I tried running with my Apple Watch

It has been a few weeks since I bought my Apple Watch. I was finally able to use it for its intended purpose—running—so I'll write down my thoughts on that.

Before running

Since I had been using the Nike Run Club (NRC) app on my iPhone, I assumed the basic usage would be the same on the Apple Watch. As it turns out, it didn't change much.

I usually set a running distance in the app, and since it's my habit to set it to 5km but actually run about 5-7km, I first tried to set the distance. However, there's a mysterious specification where you can only set it in 500m increments starting from 0.1km, like "5.1km" or "5.6km," so I couldn't set it to exactly 5.0km.
I thought maybe the starting point was set based on my average running distance so far, but I couldn't find a solution even after searching, so I just set it to 5.1km.

I created a running playlist on Apple Music for background music, so I downloaded that to the Watch as well. My AirPods Pro are charged. Cold weather gear is ready. Let's go.

Run

Starting the run

I arrived at my usual course and did some warm-ups.I left my iPhone at home. I wanted to use the Apple Watch as it was intended, after all.
I stretched, tied my shoelaces, and started.

I used to run with my iPhone in an armband, but just having the watch on my wrist made me feel much lighter. I don't have to worry about the band slipping while I'm running, and I don't have to worry aboutcramping my pectoral musclestrying to operate it while wearing the band. It's a good start.

During the run

I had read various articles acknowledging that the Apple Watch's GPS accuracy isn't very high, but I ended up realizing it again.
Because the GPS accuracy is lower than the iPhone's,the 1km measurement is longer than usual. Since I always run the same course, I usually have a rough idea of things like "this is the point where I hit X km" or "at this pace, my lap time should be about this much," but because the measurement accuracy is different from usual,
I have to run about 1.1 to 1.2km of my usual distance before the 1km announcement finally plays. I'm not the type who can run long distances to begin with, and I only do running at a jogging level, so having 1km turn into 1.2km feels pretty tough. I'll get used to it, but it's a bit rough at first.

Encouraged by a guide that was a bit more Spartan than usual, I finished the day's run at 5.24km, slightly over my set distance. It felt like I had run about 5.7km...

After the run

When the run ends,the distance and pace are recorded in the NRC app on the Apple Watch. This part is no different from when I used my iPhone.
I charged it while I took a bath after getting home. When I opened the NRC app on my iPhone, closed it once (including closing it from the background), and opened it again, the run information for today that was recorded on the Watch synced to the iPhone. I always title my run records with the date, but since I can only do that on the iPhone, I changed the title after syncing. Good work today.

About running with the Apple Watch

After actually using it for running, although there is a sense of discomfort regarding the distance due to the GPS accuracy,the usability and operability were as expected, and I was able to run without stress.
My Watch is the Nike model, so that might be why I was able to use the NRC app seamlessly (I haven't compared it with the normal model, so I don't know specifically what was better about the Nike model).

When I go for a run, it usually takes a little under an hour from leaving the house to returning, but I was resistant to leaving my phone at home for that hour. I hate not being able to answer if someone calls me in an emergency, so I usually carry it even when I'm at home.
I tried leaving it at home this time, and although I felt a bit restless, I found that if it's not at hand, I can just give up on it—it's doable. I don't have the energy to think about anything while I'm running anyway.

Since I've acquired a piece of gear called the Apple Watch, I'm going to make running a proper habit from now on and improve my body, even if it's just a little bit.