Thoughts after first run (pt 1 & 2)

impaler

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I agree and hope with more use the workout app will become more familiar with me and my pace.

It should - Apple says it gets better with time. Be sure to calibrate your Watch though, by doing at least 20 minutes walking/running outdoors with your iPhone. It will use the phone's GPS to figure out your pace. Vary your pace, and it will get even better.
 

mfm77

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Re: Thoughts after running with the Watch, part 2

So I ran yesterday with the watch and used Runkeeper. It was ok, but I'm not crazy about the Runkeeper interface of the watch which is not customizable at all.
Today I ran a 5 mile race with the Watch and used Endomondo. I'm not using the stock Apple Exercise app on the watch since it doesn't provide any real details on the run or mapping tools with the GPS.
Endomondo is MUCH better than Runkeeper on the watch. I tweaked the interface so it had the fields I care most about up front (pace, average pace and distance), with secondary fields a swipe away.
There are some definite limitations at this point though, and I think it's more with the Watch than Endomondo, and hopefully these will get fixed in an update. First, the watch had my distance at 4.8 miles after the race, and not 5, which it definitely should have been. I could ignore a few hundreds of a mile either way, but 2 tenths is way too much of a variance. Not sure if this is an issue with the Endomondo app or the GPS on the iPhone, but I always used to find the iPhone's GPS more accurate when I used to run with it.
Also, when I want to look at my watch to check my pace or distance, especially in a race like today. I have to wait for the screen to wake up, which is pretty fast and no big deal, but then I need to wait for the app to show my current stats. when it woke up, it was still showing the stats from the last time I checked it and it had to refresh, which took a couple of seconds each time. This is a big deal. To have to keep your wrist up to wait for the screen to refresh will cause you to slow down and take your eyes off the road. Not good for any runner if you're trying to maintain a pace.
Minor issues were the same as Runkeeper. Neither app is integrated with the Apple exercise app, so I don't get any taps on my wrist when I hit each mile. And the lack of integration with the heart sensor is also a major missed opportunity but I'd like to this that will get resolved with an update.
Now I'm coming off using a Microsoft Band since October, and a Pebble before that (yes, I love my wearables). This is probably the one area the Band beats the watch, at least for now. Yes, the Band has a very accurate GPS built in, but I had the ability to keep the screen on throughout a run, which means it doesn't have to refresh the data. Even if I turned the screen off and then on again when I wanted to check my stats, the refresh was very quick. It would be better if there was a setting to keep the screen on without timing out. Yes it would eat the battery but I think most runners would want that. And speaking about the battery, I was pleasantly surprised. It was down to about 95% when I started the race, and after a little over 30 minutes with endomondo running and lots of data going between the watch & phone, it only dropped to 88% by the time I was done. I expected a bigger hit to the battery with a run like that.
I'm hoping these issues get fixed with updates, because I really do like the Watch so far. I would also think Apple would update their exercise app to make it more full-featured and GPS-enabled.

I'm glad to see another Apple user who's used the Microsoft Band! I've had my Band since November and really love the features, especially the built-in GPS. I used it during the Philly Marathon, and even with my five hour finish, the Band's battery lasted the whole way with GPS also bring solid.

That said, I'm curious as to whether the Apple Watch could hold up for the same amount of time, considering it doesn't have GPS built into it. Something tells me that it wouldn't, but what do you think? Also, does the lack of GPS in the Watch tax your phone's battery at all? I'm likely going to wait for version 2 of the Watch and hope that Apple incorporates GPS and better battery life, but I tried it on today and had to stop myself from ordering it as soon as I left the Apple Store.
 

Suggs68

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I'm finding that the watch's battery holds up very well during runs. I haven't done anything super long, but I did an 8 miler for a little under an hour and it only went down about 10%, so based on that I think it will last for something like a marathon. The 3rd party running apps are better than the stock running app but lack heart rate integration or taptic feedback.
The Band's main advantage over the Watch is the built in GPS, but I think the Watch's 3rd party support will make up for that soon.
 

impaler

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I'm finding that the watch's battery holds up very well during runs. I haven't done anything super long, but I did an 8 miler for a little under an hour and it only went down about 10%, so based on that I think it will last for something like a marathon. The 3rd party running apps are better than the stock running app but lack heart rate integration or taptic feedback.
The Band's main advantage over the Watch is the built in GPS, but I think the Watch's 3rd party support will make up for that soon.

What's her name on Apple.com did a full marathon with her watch.
 

Suggs68

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What's her name on Apple.com did a full marathon with her watch.

Turlington. Yeah she did it in about 4 hours. I've been very impressed with the battery life so far, especially when running. It's actually better than the Band's battery when running, but that's probably because of the on board GPS in the Band. I'm going to try a few long runs with the stock app and see how it goes considering the HRM. I'm hoping apps like Runkeeper and endo will start to integrate with the Watch's HRM and Taptic which I'm sure will happen soon.
 

