Inaccurate GPS leading to inaccurate time?

[SoN1NjA]

Hi everyone,

I just completed running a mile! While reviewing my stats in the Workout app I noticed the GPS map was really inaccurate, nothing like I had ever seen before when I usually go running

It gets me thinking, this 6:44 mile I just ran, which is my fastest ever, could be not real? The time isn't too unreasonable for me, but the fastest recorded time I've done is 7:12; and the past couple of days I've been running lazy miles (10 minute ones)

I have my 6s connected to my headphones in my pocket, and my 7 connected to my Apple Watch on the ground (I just run around in a somewhat small circle, couple hundred feet?) so maybe that caused the bad readings? although it's never caused problems before (not sure why I mentioned this? maybe it does effect?)


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TL;DR
GPS map was really inaccurate, and my mile time was surprisingly low, not sure if they correlate

 

[Stefan johansson]

If it's just the time you really need,use the stopwatch instead of the running measure function. I never had any problems with the GPS map in my aw2,might be some issue with map data or something in your area.

 

[Julien]

I have a S0 and always carry my iPhone. When running I use a Garmin 620, Nike+ NRC (on my iPhone) and my Watch. So I get 3 GPS recorded tracks. Almost always I find my Watch the least accurate in distance and tracking. Oddly mine almost always reads long instead of short (like yours probably did) while my Garmin and Nike+ NRC tend to be close. It seems that my Watch is less accurate on hiller terrain or with lots of turns. It seems to be most accurate on straighter flat runs.

As I stated in another thread you should probably invest in a running watch (I like Garmin and have used many) for running and rally on your Watch for over all health monitoring.

 

[SoN1NjA]

If it's just the time you really need,use the stopwatch instead of the running measure function. I never had any problems with the GPS map in my aw2,might be some issue with map data or something in your area.

Well the course I run I have no idea what makes it a mile

And does the GPS effect the time? What I ran also felt like a mile... might go run the same thing tonight with a stopwatch on my phone and Workout on my watch and then I'll really know

 

[ftaok]

If you want to know the elapsed time (in the event you don't trust the workout app), then just find the start and end time of the workout. Do a little subraction and voila!

I'm guessing you had a bad signal and the route you ran was less than the actual distance. Hence a faster pace.

 

[SoN1NjA]

If you want to know the elapsed time (in the event you don't trust the workout app), then just find the start and end time of the workout. Do a little subraction and voila!

I'm guessing you had a bad signal and the route you ran was less than the actual distance. Hence a faster pace.

How do I do that?

Here’s a screenshot from the workout

Thing is, the start and stop time don’t matter because I don’t know the distance, I stop at 1 mile and if I don’t know what 1 mile is then my time could be low

 

[ftaok]

How do I do that?

On your iPhone, go to the Activity app.

At the bottom, choose the "workouts" button. Find the run in question and select it. You'll have a start and end time ... although I just checked and it's only HH:MM, so you might not get a very precise answer.

The more tedious way to do it would be to check your HR measurements for that day. Your workout starts when the frequency of HR readings increase, then the workout ends when the frequency goes back to 5-10 minutes.

 

[SoN1NjA]

On your iPhone, go to the Activity app.

At the bottom, choose the "workouts" button. Find the run in question and select it. You'll have a start and end time ... although I just checked and it's only HH:MM, so you might not get a very precise answer.

The more tedious way to do it would be to check your HR measurements for that day. Your workout starts when the frequency of HR readings increase, then the workout ends when the frequency goes back to 5-10 minutes.

Refresh

and yes I can see the heart rate patterns in the Health app do increase at that time, but going back to above that doesn't matter too much

 

[ftaok]

Refresh

and yes I can see the heart rate patterns in the Health app do increase at that time, but going back to above that doesn't matter too much

Click on the map. Does the map route look funny?

Maybe you really did run fast that day. If you really want to test the accuracy of the GPS, then you need to do a run on a route that you know the distance. Do you have a local High School or Middle School that has a 1/4 mile track?
[doublepost=1499630644][/doublepost]

Thing is, the start and stop time don’t matter because I don’t know the distance, I stop at 1 mile and if I don’t know what 1 mile is then my time could be low

I figured as much. The reason I mentioned the start/stop time was that you mentioned that the GPS would give you an inaccurate time. What you really meant was that the GPS gave you an inaccurate pace.
[doublepost=1499630847][/doublepost]Also, did you bring your iPhone along? Perhaps the iPhone's GPS would be more accurate.

Maybe next time, turn off the iPhone's bluetooth and run using the AW's workout app along with an app on the iPhone, like NRC or Endomondo. Then compare the GPS mileage.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Click on the map. Does the map route look funny?

