Time to Run Sydney: How to Get the Most Out of the Latest Training Program From Apple Fitness+

Apple Fitness+ has introduced an Aussie-specific training program into its Time to Run series; attempting to capture the essence of Sydney in a 33-minute session with trainer Scott Carvin.

The episode description is basically a love letter to Sydney as the perfect location for an outdoor run. It reads:

When the sun’s shining, there’s no better place than Sydney, Australia. So slap on sunscreen and join Coach Scott for this pyramid-style run, where the intensity gets harder before it gets easier again. With beats that match the heat of sunrise to sunset, every song on this playlist features an artist from Down Under. The route takes you along the beautiful Sydney Harbour with stunning views of the world-famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

While on the run with Scott, you’ll be transported to nine locations around Sydney which will structure your workout and give you a little insight into the area.

As an example, Scott shares at the beginning of the workout that “Our run starts in the oldest neighbourhood in Sydney”.

“Today, people call it The Rocks because homes here used to be made of sandstone. It’s on the traditional land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. They’re actually one of the oldest living cultures in the world.

“I had never been here before, but this city is absolutely stunning, and I can’t wait to share some amazing pictures with you. I’ll send them to your watch and they’ll be in your workout summary at the end.”

Here’s a full breakdown of the areas explored during your 33-minute run.

Sydney Time to Run locations include:

1. The Rocks
2. Opera House
3. Museum of Contemporary Art
4. Harbour Bridge
5. Botanical Garden
6. Rugby player in the park
7. View of Kirribilli
8. Andrew “Boy” Charlton Pool
9. Scott Selfie at Finger Wharf

And, of course, no workout is complete without a solid playlist to go along with it. Apple Fitness+ has pulled together a supremely Aussie music playlist, especially for your Time to Run workout.

Sydney Time to Run playlist tracks:

1. ‘Dance Monkey’ – Tones & I
2. ‘Real Groove’ (Studio 2054 Remix) – Kylie Minogue & Dua Lipa
3. ‘Down Under’ (feat. Colin Hay) – Luude
4. ‘Love Tonight’ (David Guetta Remix Edit) – Shouse & David Guetta
5. ‘Losing It’ (Radio Edit) – FISHER
6. ‘Move Your Body’ (Alan Walker Remix) – Sia
7. ‘Chameleon’ – PNAU
8. ‘Anything’ – Alison Wonderland & Valentino Khan
9. ‘No Place’ – RÜFÜS DU SOL

Time to Run: What is it and how to get the most out of it?

Time to Run was introduced to the Apple Fitness+ program early in 2022 as an expansion of the Time to Walk workouts.

In essence, they are audio-guided workouts connected to your Apple Watch where different trainers take you through a running session at a popular international route.

During the session, you’ll be guided not only through the workout but given a curated playlist and city-specific photos to help shape the experience.

Sydney joins the likes of Miami Beach, London and Honolulu in the list of popular running locations around the world.

Running tips for Apple Watch users

If you’d like to level up your running ability (City2Surf is on the way, folks!) Apple has a list of tips that can help you get the most out of using your Apple Watch for this kind of workout.

1. To start a running workout, open the Workout app on your Apple Watch and scroll to Outdoor Run or Indoor Run. You can tap Start or tap the more button to set a calorie, distance or time goal. To set a pace alert for an Outdoor Run, scroll down, tap Set Alert or set your time, then select Average, Rolling or Off.
2. You can pause your run by pressing both the Digital Crown and the side button at the same time. Or you can set up auto-pause, so your Apple Watch will automatically pause your running workout if it detects you have stopped moving. On your Apple Watch, open the Settings app, then tap Workout > Running Auto Pause.
3. You can customise the metrics that you’ll see when you work out. To choose which metrics to track for running workouts, open the Watch app on your iPhone > tap Workout > Workout View > select Outdoor or Indoor Run and tap Edit. Then you can choose up to five metrics for each workout. You can also touch and hold the Change Order button to change the order.
4. You can view your running route for your Outdoor Run in the Fitness app on your iPhone. Tap Show More next to Workouts, then tap the workout that you want to view, then scroll down. Tap the map. The colours show your pace, with green being the fastest pace, yellow average pace, and red the slowest. To see the route, you must have route tracking turned on: On your iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, tap Apple Watch Workout, then tap While Using the App.
5. You can add a playlist from your music library that plays automatically when you start a workout in the Workout app on Apple Watch. To set this up, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone > tap Workout > tap Workout Playlist, then choose a playlist. The playlist is added to My Watch > Music in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
6. To get ready for a long-distance run, like a marathon, you can turn on Power Saving Mode, which disables the Always On display, the heart rate sensor and mobile data during walking and running workouts. When the heart rate sensor is off, calorie burn calculations might not be as accurate.
7. Apple Watch is equipped with fitness algorithms and sensors specifically designed to help wheelchair users more accurately track their activity. The Workout app gives you two unique workout options — Outdoor Wheelchair Walk Pace and Outdoor Wheelchair Run Pace. Both wheelchair workouts measure time, pace, distance, calories and heart rate. Just choose a workout and Apple Watch turns on the appropriate sensors. To turn on the health and fitness features designed for wheelchair activity, open the Apple Watch app and tap Health. In the upper-right corner, tap Edit, then tap Wheelchair. Select Yes, then tap Done in the upper-right corner.
8. Coming later this year, runners will be able to take advantage of new Workout app updates launching in watchOS 9, including Heart Rate Zones to monitor the intensity of a workout. watchOS 9 brings more data and features to help track how efficiently users run. New running form metrics, including Stride Length, Ground Contact Time and Vertical Oscillation, can all be added as metrics. Users can also choose to race against their best or last result on frequently used routes, and receive alerts during the workout for being ahead or behind their pace, as well as when going off route.