I spotted not too long ago that it was my thoughts, not my physique, stopping me from making an attempt to run a full marathon race. So, I got down to run a marathon and accomplished the problem a number of months in the past. To paraphrase a sure footballer from Ted Lasso, operating is life now, and I’ll never stop running marathons so long as my physique can take it.
I couldn’t have achieved it with out ChatGPT and my Apple Watch SE 2. The latter was distinctive at holding monitor of all my runs prior to now two years. Whereas it’s a 40mm mannequin, and the battery well being isn’t nice anymore, it may possibly not less than final for a full marathon on one cost. I say that as an damage has really been slowing down my occasions, thus prolonging the quantity ot time I would like the Watch battery to final.
You want this context to know how annoying an annoying subject with the Apple Watch, and why I found it so late in my operating expertise. I simply ran my quickest 10K ever, beating my earlier time by two minutes. I do know this as a result of I tracked it with the Apple Watch. Nevertheless, I by no means received the Awards for it, although the Health app on my iPhone received all the info.
How did it occur? I used a third-party app to trace my run, and the Apple Watch didn’t give me the Awards I anticipated.
The Awards within the Health app are a intelligent method to inspire you to push your limits. You may’t count on private bests for all the things you do, however they occur. That’s why the app will let you know if you ran your quickest 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon races.
The app additionally offers you Awards for every of those milestones, so that you’ll at all times know what number of races in particular distances you’ve accomplished whereas utilizing Apple gadgets. For my 10K runs, the iPhone owes me two 10K runs it by no means registered, together with a brand new private finest. This discovery is driving me insane.
I’ve been a longtime Apple Watch person and a longtime runner. I’ve at all times used Apple’s default app to trace my runs and have had no issues with it. Sure, I do know some runners favor extra correct gadgets than the Apple Watch, however it works for me.
I solely received into extra critical operating in early 2023, as soon as I coopted ChatGPT as my coach and set new objectives. That’s why I’ve solely began discovering these Apple Watch issues now, after years of utilizing the wearable for operating.
So why did I swap to a third-party app to trace my runs? I needed to compete in a digital race, which may enhance my probabilities of getting right into a harder-to-enter marathon race. In fact, I accepted the problem, put in the app, synced it with the organizer, and went on my first run to make sure all the things labored as anticipated.
I did a 12K apply run earlier than the digital race to check the third-party app. That’s once I noticed the primary drawback. The Health app registered the run appropriately, however the iPhone didn’t give me the 10K Award I anticipated. It’s my Award; I gained it, and I would like it. It’s foolish, sure. However due to the Health app, I understand how many operating classes of not less than 10K I’ve achieved since utilizing the Apple Watch. Or I believed I did.
Transferring on to the 10K race, I believed I’d do my finest. The precise time wouldn’t enhance my probabilities of stepping into that marathon, however the effort would match nicely with my present coaching routine for a unique marathon. So I went all out late on Sunday night to keep away from the warmth.
After about 4K at full effort, I believed I’d die from it, so I needed to decelerate. Nonetheless, I settled right into a a lot sooner tempo than standard. After 6K I spotted this may be a private finest if I stored the identical tempo, which solely stored me motivated to push or hold it regular not less than.
After 10K, I spotted I may have stored going at that tempo, which proves that the thoughts performs an enormous half in operating. However I used to be additionally glad to see that I had crushed my private finest.
That’s when actuality sank in. If I didn’t get a 10K Award for that 12K race, I’d not get Awards for this 10K and my quickest 10K. I hated it.
What’s the purpose of these Awards in the event that they don’t work with third-party apps? I do know different Apple Watch customers will need to have found this subject lengthy earlier than me in the event that they’ve been coaching with third-party apps. However it’s an issue that Apple ought to repair. So long as the Health app registers the coaching occasion it ought to provide the correct Award.
I’m not aggravated concerning the shiny illustration of an award per se. I simply wished the Health app to file my quickest 10K even when I take advantage of a unique operating app. And no, the identify of the third-party operating app doesn’t matter. It’s all about how the iPhone’s Health app works.
I’ll additionally say I’m operating iOS 18 beta on the iPhone and watchOS 11 beta on the Apple Watch. I hope these are to not blame for the Awards points. I wouldn’t know since I’ve by no means used third-party apps for monitoring operating classes earlier than.
Lastly, I’ll notice that the September Problem Award requires 10 operating exercises lasting not less than 5 minutes every. I ran my quickest 10K ever on September 1st. I’m fairly certain it lasted greater than 5 minutes, however Health didn’t acknowledge it. I’ve zero out of 10 runs on the time of this writing.
I’ll get again to monitoring my runs with the default Apple Watch app. However I’ll absolutely compete in different digital races sooner or later, and I’ll have to make use of third-party apps for that. Hopefully, Apple will repair this Awards subject sooner or later.
