Runners: how do you train on treadmills with inaccurate distance?

[d3vp0ll]

I’m 9 weeks into a 15 week HM training plan via TrainingPeaks that is based on heart rate. Despite this there is a target pace it sets.

Unfortunately the Apple Watch is notoriously poor at estimating treadmill distance, which worsens the faster I run. I cannot run all my runs outdoors as I don’t have the time on weekdays.

I can’t be the only runner that is irritated by this, and I really don’t want to go back to a Garmin (which has a nice calibration setting at the end of every treadmill run) but if I don’t find a solution I will have likely go back.

Has anyone found any solution - additional accessory, workaround etc - to this problem?

TIA.

 

[NME42]

Has anyone found any solution - additional accessory, workaround etc - to this problem?

In the distant past, I was doing a lot of treadmill runs with my Garmin and a Garmin footpod. Calibrated the footpod to the treadmill distance so that they match.

As an AW owner since a few years, I did not do too many treadmill runs yet as I was no fitness club member during Covid. But the few ones I did were also with footpods. An expensive one from Stryd and their corresponding app. Benefit there was that this did not require a calibration step. Also, I have a rather inexpensive footpod from Milestone. I think they are now distributed under the Zwift brand, but not sure. Latter footpod needed calibration but afterwards was accurate enough for me and I used it with the iSmoothrun app.
Later, after Workoutdoors supported footpods also, I did an indoor run with my Stryd footpod and Workoutdoors. Worked great too.

So long story short: you need a footpod and the Apple training app does not support footpods. But also heard that a good calibrated Apple training app should also produce good results running on a treadmill. Never tried that though and I have no idea how to calibrate the watch to be "good".

 

[bigjnyc]

Unfortunately your only solution is to buy a treadmill with Apple Gymkit integration. this way the info is being fed from the treadmill to the watch once connected and is more accurate. But there aren't that many options in the consumer market and are pretty expensive I think.

 

[Pug72]

My Reebok treadmill has bluetooth and syncs with it's app which in turn syncs with Apple Health after a session.

 

[Bichon]

a Garmin (which has a nice calibration setting at the end of every treadmill run)

I suggest that people give Apple feedback requesting something like this be added in a future software update. Pretty much everyone I know that works out on a treadmill with an Apple watch complains that it undercounts the distance they've run, jogged or walked.

 

[bigjnyc]

I suggest that people give Apple feedback requesting something like this be added in a future software update. Pretty much everyone I know that works out on a treadmill with an Apple watch complains that it undercounts the distance they've run, jogged or walked.

I doubt Apple would ever do this no matter how many people complain... It would ruin their "it just works" mantra. I'm sure they rather tweak the software to death to try and make it more accurate than give users this ability.

 

[dmr727]

Pretty much everyone I know that works out on a treadmill with an Apple watch complains that it undercounts the distance they've run, jogged or walked.

Weird - I'm the opposite. My watch is about 8% higher than what the treadmill tells me. Only have two models of treadmill for data points, though.

 

[d3vp0ll]

In the distant past, I was doing a lot of treadmill runs with my Garmin and a Garmin footpod. Calibrated the footpod to the treadmill distance so that they match.

As an AW owner since a few years, I did not do too many treadmill runs yet as I was no fitness club member during Covid. But the few ones I did were also with footpods. An expensive one from Stryd and their corresponding app. Benefit there was that this did not require a calibration step. Also, I have a rather inexpensive footpod from Milestone. I think they are now distributed under the Zwift brand, but not sure. Latter footpod needed calibration but afterwards was accurate enough for me and I used it with the iSmoothrun app.
Later, after Workoutdoors supported footpods also, I did an indoor run with my Stryd footpod and Workoutdoors. Worked great too.

So long story short: you need a footpod and the Apple training app does not support footpods. But also heard that a good calibrated Apple training app should also produce good results running on a treadmill. Never tried that though and I have no idea how to calibrate the watch to be "good".

Thank you. Does Stryd charge a subscription fee?

Also, the calibration has never worked for me. My watch is rather close in total distance using my new treadmill but the pace is way wrong.

 

[d3vp0ll]

My Reebok treadmill has bluetooth and syncs with it's app which in turn syncs with Apple Health after a session.

Unfortunately I bought another NordicTrack as my original just died a month ago and iFit not only is a dumpster fire they charge a premium subscription fee just to sync the data to Apple Health.

