WatchOS 9 beta... anyone try the new running features?

[NME42]

For Garmin, there is an excellent data page for racers, it is called "Peters Race Pacer". Too sad, this is isn't available for AW.
It shows all metrics on one page and you can configure a distance with a desired finishing time. It then shows how far behind or ahead you are and what would be the estimated finish time. Nothing spectacular so far.
One extra cool feature: whenever you manually press lap, it adjusts the distance. So if the kilometer markers (typically more precise) do not match to the measured GPS distance, you adjust your watch and estimates to the reality.

 

[rbart]

For Garmin, there is an excellent data page for racers, it is called "Peters Race Pacer". Too sad, this is isn't available for AW.
It shows all metrics on one page and you can configure a distance with a desired finishing time. It then shows how far behind or ahead you are and what would be the estimated finish time. Nothing spectacular so far.
One extra cool feature: whenever you manually press lap, it adjusts the distance. So if the kilometer markers (typically more precise) do not match to the measured GPS distance, you adjust your watch and estimates to the reality.

I know another app that has this feature on watchOS

 

[xDKP]

Congrats to the PR - though you made me curious, was it a 2:30 marathon?? 😮 Because that sounds like an absolute dream! 👍 (Even if you meant 3:30 - that’s pretty amazing!)

+ sharing two tricks that I find super helpful when combined the pacer feature:

• I set the distance a tiny bit (1-2%) longer, especially if the route isn’t a straight line from start to finish, to avoid missing the desired finishing time
• get a voice notification at each 100 m split (rather than the default each 1 km), that helps greatly to keep a steady pace… if you can tolerate being bugged that often 😃

Actually the first point crossed my mind when I ran yesterday - It was a bit ahead (might have been the amount of people and needed to zigzag a bit). But ended up with 42,65km so not terribly off but enough that you should put the watch on like 42,50 km or something to be able to trust the green/red ahead/behind indicator.

And no it's not 2:30 unfortunately 😁 Ran 3.27.33 and meant it was 2 minutes 30 seconds faster than my previous PR (in way better conditions! actually over 20 minutes better than similar conditions last year in the same race in CPH)

 

[Jana_CZ]

(…)
One extra cool feature: whenever you manually press lap, it adjusts the distance. So if the kilometer markers (typically more precise) do not match to the measured GPS distance, you adjust your watch and estimates to the reality.

This sounds super helpful! Earlier this month, my watch somehow “lost” about 200-250 m early during a 10k race (the gps route was recorded completely though, just the pace weirdly dropped), so I kept recalculating everything in my head at each marker… (luckily enough, there was another runner just a bit ahead of me keeping a super steady pace, and sticking with him worked.) Having the option to correct the gps/distance already during the run would have saved me a lot of nerves! 😀

 

[NME42]

@Jana_CZ , have you tried watchOS 9.5 beta? If yes, anything new concerning training?

Official relesse probably today or tomorrow I guess.

 

[xDKP]

@Jana_CZ , have you tried watchOS 9.5 beta? If yes, anything new concerning training?

Official relesse probably today or tomorrow I guess.

My guess is all bells and whistles is kept for WWDC and WatchOS X

 

[Jana_CZ]

@Jana_CZ , have you tried watchOS 9.5 beta? If yes, anything new concerning training?

Official relesse probably today or tomorrow I guess.

Nothing that I’d notice. I suppose they’re keeping all the good stuff for watchOS 10 - and I’m quite curious what it’s gonna be!

 

[Jana_CZ]

My guess is all bells and whistles is kept for WWDC and WatchOS X

I haven’t seen even any rumours just yet - all the speculation is about the apps grid and widgets and so on, but nothing interesting about the exercise related functionality…

 

[NME42]

There is still the online course correction missing (snap to map).

 

[xDKP]

I haven’t seen even any rumours just yet - all the speculation is about the apps grid and widgets and so on, but nothing interesting about the exercise related functionality…

If we can just get better integration between the fitness app and the watch workout app, that would almost be enough. Ability to create and change custom runs etc. from the iPhone app would be great - and for gods sake focus on recovery!! Really hate that the days after a marathon it just carries on "Let's close those rings".

I have manually changed my calorie goal down, but should have some kind of build in focus on letting the body recover and stress out.

 

[xDKP]

Is it just me or have WatchOS 9 and iOS 16 updates been with very few new features? Both the .5 now seem to be almost with no new features at all.

Seems like the new strategy is to push almost all the new stuff for the summer showoff and fall release and then just polish all year around

 

[NME42]

Yes, in the past, the .5 updates had more features.

