This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of TomTom®. The opinions and texts are all mine.
The past couple weeks I’ve been testing out the TomTom® Spark 3 Cardio + Music watch, and hot damn can this thing do a lot! Even after two weeks of using it, I feel like I’m still discovering new features, each one cooler than the last. With a built-in heart rate monitor (no chest strap–yay!), GPS tracking and 24/7 activity tracking, this gadget pretty much meets all your fitness tech needs.
What I Love Most about the TomTom® Spark 3 Cardio + Music Watch
So. Much. Data.
Heart rate, mileage, average pace, current pace, duration–you name it, the TomTom® Spark 3 will display it during your workout. And then it gets even more fun when you complete the workout and sync it to your phone or computer. Graphs and charts breakdown all the data you need to paint a full picture of your workout. I could geek out with this watch for hours.
Interval Training/HIIT Tracking
I LOVE THIS FEATURE. When you’re setting up the watch to track your workout, you can set it up as an interval timer to guide you through your workout. You can designate the length of time for a warm up, work intervals, rest intervals, cool down and the number of sets. And best of all is that it gives you feedback about your recovery. One of the many measures of overall fitness is the rate at which your heart rate can recover from being elevated. The TomTom® Spark 3 monitors this and shows you how efficiently you were able to recover after each work interval. It’s a stat that we don’t always pay attention to, so I love that it’s measured.
Heart Rate Zone Breakdown during Workouts
I love being able to look at the data following a workout and seeing when and for how long my heart rate was in each of the five zones (easy, fat burn, endure, speed and sprint). You can see your heart rate during a workout as well if you choose that display, but I just love the visual breakdown in the app (or on your desktop) of the entire thing.
As an instructor, I find this information particularly useful in thinking about class sequencing. I’ve been wearing my TomTom® Spark 3 during Btone classes that I take to not only push myself to keep my heart rate elevated but to give me ideas for planning classes I’ll teach. The watch’s multisport mode allows you to pick between running, outdoor cycle, indoor cycle, swimming, treadmill, freestyle, gym and stopwatch. For Btone classes, I just choose “gym” to track the workout, which acts as a type of catchall.
No Need for a Phone on Runs
Since the marathon last year, I haven’t done much running. Once a week, if that, and no more than five miles. Having the will power and dedication to push your body beyond what you believed its limits to be is an incredible accomplishment, but you also have to listen to your body when it tells you to take a chill pill. Physically and mentally, I needed a break from running. It’s nice because now when I do choose to go for a run, the pressure and goals are out of the picture and I can appreciate the meditative aspect I used to love about running.
Running has always been one of my favorite forms of “me time” and unplugging from my appendage iPhone improves the quality of that tenfold. The Bluetooth headphones that come with the watch work great (they stay comfortably in my ears while running) and you can store music (500+ songs) on the watch to listen to without the need of bringing a phone along. True, this means I don’t get to take Instagram-worthy pictures of the Charles River as I run, but that’s probably a good thing. 
In addition to the music, the GPS tracking feature further allows you to leave the phone at home. With the route exploration feature you can upload a desired trail to the watch so that it’s easy to follow on your run or bike ride. You can also just head out and explore new routes and rely on the watch to get you back home if you’re lost. City living doesn’t make this a big necessity for me, but I can’t wait to use it next time I’m traveling or running on unfamiliar trails!
Everyday Necessities: Steps, Clock Face, Stopwatch & Vibrating Alarm
When a gadget is as high-tech as the TomTom® Spark 3, it seems silly to gush over the stopwatch, but if a wearable doesn’t do a few basics I need for teaching then I simply won’t wear it every day. I need a quiet vibrating alarm to wake me up to teach in the morning without waking up Joe. Check! It’s a pretty serious vibration, too, and the face of the tracker flashes with a faint beep. I still always set a backup alarm on my phone but I don’t see myself sleeping through the TomTom® Spark 3. I also need a visible clock face and/or a stopwatch feature to time classes while teaching. Check and check!
The 24/7 activity tracking takes care of steps, miles, daily/weekly goals and sleep. 
I LOVE this watch and will continue to wear it daily.
Have you tried any TomTom® technology? What’s been your experience? If you’re thinking about purchasing this tracker and have any questions that weren’t answered in the post, ask away in the comments!
You can find out about more features and shop TomTom® here as well as follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of TomTom®. The opinions and text are all mine.
The post The TomTom® Spark 3 Cardio + Music Watch (My Review) appeared first on Pumps & Iron.