 

[d3vp0ll]

Unfortunately your only solution is to buy a treadmill with Apple Gymkit integration. this way the info is being fed from the treadmill to the watch once connected and is more accurate. But there aren't that many options in the consumer market and are pretty expensive I think.

Yep, I just replaced my old NordicTrack Elite 2900 with another NordicTrack, I knew going in it didn’t have GymKit. Unfortunately only the upper echelon tier of treadmills have GymKit (which is the NFC powered box add on) which are designed for commercial use of many clients, are are in the $10-$14k range. But the failure of treadmill companies there is not realizing that this workflow works 100x better for home users as well.

So the second tier treadmills offer an app that is usually installed on the home and/or watch, but only bare metrics like just heart rate are displayed and integrated and you must use their terrible app.

 

[d3vp0ll]

Weird - I'm the opposite. My watch is about 8% higher than what the treadmill tells me. Only have two models of treadmill for data points, though.

It’s very strange. The total distance can be very close but the pace is always way off. It never seems to adjust itself after the fact either.

 

[NME42]

Thank you. Does Stryd charge a subscription fee?

No. They have a subscrption based service but you do not need that for using it, especially with WorkOutDoors.
A used Stryd is not too expensive. They just released a new model and older models are easy to get for a fair price.

 

[NME42]

There is also this Runn device that is mounted under the treadmill. Read good reviews about it.

 

[d3vp0ll]

No. They have a subscrption based service but you do not need that for using it, especially with WorkOutDoors.
A used Stryd is not too expensive. They just released a new model and older models are easy to get for a fair price.

Great, I’ll check that out. Thank you!

 

[d3vp0ll]

No. They have a subscrption based service but you do not need that for using it, especially with WorkOutDoors.
A used Stryd is not too expensive. They just released a new model and older models are easy to get for a fair price.

Question: do you know if I’d be able to pair both my chest strap and Stryd footpod to WorkOutDoors?

 

[NME42]

Question: do you know if I’d be able to pair both my chest strap and Stryd footpod to WorkOutDoors?

No problems with this combination. To be precise: my chest strap / OHR is paired in watchOS and Stryd is paired through WorkoutDoors. One can also pair a strap to WorkoutDoors directly, not sure, what this is good for.

I'd recommend you have a look at the Runn-sensor also. Checked the price and it is far cheaper than I thought. If you have your own treadmill, this could be a very good solution.

Runn Sensor is now also a Zwift product:

NPE Runn Treadmill Smart Sensor: Everything you need to know

A few weeks ago when Zwift announced their new running track within Watopia, a bunch of you were curious about the NPE Runn device I showed briefly within that post. But then yesterday Zwift sent an e-mail out to about

www.dcrainmaker.com

 

[d3vp0ll]

No problems with this combination. To be precise: my chest strap / OHR is paired in watchOS and Stryd is paired through WorkoutDoors. One can also pair a strap to WorkoutDoors directly, not sure, what this is good for.

I'd recommend you have a look at the Runn-sensor also. Checked the price and it is far cheaper than I thought. If you have your own treadmill, this could be a very good solution.

Runn Sensor is now also a Zwift product:

NPE Runn Treadmill Smart Sensor: Everything you need to know

A few weeks ago when Zwift announced their new running track within Watopia, a bunch of you were curious about the NPE Runn device I showed briefly within that post. But then yesterday Zwift sent an e-mail out to about

www.dcrainmaker.com

Thanks again

 

[chalmers4three]

When I run on my treadmill I use the runkeeper app on my phone. It has a stopwatch function that records time and heart rate but allows me to input distance after the run. Once I add the distance and save the run it adds it to my activity.

 

[PatrickNSF]

I use the NPE Runn with my Garmin and it’s terrific. They also have an Apple Watch app but I haven’t tried it. I prefer it to using a footpod because it’s accurate at any pace. My Stryd never was.

 

[NME42]

Never seen a treadmill supporting it, but shouldn‘t GymKit deliver all metrics to the watch too?

 

[d3vp0ll]

Update: I ordered and received my Stryd footpod two days ago. IT'S AWESOME!!! It's insanely accurate and finally solves my problem. Hopefully, Apple fixes this in future watch generations.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

 

[d3vp0ll]

Update #2: The Stryd footpad is incredible, it's great getting accurate distance and the bonus I didn't expect is adapting my training around running power. Stryd is great