What running app do you use? Why?

rangerdeyo

Trusted Member
Nov 24, 2016
374
0
0
Visit site
- (*) interval support with haptics (not sound) at interval distance/time
- (*) GPS lock indication (I'll wait until it's got a lock)
- (*) option to turn off countdown
- option to use buttons for stop/start and lap
- choose data to show on the watch face(s) (time, lap time, distance, lap distance, current pace, average pace, etc.)
- (*) data export/upload to external services like Garmin connect, Strava, Nike, etc.

I don't need all of these, but at least the ones with (*)

All of these. The 3rd party apps tend to support some of these individually. But it might be a moot point since Strava's app now supports the GPS on the watch.
 

tcuprof

Trusted Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,618
116
63
Visit site
- (*) interval support with haptics (not sound) at interval distance/time
- (*) GPS lock indication (I'll wait until it's got a lock)
- (*) option to turn off countdown
- option to use buttons for stop/start and lap
- choose data to show on the watch face(s) (time, lap time, distance, lap distance, current pace, average pace, etc.)
- (*) data export/upload to external services like Garmin connect, Strava, Nike, etc.

I don't need all of these, but at least the ones with (*)

I don't recall where I read this, but my understanding is that the watch uses last known cell data to triangulate location and then the GPS takes over as soon as it gets a lock. Effectively, it is as good as starting with a lock. I know from comparing that my watch is at least as good as my Garmin regarding GPS accuracy and it's definitely faster getting a lock.

I also would love to be able to use the buttons for stop!

You can choose what data shows on the watch face now. For runs, I have duration, current pace, average pace, and distance.

I manually enter every run in Garmin Connect because that's been my go to for stats for years. I'd love if the data could be exported!
 

doogald

Trusted Member
Oct 23, 2012
2,742
74
48
Visit site
All of these. The 3rd party apps tend to support some of these individually. But it might be a moot point since Strava's app now supports the GPS on the watch.

But Strava does not support haptics for intervals on the watch. (GPS lock - that's something the third party apps cannot do.)
 

doogald

Trusted Member
Oct 23, 2012
2,742
74
48
Visit site
I don't recall where I read this, but my understanding is that the watch uses last known cell data to triangulate location and then the GPS takes over as soon as it gets a lock. Effectively, it is as good as starting with a lock. I know from comparing that my watch is at least as good as my Garmin regarding GPS accuracy and it's definitely faster getting a lock.

It's not as good at starting with a GPS lock. See https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/02/apple-watch-series2-nike-edition-review.html

(Scroll down to "General workout/sport use" and then to "Optical HR & GPS accuracy".)

tl;dr: The recorded distances tend to be short. Plus, of course, without the ability to export data, you cannot look at it yourself in another app.

My Garmin Forerunner can start recording distance before I get a GPS lock, but it does allow me to wait until it definitively tells me that it has a lock, and 99% of the time, I don't mind waiting. All I want is the option. For people who just want to start without a lock, having the option to let me know when there is a lock doesn't prevent you from just starting, as you do now.

As for data on the watch face, see again the DC Rainmaker blog review. There are some fields that I would like to have (lap distance and lap time, for example.)
 

doogald

Trusted Member
Oct 23, 2012
2,742
74
48
Visit site
My bad. I thought Strava supported intervals. Or does it, but uses sound?

Strava the app on your phone appears to support intervals. It's pretty flexible (distance or time or even mixed - i.e., 400 meters followed by 30 seconds.) I don't know how it tells you - I haven't tried the app for an actual run.

Strava the app on the Apple Watch is even more basic than the stock workouts app. There is a setting for whether to use imperial or metric units, and whether it uses auto-pause or not. That's it. You mentioned that the Strava's watch app now uses GPS, but the watch app is not all that capable.
 

eyecrispy

iPhone 7, iPad Pro & Apple Watch Champion
Sep 26, 2012
4,278
0
0
Visit site
Strava the app on your phone appears to support intervals. It's pretty flexible (distance or time or even mixed - i.e., 400 meters followed by 30 seconds.) I don't know how it tells you - I haven't tried the app for an actual run.

Strava the app on the Apple Watch is even more basic than the stock workouts app. There is a setting for whether to use imperial or metric units, and whether it uses auto-pause or not. That's it. You mentioned that the Strava's watch app now uses GPS, but the watch app is not all that capable.

I actually like the Strava app on AW. Runkeeper crashed too many times for me to use again. I need dependability and Strava is the most dependable of the ones I've used.
 

tcuprof

Trusted Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,618
116
63
Visit site
It's not as good at starting with a GPS lock. See https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/02/apple-watch-series2-nike-edition-review.html

(Scroll down to "General workout/sport use" and then to "Optical HR & GPS accuracy".)

tl;dr: The recorded distances tend to be short. Plus, of course, without the ability to export data, you cannot look at it yourself in another app.

I bookmarked the DC Rainmaker review and finally got around to reading it - well, some of it. :)

In the review he says "In general, I find that it seems to short the actual distance of the run in almost every scenario (these are all GPS-on runs)."

But what is odd about that statement is that he shows the AW and Garmin for four outdoor runs. For those four runs, the AW is shorter for two, longer for one, and virtually the same for the fourth. That doesn't really support his conclusion. One other observation about his comparison of GPS accuracy is that what is missing is some verification of the actual distance run. It matter less that the AW and Garmin differ in results than how close they are to the actual distance.

For now at least, I remain convinced of what I said before - my watch is at least as good as my Garmin regarding GPS accuracy and it's definitely faster getting a lock.
 

doogald

Trusted Member
Oct 23, 2012
2,742
74
48
Visit site
For now at least, I remain convinced of what I said before - my watch is at least as good as my Garmin regarding GPS accuracy and it's definitely faster getting a lock.

My only beef with your conclusion is that the Apple Watch gives no indication when it has a GPS lock. It will either try to guess your location with WiFi, get GPS from your phone (if it is with you), or it will guesstimate how far you have traveled based on previous calibration until it actually gets a lock. Because the AW doesn't tell you when it has a lock, you have no idea how long it takes to get one. Your Garmin watch definitely lets you know when it has a lock.
 

tcuprof

Trusted Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,618
116
63
Visit site
Your Garmin watch definitely lets you know when it has a lock.

Assuming you're patient enough to wait for it. :biggrin:

My wifi is strong in the street in front of my house where I start my runs, so I bet the watch using that to set the starting point.
 

doogald

Trusted Member
Oct 23, 2012
2,742
74
48
Visit site
Assuming you're patient enough to wait for it. :biggrin:

Off topic, but a quick tip on the Garmin, if it is anything like my Forerunner: put the watch on the charger as you are getting ready to go out for your run. When you pull it off the charger, it will have an almost immediate GPS lock.
 

tcuprof

Trusted Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,618
116
63
Visit site
Off topic, but a quick tip on the Garmin, if it is anything like my Forerunner: put the watch on the charger as you are getting ready to go out for your run. When you pull it off the charger, it will have an almost immediate GPS lock.

It's a Forerunner 220, so yes that is very useful advice.
 

anon(193652)

Active member
Sep 1, 2010
29
0
0
Visit site
I went back to using my Garmin Forerunner 220 for now. I noticed if my AW loses connection to my wrist for a second due to sweat and the pin lock comes up it stops tracking my distance. I clocked 8.4 miles after running 2 5 mile loops because it stopped tracking twice. Anyone else have this happen?
 

Trending Posts

Forum statistics

Threads
260,008
Messages
1,765,298
Members
441,220
Latest member
waeriyadh