I've had an Apple Watch for nearly a year. Is there not a single good basic running app on there? Help me

SlowFox wrote:

DogJogger wrote:

iSmoothRun or Workoutdoors

Those are probably the best apps. The Stryd app is pretty good too.

WorkOutdoors gives you a lot of customization but it can be hard to see on a smaller watch.

Stryd sucks

DogJogger wrote:

iSmoothRun or Workoutdoors

Ok. Thanks for the advice. I had imsooth run on my phone and I've been looking more closely at ismoothrun and it appears to be able to do almost everything I want. I didn't realize it was customizable. I'm about to try a workout so we'll see hot it goes.

I'll probably try woroutdoors as well as it has even higher ratings.

Our web guy Erik texted me to say he loves the stryd app and footpod.

What I don't get is why I have to hit two buttons to take a damn split? Why wouldn't hitting the digital crown be enough? Why do i also need to hit the side button? It's not like people are randomly hitting the side button.

Can anyone explain this to me? Like what idiot at Apple thinks, "Oh let's make this as hard as possible?" Like what's the logic behind it. I assume someone at one of the world's most valuable company's has a reason for it and isn't doing it simply to piss off runners.

rojo wrote:Like what idiot at Apple thinks, "Oh let's make this as hard as possible?" Like what's the logic behind it. I assume someone at one of the world's most valuable company's has a reason for it and isn't doing it simply to piss off runners.

Think the watch is bad? Try using Excel on your wife's Mac because you accidentally left your real computer at the office....

Apple doesn't make tools. They make tool-shaped gadgets with high-end screens. I.e., $2,000 facebook machines and $600 FitBits.

Intervals pro app works really well for what you are talking about, but you do have to program your work out on your phone before your run. It is the only one that i know of does what your asking for.

https://www.intervalspro.com/

Apple didn't make their watch with runners in mind, I had the same thought when I looked at it. I have a Garmin 220, the newer versions have heart rate and stuff. It does exactly what you're saying and you can even program workouts into it so the alarm will go off at the start/end of intervals.

If you want it to work like an old school Timex, buy an old school Timex.

With iSmoothRun, you can view both the total time & lap time on the same screen by going to the settings screen on your iPhone and then click Displays --> Apple Watch --> Setup. And then you can change any of the 3 fields to total time, lap time, etc.

You can also create structured workouts via the iSmoothRun iPhone app via the Workouts tab at the bottom, then clicking the '+' on the top right of the screen, then click "Intervals" then click '+' and start entering all the time/distance/pace for each interval. It's really cumbersome though.

The other problem with structured workouts on Apple Watch is that when you are running hard, it's sometimes tough to click the crown & back button simultaneously to record a lap.

For structured workouts any Garmin watch is superior-- it's workout builder in the Garmin Connect app is surprisingly great. A simple digital watch is great if you're just doing track repeats. For long runs in which you don't need to take manual splits- then the Apple Watch is fine.

Ok. I just did 8 x 2 minutes on/1 off on ismooth run after figuring out how to program it and it worked very well. I'm supposed to do a track workout on Thursday so that should be interesting without a button to hit - I have to it two to get the split.

I'll try Workoutdoors next week as it is rated even higher.

I tried interval pro a few weeks ago and didn't like it. Maybe it was me not trying to figure it out.

But back to irunsmooth. How come it won't let me put the pace down for a 400? I'm trying to set up a custom workout for Thrusday where I do 400. When I try to put in the pace of the 400, it won't take any pace and says 10 minutes a mile

video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9worPxFhH-Y

Your video link is broken. Anyway, in the iSmoothRun workout builder, if you select Intervals, click the '+' and then click the "Interval" tab you can set he duration based on time/distance, target type based on pace/hr and recovery baed on time/distance. I'm not seeing any problem with setting up a 400m interval at any pace I wish. If you're still having problems, maybe you should check with the developer?

Cheetodust wrote:

Stryd app is better on my Apple watch LTE series 5 than my Garmin. would not go back to a traditional watch.

Yep. The Stryd footpad does not use GPS an avoids draining the battery. The Apple Watch Stryd app is nice and clean. It offers better accuracy than GPS because it isn't hunting for a signal while you are moving. You can find yourself running off a bridge, or through a hillside, on a GPS track.

This is what I have been using for 41 years.

http://www.doverohclassof1984.org/docs/extracurriculars/Sports/Track/Cronus%20Blue.jpg

The Nike Run Club app lets you see the time for the lap you are on. It has a feature where when you do "Speed" Workout you can lap it by double tapping the screen or pressing both buttons simultaneously. Only downside for me is that this app doesn't sync to strava.

Sorry Rojo,

But if are going to train with a gps watch, you need to go with a running watch.

Garmin is industry leader (well at least in my area, I would say 90% of runner have garmins), followed by suunto and polar.

I had the garmin 235 for 5 years with no issues and prior to that I had a timex gps watch. You can pick up a 235 pretty cheap now.

I now have the fenix 6, sweet watch.

About the buttons: because the individual button functions are tied to the OS functions, like toggling between active apps or backing out of the app to get to your “desktop” screen. Since the Apple Watch can multi task and run apps in the background, those functions have to remain intact so they’re not programmable to developers. Hence the two button lap split.

Knowing those limitations, the Apple Watch is a GREAT smart watch first, and a fitness device second. It’s not a superior fitness watch but it’s adequate to maybe even good (compared to say, some Fitbit offerings). I use mine for around half or more of my runs because it’s just so convenient.

The Race and Lap timer app is best for basics. If you want a stopwatch app for I-products that’s the only real old school one

I've used iSmoothRun for about eight months on a series 4.

If you set up the workouts properly, the app should be able to do everything you want, hands free. With a set workout, splits pop automatically. You can even set it up to have a voice split. No need to press the crown and button.

The app allows for intervals and tempos with warmups and warmdowns and rest periods of any length.

I have not used it on a track, so I don't know if distance tracking is as far off as was my Garmin.

If you were running a measured course and wanted to check splits every mile, you can swipe to the splits/pause/end screen and tap for a split there. What I do occasionally is leave it on that screen, making it easy to tap without needing to swipe. Then the split pops up. The only issue then is that you can't see your running time screen without swiping back to the main screen.

I have encountered some issues with the app. It has shut down mid-run a few times (perhaps because I forced a workout that set up semi-overlapping intervals).

It also seems to measure differently when listening to an Audible book through the watch. On a USATF certified marathon course, miles hit within .01 with Audible off and about .02-.03 short with Audible on.

HR reporting is problematic. While it seems to report reasonably during a walk or elliptical workout, it has problems with runs. Often after a run, the app displays a straight line HR for part or most of a run. The straight line can be anywhere on the scale, high, low or in the middle. There doesn't seem to be a pattern to the odd results. I assume it's an Apple watch issue, since iSmoothRun is presumably recording data directly from the Health app and not reinterpreting it into the straight line.

I used to run with Nike run club but due to numerous glitches I switched to SportMe Marathon Trainer. It perfectly syncs with my Apple watch. I run three times a week and monitoring my progress made me a less anxious and more self confident person. It's amazing what running can do for you!

marutz90 wrote:

I used to run with Nike run club but due to numerous glitches I switched to SportMe Marathon Trainer. It perfectly syncs with my Apple watch. I run three times a week and monitoring my progress made me a less anxious and more self confident person. It's amazing what running can do for you!

Dude, if you're gonna spam a board with ads, you should change the hook from time to time.

You can push NRC data to Strava with the run gap app!