 

[mk313]

I had an issue running one time where I had to run past my car (with my phone in it) three times during the run, due to bad trail conditions. On the third time, the run stopped tracking when I went out of range of the phone. This hadn't happened before, but I'm betting that what happened in your case is that the watch repeatedly connecting to and disconnecting from the phone caused some issues. If I were you, I'd turn off bluetooth on the phone before you ran, so that you know there isn't any issue coming from connecting/ disconnecting while you run.

 

[SoN1NjA]

#FUC*

well the time was inaccurate, just ran a 7:57

hope lost, dreams washed away
[doublepost=1499653644][/doublepost]And even then that 6:45 wouldn’t put me near my peers
So now I’m even further behind

Goddamnit

 

[iPhysicist]

Download Nike run club and use the coach to train. Just running one mile full speed in 6 min doesn't make you a good or even fast runner.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Download Nike run club and use the coach to train. Just running one mile full speed in 6 min doesn't make you a good or even fast runner.

You’re right, tried to do this a few weeks ago but I got an error

But finally got setup so I’m ready to go

Sure a sports team would benefit me haha, I’m comparing myself to kids who play on sports teams and stuff so

 

[iPhysicist]

If you use the nrc app(s) and do the training accordingly you will increase your pace within a few weeks dramatically. But be advised that you should start slow. Muscles build up fast (at a younger age even more so) but your tendons and joints need much more time to strengthen. An training injury can throw you months back and sometimes even years.

 

[Stefan johansson]

Well,let us all,especially the ones not into running,hope that there will be an Apple Watch App similar to the old "G-trac" iPhone app. I'm not too interested in my one mile run time,what bothers me is the quarter mile time for my stingray.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Just did a 6:49 using NRC on my iPhone

Can I trust this?

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And also, since I’m using NRC to train, wouldn’t that make my time worth nothing? I bet other kids could do the same or better if they were doing this training, so it’s not that special

Kinda like, if my friend and I just bought this new video game, and we agree to battle at 5 o’clock

While I wait until 5, I learn the game moves, how to play, do some practice matches

But he’s not doing any of that, so come battle time he’s without a clue what to do

If I win the battle, wouldn’t that be unfair?

 

[Stefan johansson]

It's never unfair,as long as you and your opponents has the same possibilities to prepare,if your friend do not prepare in the same way as you did,he got to blame himself for the loss.

 

[SoN1NjA]

I agree, however the question still is...

isn’t it not that impressive considering anyone can use the NRC app and be at my level?

 

[nieks]

You know, when i look at your map, it shows me that you run back and forth, continuously. Why on earth would you do that? It is killing for your speed and time, try to make it a decent run with some ups, downs and generally a nice route to run. Also, running back and forth might decrease the exact positioning by GPS, because you take the same route over and over and over, and the watch might miss a few meters/feet.

For instance, this is my route from yesterday:

This is a 5 KM run.
I only use my Apple Watch (series 2) to track, and in my opinion it is more accurate than Runkeeper on my iPhone.

By the way: what series do you use? Series 0, 1, or 2? That might have something to do with it...

Edit: you don't have to take screenshots in the work out app, you know that right? You can just press the "share" button and save an image. Then you won't get the black corners in your images.

 

[twinlight]

If you have your Watch connected to the phone it uses the phones gps for activity tracking. Since it's laying on the ground close to where you where running, I'm surprised you got a measure at all. To phones with you?

You didn't state what Watch you have but I think the S2 is using the phone gps as much as it can.

And sometimes you just get a good run. It happens sometimes that you go for it and somewho beat your old time. You said that you have taken it slow the last couple of runs, maybe your body have improved itself a bit.

 

[SoN1NjA]

No with the NRC app I have to use my phone, and I hold my phone when I’m running; haven’t found a way to use the Coach on Apple Watch, so the Apple Watch is nowhere in the picture

 

[iPhysicist]

I agree, however the question still is...

isn’t it not that impressive considering anyone can use the NRC app and be at my level?

There are kids way above your level. Is it unfair? No. You train and get better. If you think that everyone can train equally with equal effort you are mistaken. You may hit your wall sooner or later compared to others. My pace is 4 Minutes per km. At the moment this is my wall. Can I get better? Maybe but the training time I have to spend will increase. This is not unfair. That's life.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Edit: you don't have to take screenshots in the work out app, you know that right? You can just press the "share" button and save an image. Then you won't get the black corners in your images.

The black corners are from where I transferred the images to my 6s that has rounded corners throughout everything, it just makes it prettier

Here’s the process:
Open the map on iPhone 7 > use the Share function > send to iPhone 6s > use Markup (because the iOS 10 Markup is 10x better than iOS 11) > then screenshot to get rounded corners > send to computer to put the “Good” and “Bad” > and post

Open the image full screen on your iPhone and you’ll see what I mean