 

[Jana_CZ]

So… is anyone using some solid 3rd party app to analyse all the new data?

It’s great that the data is there but the analytic tools in the Health app are too basic… for example, I’d like to see whether my stride length is improving. But to see some relevant trends, I’d have to use just a subset of runs (in particular - different pace is a factor here, adding more slow runs into the regular training means shorter average stride length, so it’s important to be able to use some filters definitions).

Any recommendations? Free would be ideal but I don’t mind paying a small fee if the app is really good.

 

[xDKP]

So… is anyone using some solid 3rd party app to analyse all the new data?

It’s great that the data is there but the analytic tools in the Health app are too basic… for example, I’d like to see whether my stride length is improving. But to see some relevant trends, I’d have to use just a subset of runs (in particular - different pace is a factor here, adding more slow runs into the regular training means shorter average stride length, so it’s important to be able to use some filters definitions).

Any recommendations? Free would be ideal but I don’t mind paying a small fee if the app is really good.

At the current state the Apple Watch collects a ton of information, but natively doesn’t really use it. Just the HRV - if you don’t use 3rd party apps, you can’t even see it on the watch, let alone decode it and make use of it.

Really hope we get a serious boost on that front next week with WatchOS X

 

[NME42]

So… is anyone using some solid 3rd party app to analyse all the new data?

Runalyze is an excellent tool for analysis. I know nothing better.
Can easily be synced to with RunGap or HealthFit.

 

[Jana_CZ]

Runalyze is an excellent tool for analysis. I know nothing better.
Can easily be synced to with RunGap or HealthFit.

Thanks, I’ll check it out!

 

[msackey]

I don’t see much reason to use the Watch as the device to do analytics. That’s much better done on a bigger screen even if the Watch has the technical capabilities to do it. I find it preferable to have the phone or even a web platform perform the analytics etc.

The Watch can help collect the data. But something else can perform the processing.

 

[xDKP]

I don’t see much reason to use the Watch as the device to do analytics. That’s much better done on a bigger screen even if the Watch has the technical capabilities to do it. I find it preferable to have the phone or even a web platform perform the analytics etc.

The Watch can help collect the data. But something else can perform the processing.

Agree, but some of the basics could be put together in a nice displayed format

Runalyze is an excellent tool for analysis. I know nothing better.
Can easily be synced to with RunGap or HealthFit.

Doesn't seem to be in Danish App store - can you link it?

 

[Jana_CZ]

Doesn't seem to be in Danish App store - can you link it?

Not sure if it’s an actual app - I’ve only found a website. Which isn’t working correctly unfortunately - they seem to have auth issues for the offered integrations (invalid redirect URLs), I tried pairing it with Strava and Garmin, same problem with both… 😐
Edit to add: works with RunGap. Now playing with the graphs & trying to see what Runalyze can or cannot do… not specifically what I needed but it’s interesting anyway! 😃

 

[NME42]

Agree, but some of the basics could be put together in a nice displayed format



Doesn't seem to be in Danish App store - can you link it?

There is no app. Website but working ok on iPhone and good on iPad.

 

[msackey]

There is no app. Website but working ok on iPhone and good on iPad.

Can also use the Save to Home Screen to make it like an app.

Other analyzing tools I use, and these are apps, are:
Zones
HealthFit
Training Today

 

[NME42]

So we should open a new thread called "watchOS 10 beta ... anyone try the new running features?"

New features look interesting. TrainingPeaks connection, bike sensors, topo maps (offline?).
Not seen if it supports navigation?

 

[Jana_CZ]

So we should open a new thread called "watchOS 10 beta ... anyone try the new running features?"

New features look interesting. TrainingPeaks connection, bike sensors, topo maps (offline?).
Not seen if it supports navigation?

I must have missed something but haven’t noticed anything related to running… cycling getting all the love this time 🙄 so… I hope I’m wrong 😀

 

[xDKP]

I must have missed something but haven’t noticed anything related to running… cycling getting all the love this time 🙄 so… I hope I’m wrong 😀

Same here! Looked like they didnt even mention running once! What the …..?

 

[NME42]

I must have missed something but haven’t noticed anything related to running… cycling getting all the love this time 🙄 so… I hope I’m wrong 😀

They had limited time today.
If I remember correctly, when they showed TrainingPeaks integration it was running. But only a few seconds.

Have to wait until we get more detailed Information. Maybe DC Rainmaker has something for us today or tomorrow.

Edit: fresh off the press from DCR: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2023/06/apple-watchos-10-wwdc-2023-update.html