventurous and fun. I hope other organisers take note and make sure their routes include actual mountain bike trails!”Next on the calendar is Denmark this weekend and Conrad is as focused as he's ever been. “I hope to repeat my performance here,” he says. All images ©lighttrapper.co.uk

After winning XTERRA UK, the Suunto ambassador Conrad Stoltz now has Denmark in his sights. Is there any stopping him?  It's been a bit of a disappointing season for Conrad Stoltz so far. “It's been a bit of a roller coaster with unfortunate injuries, sickness and mechanicals,” he tells us.    But the so-called 'caveman' put all that behind him after triumphing at the UK course.  “I finally did my form justice and put together a phenomenal race. It's what I love best!” he says. “XTERRA UK is a race with real mountain biking and trail running – true XTERRA terrain, so I was super excited to race this course. This year I have been really disappointed with a lot of the courses which weren't technical. They were 'roadie courses’ – mostly fire roads which has been super frustrating.”   “XTERRA UK put up a great event with very technical bike and run courses,” he adds. The running course saw athletes having to leap across ditches and jump over trees, for example. Check out this video to see Conrad running the route.“I was out of the swim 1min behind the leader and came off the bike with a 5 minute lead and a silly grin on my face,” adds Conrad. “It was adventurous and fun. I hope other organisers take note and make sure their routes include actual mountain bike trails!”Next on the calendar is Denmark this weekend and Conrad is as focused as he's ever been. “I hope to repeat my performance here,” he says. All images ©lighttrapper.co.uk

UPDATED ON MARCH 29, 2022. Follow these swimming drills on your Suunto! With the help of SuuntoPlus Guides, you can now follow these swimming drills on your Suunto watch. Before starting a swim exercise on your watch, go down to exercise options and select ’Swim drills’ from the SuuntoPlus Guides menu. Start the workout and you will see step-by-step guidance on one of your watch screens. Swipe left until you see it. Press lap (lower right button) to advance from one step to the next one. Read on to learn the drills! Fingertip drag Having a high elbow is essential to extend your reach and improve efficiency in the water. There are a few variations you can practise. One of the simplest is the fingertip drag. Let the tips of your fingers brush the top of the water as you reach forward with your recovery arm. You can also make it even harder by having your whole hand in the water. Fists Nothing reveals the magic power of your pulling hand better than trying to swim without it! For this exercise, swim with your fists clenched. This is a great drill to appreciate the role your forearms play. And when you then repeat using your hands as usual, you'll discover a new-found understanding of hand and forearm position. Zippers If you're looking to improve your swim technique, sooner or later you need to work on your rotation. This is a great way to get your body used to rolling from side-to-side. It also helps to keep your recovery hand close to your body. For this drill, roll on your side and run the thumb of your recovery arm – the one that's out of the water – from your hip, all the way up your side before placing. Can be used with fingertip drag as well. Catch-up In order to speed up, you need to slow down. Fewer strokes also means less energy expenditure, which is crucial in triathlon. This drill works on your reach to ensure you're getting the maximum power from your strokes. Instead of going straight from recovery into pull, let your recovery arm touch your other hand, and then reach forward before beginning the opposite pull. The goal is to make every stroke as long as possible. Kicks Oh yes, these are among the most feared and unloved exercises for swimmers but also some of the most important. In triathlon, your legs should do the bare minimum to save their strength for cycling and running. In fact you shouldn't look to get any propulsion from your legs. But you need them for good body position and to ensure they don't drag. One of the best drills is to use a kick board. Point your toes, kick from the hips and whatever you do, don't bend your knees. All images ©zooom.at/Markus Berger

The French mountain bike legend Cedric Gracia took part in the Enduro World Series round 6 in Whistler, British Columbia. Gracia is a multi-talented bike racer and entertainer who has competed on the top level since the mid-90s. We got in touch with him to find out how he’s doing. When did you make the shift from downhill mountain biking to enduro?I made the shift two years ago, but feel like I’ve been riding enduro all my life. For me enduro is real mountain biking. I did it because waiting for my DH practice everyday wasn’t just enough. I wanted to ride more. I still love racing for sure but more and more I like to ride different trails around the world and bring people with me to share the experience. I also like to share my life with Through My Eyes video series. You had a few bad accidents in your last years as a downhill racer. Did those have anything to do with this change?I definitely have been thinking about things but in a good way. The answer to why I ride bikes was easy: because I love riding, it’s my life! The fear of ending up in a wooden box will never stop me from riding. I live to ride and ride to live. This is my spirit. What do you love about racing enduro?Now I am able to ride all day instead of waiting for practice. How have the courses at the Enduro World Series been this season?Some courses have been really good but some have been really XC and way too long for enduro. Also the connection between stages has been too long. La Thuile in Italy was real enduro riding. I loved it. Whistler was too long, the trails were really destroyed and some of the secret trails weren’t that secret. Is enduro still the little brother of downhill racing?I think enduro is real mountain biking. Downhill is the poster image of the sport, but the sells are in enduro. How have you changed your training since focusing on enduro?Longer rides and shorter fitness hours at the gym. I love it. I do more outside exercises now. What do you think are your strengths as a rider?I don’t know if I have any, but I love pushing my limits and never give up. What are the aspects you’re trying to improve?I try to share my love for biking with more people through my Facebook page and my own video series.   How do you use your Suunto Ambit2 in training?I record my training and share it with my followers. I can see what I have done during the year and my trainer can help me improve points where I am not the best. You’ve been racing on an international level for 20 years and you are not known for taking it easy. How have you been able to pull it of in a risky sport like this?I love the sport and am ready to give it all.