PatrickNSF

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I'm going to try a few long runs with the stock app and see how it goes considering the HRM.
I've done two 10-mile runs (approximately 85 minutes each) since having the watch using the Workout app and continuous HRM. The battery has gone down about 30% for each of these runs. I haven't run out of battery either of these days.

I don't have any full marathons scheduled until Chicago in October. Assuming a similar battery drain, I'll likely just top my battery off while showering after the marathon. I don't see needing do so for anything like a half marathon or below.
 

WST88

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Thanks for all of the feedback... Maybe I missed the answer, but I have one question:
Runkeeper - I started my run, but when I went back to Check on my status, the clock came back up. Is there a way to make runkeeper STICK?
 

Suggs68

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I just went for a 5 mile outdoor run since updating to 1.01 yesterday. For the first 2 miles, pace & distance were spot-on. Then when I checked the stats at mile 3, it was off by a solid .15 of a mile, which is a lot. When I finished my 5, it was still off by .15. This of course screwed up the average pace, but the current pace throughout the run felt very accurate. Its possible it dropped the GPS signal somewhere between miles 2-3 (which I haven't seen happen with Endomondo or Runkeeper on the watch), so I'll try the same route tomorrow and see what happens.

The only thing I'd still like to see added for this to be my daily running app (if the distance is fixed) would be an average pace stat. Current pace is good and fine for shorter runs, but for long and training runs, average pace is a critical stat. Hope they add it soon.
 

dianahk

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I ran this morning after updating. The first mile was accurate, but then not so much. It is closer than it has been and the pace felt more accurate. Perhaps with time it will actually start to improve. *fingers crossed*
 

impaler

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I just went for a 5 mile outdoor run since updating to 1.01 yesterday. For the first 2 miles, pace & distance were spot-on. Then when I checked the stats at mile 3, it was off by a solid .15 of a mile, which is a lot. When I finished my 5, it was still off by .15. This of course screwed up the average pace, but the current pace throughout the run felt very accurate. Its possible it dropped the GPS signal somewhere between miles 2-3 (which I haven't seen happen with Endomondo or Runkeeper on the watch), so I'll try the same route tomorrow and see what happens.

The only thing I'd still like to see added for this to be my daily running app (if the distance is fixed) would be an average pace stat. Current pace is good and fine for shorter runs, but for long and training runs, average pace is a critical stat. Hope they add it soon.

Did you have your iPhone with you, and did you have a clear view of the sky?
 

impaler

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Yes and yes

I can't explain it. It's been perfectly fine for me, both with clouds and sun. I'd try restarting both devices and give it another shot. Apple makes it clear it should get more accurate with time - at least if you use the Workout app.
 

anon(9343851)

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My main gripe with the Workout app at this point (other than the lack of Average Pace) is the fact that metric preferences are saved per-activity, but not per-goal. I personally always want Elapsed, Distance and Pace as my metrics. So if I do a distance run and set Elapsed/Distance (goal metric)/Pace, then do a free run, I get Elapsed/Elapsed (goal metric)/Pace, and end up having to swap the time metric from Elapsed to Pace, then the primary metric from Pace to Distance.

I suppose I'll just have to always do distance runs to avoid having to deal with this annoyance, even when I don't necessarily know how far I want to run that day.
 

OneFretAway

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This thread has been extremely helpful, but I've got to say that it's making me rethink whether I want this product. I've just been getting back into running, and my Apple Watch was intended to be both a reward and a replacement for my old Garmin. I had doubts about whether I wanted to be tethered to a phone when I run, but was willing to give it a try based on the added functionality associated with the watch. In addition, most of the current generation of fitness watches are pretty lacking in aesthetic appeal.

Candidly, this thread (and the very helpful Runner's world review linked earlier) has me seriously rethinking the purchase and perhaps leaning towards picking up a Polar M400 to meet my current needs while waiting to see what develops with the second generation watch. I'd be very interested to hear folks' candid take on whether they're happy with the purchase. Whichever route I take is going to be my go-to running companion for at least the next year or so. I think the Apple Watch has tons of potential, but if I'm honest with myself it doesn't seem at all competitive with GPS watches coming in at less than half the price.

For what it's worth, my running right now is slow and low mileage. I've gone through ups and downs, completed a full marathon and several halfs, and basically started back at it in March after two years off. My fitness tracking needs are pretty basic. I got along fine with a Garmin 110 for years. I do like the more comprehensive stuff available on the health app, but I'm getting a strong sense that it's just not quite ready for prime time.
 

