Readiness
Running readiness: a gear for the day, read from your night
Readiness in Gears is a running readiness score from 0 to 100 each morning, and Today's gear is the hardest gear your body is ready for that day. Both read your sleep, resting heart rate and heart rate variability in Apple Health against your own last four weeks, not anyone else's.
What is Today's gear?
The hardest effort your body looks ready for, “from how you slept and what the last days asked of you”: a Gear 1 day, Gear 2 day or Gear 3 day. On a Gear 1 day the plan's hard run swaps for an easy one, with the reason in plain words:
- Short sleep
- Resting heart rate above your week
- Heart rate variability below your week
- Hard runs on two of the last three days
- Nothing holding you back.
Keep the plan undoes the swap if you know something the numbers don't. Today's gear is part of Gears Plus and works on Apple Watch alone, with no connection.
How is the readiness score calculated?
From signals Apple Health already holds, each scored against your own last four weeks. The Ready tile shows 0 to 100, banded Optimal, Good, Fair or Pay attention.
| Signal | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Heart rate variability | Apple Watch, through Apple Health |
| Resting heart rate | Apple Health |
| Sleep, sleep balance and sleep regularity | Your sleep in Apple Health |
| Body temperature and breathing rate | Apple Health, where your watch records them |
| Training balance and yesterday's strain | Your runs and workouts, from any app |
HRV, heart rate variability, is how much the gap between heartbeats varies. Your baseline beats any average: a resting heart rate normal for one runner is high for another. The only question is whether today looks like your usual. “This is training guidance, not medical advice.”
What happens on a low-readiness morning?
The day gets easier, not canceled: the hard run turns easy and waits for a better day. Just feel flat? Make it easy does the same in one tap, and nothing changes until you accept.
- A run the morning's reading eased
Your body's asking for an easy day. We're listening.
- A well-rested morning
You're well rested. Good day for this one.
Your personalized running plan works the same way: a missed easy run is dropped, and Sick, Sore or Can't today moves the week around you. For the reasoning, read Should I run today?
What if I'm unwell?
Log a fever, cough or fatigue in Apple Health, or have a night well off your usual, and the day becomes easy or a rest day. Gears reads what you logged and how your signals compare. It never names or guesses an illness.
Your body looks like it's fighting something. Keep it easy.
What did this run cost me?
What this run cost you, on a run's page, sets the night after against your usual nights. It closes the loop between a session and how your body took it.
The night after was a usual one. Your body took this run in its stride.
What do I need for readiness to work?
- Apple Health access, given once in the first launch.
- About a week of HRV and resting heart rate, which Apple Watch records, so Today's gear has a usual.
- Sleep in Health, from your watch or any app that writes it.
Your health data is read on your iPhone and watch, kept in your account only if you agree, encrypted, and never sold or used for advertising.
What Gears doesn't do
- No diagnosis. It doesn't detect or predict illness; it reads what you logged against your own usual.
- Not a medical or recovery verdict. A suggestion for today's run, and you can keep the plan.
- No comparing you with other runners.
- Not from nothing: Today's gear needs about a week of HRV and resting heart rate.
- No VO2 max on your morning screen, on purpose. Today is about today's run.
Questions runners ask
What is Today's gear?
The hardest gear your body is ready for each morning, from your sleep, resting heart rate and HRV. On a Gear 1 day the hard run waits. Part of Gears Plus.
What is the readiness score based on?
Heart rate variability, sleep, resting heart rate, training balance, sleep balance, yesterday's strain, body temperature, sleep regularity and breathing rate, each scored against your own last four weeks.
Does Gears use HRV for readiness?
Yes. HRV from Apple Watch, via Apple Health, is one of the signals, scored against your own last four weeks.
Can I ignore Today's gear?
Yes. Keep the plan undoes the easy swap for today. The app suggests; you decide.
Does Today's gear work without my phone?
Yes. It works on Apple Watch alone, with no connection.
Is readiness medical advice?
No. It's training guidance, and it never names an illness. If you feel unwell, rest and see a doctor.
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