New Apple Watch Challenge — National Parks Celebration

[Mac Guy]

On July 15, Apple Watch users around the world can complete a walk, run or wheelchair workout of 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to earn an award and stickers for Messages inspired by national parks. The distance matches the length of a hike from Old Faithful to Mallard Lake in Yellowstone National Park.

There's a lot more information at https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/06/apple-celebrates-americas-national-parks-this-july/#mn_p .

 

[Just_Me_D]

Thanks for the tip....

 

[tcuprof]

Fun! Love the awards!

 

[rangerdeyo]

I'm in!

 

[bamf-hacker]

I am in... Haven't missed a special badge yet, so I am not going to start now ??????

 

[Mac Guy]

I am in... Haven't missed a special badge yet, so I am not going to start now

And that's how Apple sucks you in. Along with a push down the slippery slope. I started with the 2016 Thanksgiving Day Challenge. 'That wasn't so hard.'

Then it was the Stand rings. Missing an hour for something so simple made me want to get a perfect 12hr ring. I actually still miss an hour here and there but get at least 12 a day and it's a rare day where it's only 12.

Oh, look, Apple's got an Earth Day Challenge. Doable!

So why not the Move and Exercise rings. I can't match what a lot of other people do, but I'll do what I can.

Oh, look, Apple's got a Mother's Day Challenge. (Nothing for Dads!) Doable!

And so it goes. From June 5 to today, I have consecutively completed all three rings and slowly increased my workout. If Apple had shipped the Watch a year earlier I probably would have taken my PT (therapy, not training) seriously and been much farther ahead than now! That's on me, not Apple.

The rings, especially Stand, and these challenges are pure genius. Apple let me think that this is all my idea. The Watch won't make anybody a top triathlete or put them in the running for the Olympics. But it will give a lot of people the motivation to live a better lifestyle.

Without serious consideration for time, distance, reps, sets, etc., I've lost weight I didn't know I had without changing my less than stellar eating habits. Those are starting to change as well.

So especially where the special badges are concerned, I'm in. This Parks badge will be tough because the calendar has a long day of Must Do things so carving out some time for 3.5mi won't be easy.

I haven't missed a special badge yet, so I'm not going to start now.

 

[tcuprof]

Done!

 

[Snoweagle]

I've already hit 5.67km as of now under activities but not awarded yet.

 

[rangerdeyo]

Done!!!

 

[metllicamilitia]

I complete a 3.5 mile walk, but it hasn’t communicated that with my iPhone yet so I haven’t gotten the badge yet.

 

[doogald]

I ran 6.7 miles but forgot about this and didn't use the workout app, so, no badge for me. (I just checked the activity app; the watch knows that I walked/ran 8.01 miles, but you only get credit if you use the workout app.)

 

[metllicamilitia]

I ran 6.7 miles but forgot about this and didn't use the workout app, so, no badge for me. (I just checked the activity app; the watch knows that I walked/ran 8.01 miles, but you only get credit if you use the workout app.)

It just has to be counted as a walk/run/roll workout. Pokémon Go should work for it so I don’t see why other third party apps wouldn’t.

 

[metllicamilitia]

My badge finally came through, awesome.

 

[Mac Guy]

Mine took about 1/2 hour to show up.

I set the Outdoor Walk for 4mi but due to a friend's miscalculation with his third-party app we only walked 3.7mi. My Activity app show all rings complete and 3.7mi as well, but Goal at 93%. I was thinking I might not qualify. But it did.

This was a little on the tough side for me. I normally walk on concrete but ended up on a shore line path with lots of crushed rock. My leg was killing me after 2mi but it all worked out. Pain is just weakness leaving the body, right?

 

[metllicamilitia]

I was scammed out of my goals. It literally didn’t count my stand goal during the hour I was completely the Challenge badge.

 

[doogald]

I didn't use any app; I just wore the watch while I was running, which is what I do most of the time. None of the Apple Watch workout apps are good enough for me yet.

 

[ksassy]

Congrats to those who earned the challenge badge :yes:

 

[tcuprof]

Some of you are reporting a lag between completing the run/walk/roll and getting the badge. I wonder what's causing that. My badge popped up on my phone 15 seconds after ending my run.

 

[tcuprof]

I didn't use any app; I just wore the watch while I was running, which is what I do most of the time. None of the Apple Watch workout apps are good enough for me yet.

Since you're wearing the watch during your run, I assume you're using a third party running app. I'm surprised that wouldn't trigger the badge.

 

[doogald]

Since you're wearing the watch during your run, I assume you're using a third party running app. I'm surprised that wouldn't trigger the badge.

No, I'm just wearing the watch. No app is running on the watch, just the normal watch face. I use a Garmin watch to track the run.

The AW knows that I am exercising - it fills the exercise ring; it recognizes the movement for the move ring and recognizes standing for the stand ring; it actually stops tracking heart rate until after I am done, for reasons I don't understand. (Though I can guess that it's probably because the infrared sensor that's used for 24x7 heart rate sensing, as opposed to the green LEDs that are used for HR by the workout app, aren't accurate when you are exercising, and the AW must restrict the LED sensors for only workout apps.)

I'm ok with it - Apple decided to base the reward on using an app, and it's on me for forgetting about it.