Suggs68

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Ok, I did the comparison test this morning. My usual 5 mile route with both the Watch Exercise/outdoor run app running along with Endomondo running in the watch at the same time.
Exercise app showed 4.9 miles, and the current pace was consistently off throughout he run anywhere from 30-50 seconds/mile.
Endo showed 5.02 miles, which makes sense since I started it just before the exercise app and stopped it after so it picked up a few extra yards. Current pace felt very accurate throughout, and of course the average pace was accurate since the distance was correct.
Guess the update didn't fix as much as we hoped it would. Back to using Endo as my primary run app.
In response to the previous post, as a very serious distance runner (run 6-7 days/week with long miles) I'm VERY happy with the purchase. Since I always have my phone with me anyway that's not a burden. Yes a dedicated GPS watch like a Garmin or even the Microsoft Band will be a bit more runner focused with more fields and generally a super accurate GPS, I find the Watch as the best of both worlds. I'll be using it for my marathon training this summer and for all my races. Right now the ONLY thing I wish it had was HRM integration with 3rd party apps, but I'm sure that will change with an update soon.
 

bdtrader

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This thread has been extremely helpful, but I've got to say that it's making me rethink whether I want this product. I've just been getting back into running, and my Apple Watch was intended to be both a reward and a replacement for my old Garmin. I had doubts about whether I wanted to be tethered to a phone when I run, but was willing to give it a try based on the added functionality associated with the watch. In addition, most of the current generation of fitness watches are pretty lacking in aesthetic appeal.

Candidly, this thread (and the very helpful Runner's world review linked earlier) has me seriously rethinking the purchase and perhaps leaning towards picking up a Polar M400 to meet my current needs while waiting to see what develops with the second generation watch. I'd be very interested to hear folks' candid take on whether they're happy with the purchase. Whichever route I take is going to be my go-to running companion for at least the next year or so. I think the Apple Watch has tons of potential, but if I'm honest with myself it doesn't seem at all competitive with GPS watches coming in at less than half the price.

For what it's worth, my running right now is slow and low mileage. I've gone through ups and downs, completed a full marathon and several halfs, and basically started back at it in March after two years off. My fitness tracking needs are pretty basic. I got along fine with a Garmin 110 for years. I do like the more comprehensive stuff available on the health app, but I'm getting a strong sense that it's just not quite ready for prime time.

I am very pleased with the apple watch as a fitness watch. The HR recording is much more accurate than I expected (except the bug introduced in 1.0.1). I do a lot of cross training. Running, P90X, Outside cycling, Elliptical and Stairclimber and am really pleased with the AW tracking all of these items.

That said, here is what I would like to see:

1. HR reading by other apps (I used to use cyclemeter/runmeter). Possibly we will here more about this in June.
2. Better back end summary reporting. Totals and averages by activity for the week/month/etc.
3. More HR data/graphs for individual workouts with min/max HR reported
4. More exercise types vs 'Other'.

I am guessing most if not all of this will be available by the fall tied to the iOS 9 update along with watch OS updates.
 

dianahk

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My main gripe with the Workout app at this point (other than the lack of Average Pace) is the fact that metric preferences are saved per-activity, but not per-goal. I personally always want Elapsed, Distance and Pace as my metrics. So if I do a distance run and set Elapsed/Distance (goal metric)/Pace, then do a free run, I get Elapsed/Elapsed (goal metric)/Pace, and end up having to swap the time metric from Elapsed to Pace, then the primary metric from Pace to Distance.

I suppose I'll just have to always do distance runs to avoid having to deal with this annoyance, even when I don't necessarily know how far I want to run that day.

I am not sure I understand. For the run, I have the workout app show me elapse time, distance, and pace (would prefer average over current). Once complete is is saved and it includes active and resting calories, time, distance, average pace, and average heart rate. The workout app is not yet perfect, but it has promise.
 

anon(9343851)

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I am not sure I understand. For the run, I have the workout app show me elapse time, distance, and pace (would prefer average over current). Once complete is is saved and it includes active and resting calories, time, distance, average pace, and average heart rate. The workout app is not yet perfect, but it has promise.
What I'm saying is each type of run has a different goal metric that is hardcoded and cannot be changed. That's the progress ring you see in the middle of the screen during a workout. You can change that to indicate a numeric value instead of a ring. So for a distance run, that metric is distance and cannot be changed. For a free run, it's time, and it cannot be changed. Your time metric at the top of the screen can be changed between various time measurements. You might want it to show you Elapsed for a distance run, but Pace for a distance run. That preference, however, is shared between all types of run so if you alternate between different types of runs you have to keep changing those metrics.
 

impaler

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I am very pleased with the apple watch as a fitness watch. The HR recording is much more accurate than I expected

4. More exercise types vs 'Other'.

I am like you - I'm not a professional runner, but want to see roughly what I ran. I want to put on the mileage, but the difference between 3.0 and 3.02 or even 3.05 doesn't bother me in the least. The point is that I'm out and being active. I think it's plenty accurate for all but the most demanding runners - and for them, I think a GPS-based, dedicated running watch is the right answer.

I would like to see more workout types added - I bet they will add more as time goes. An amazing first-gen fitness tracker for me. And I do a combo of running and P90X.
 

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