Apps WorkOutDoors: New workout features

[cfc]

Apologies if this has been covered before, but I couldn't find something similar via search.

I'm using WOD for quite some time now, what a brilliant app! 3 weeks ago, I started using a Stryd pod, and it paired perfectly with WOD. My only problem: The average ground contact time and vertical oscillation are way off since then in Apple Health.

I did some research and testing, as far as I can see - looking at the Apple Health data written by WOD - it seems like WOD writes some outliers to Apple Health. Here is an example from the oscillation data: 6,1 - 6,1 - 6,1 - 6,2 - 6,3 - 5870 - 6,3 - 3427 - 6,3 - 6,1 - 6,1 - 6,1
Obviously, the numbers in the thousands ruin the average. The same happens with ground contact time.

The surprising thing is, if I export a FIT file from WOD and upload it, for example to Runalyze, everything looks fine.

Looking in the FIT file, the outliers seem not to be present there.

So the problem seems to exist only on the WOD -> Apple Health path, not on the WOD -> FIT file -> Runalyze path.

Any idea how this could happen?

Sorry, this is due to a strange issue with the newest Stryd devices which seem to occasionally publish strange data. I worked around this in the previous version with sanity checks on the data but my workaround wasn't complete and they were still included in the averages. This has now been fixed in the code so it should be ok when the next version is released next month.

 

[Jago73]

Wow, thank you so much for replying so fast! Now it makes perfect sense. Looks like something I will test immediately with the next version 😁

 

[leescottdavis]

I've been using the target pace feature of late. This might be my misunderstanding, but the audio feedback tells me the target is 50m behind, but when I look at the map the yellow dot on the route is ahead of me. Is the verbal feedback saying:

1. Target. Behind 50m (mean Target feedback. - You are behind 50m)
or
2. Target behind 50m (meaning the target is behind me 50) which doesn't match the map.
?

Is it possible to change it to 'Target is..." then behind/ahead xx?

 

[cfc]

I've been using the target pace feature of late. This might be my misunderstanding, but the audio feedback tells me the target is 50m behind, but when I look at the map the yellow dot on the route is ahead of me. Is the verbal feedback saying:

1. Target. Behind 50m (mean Target feedback. - You are behind 50m)
or
2. Target behind 50m (meaning the target is behind me 50) which doesn't match the map.
?

Is it possible to change it to 'Target is..." then behind/ahead xx?

Sorry, that is a bug in the release version. It has been fixed in the code and will be ok in the next version, which will be released next month.

 

[leescottdavis]

Sorry, that is a bug in the release version. It has been fixed in the code and will be ok in the next version, which will be released next month.

I’m on the latest beta not the release version

 

[cfc]

I’m on the latest beta not the release version

Interesting. Maybe I changed it when I shouldn’t have! I will investigate.

 

[JacksoN123123]

Is there anything I miss when exporting to Strava that I don’t get any Heart Rate data in Strava? Everything seems fine in WorkOutDoors, is there any setting I miss maybe?

 

[cfc]

Is there anything I miss when exporting to Strava that I don’t get any Heart Rate data in Strava? Everything seems fine in WorkOutDoors, is there any setting I miss maybe?

How are you exporting to Strava? If you are exporting from the app then check that you haven't disabled the "GPX Heartrates" setting on the Export Options screen of the iPhone Settings tab.

If you are exporting via Apple's Health system in some way (Strava's app, HealthFit, RunGap etc) then check that you have given WorkOutDoors permission to read and write all the health data. To check this go to the Settings app on the iPhone and select Privacy / Health / WorkOutDoors. Make sure that every health setting is enabled (you may need to scroll down to turn them all on).

If they are all enabled then you may be experiencing a rare bug with iOS/watchOS where the watch seems to lose the permission. To fix this switch all of the permissions off, then reboot both the iPhone and the watch, and then switch them all on again. This procedure nudges iOS into sending the permissions to the watch again.

 

[JacksoN123123]

thanks for the fast reply.

I tried both, via WOD Workout Screen and RunGap.

In both situations, even after your hint for troubleshooting (permission off, reboot, permission on) there is no way I can get HR data in to Strava. Maybe it’ll work only for the next Workouts?

 

[cfc]

thanks for the fast reply.

I tried both, via WOD Workout Screen and RunGap.

In both situations, even after your hint for troubleshooting (permission off, reboot, permission on) there is no way I can get HR data in to Strava. Maybe it’ll work only for the next Workouts?

With RunGap or any other app that uses the data stored in Apple's Health system then if the app did not have permission to save heart rates at the time, then giving permission later will only affect future workouts.

However if you can see heart rates in WOD for that workout and you upload from WOD directly to Strava then you should see heart rates in Strava. Can you see heart rates in WOD for that workout?

 

[leescottdavis]

I have a repeating issue with the latest beta. This morning I completed a 14k run. I was meeting my wife after the run for breakfast, so I stopped roughly 2k from where I was meeting her to cool down. After saving the run and returning to the activities menu, I selected a walking workout to record the walk to the cafe. The walk workout starts, but the time never increases, but the distance does. Normally I end the workout and restart a new walk workout, and it is fine the second time. This happens every day. Today I didn't stop the rogue workout as I was keen to see what happened. At the end of the walk, I pressed the activity and selected the red 'end' button, but instead of going to the summary screen, it jumped straight back to the activities menu. There appears to be no record of the activity in WOD on the phone, but the activity is in Apple Health, showing a walk of 4 seconds but a zero distance. WOD definitely persists something.

Is it because I am starting a second workout whilst the first running workout is still writing? It does it every time I start a walk workout after a run.

On the latest WOD beta and WOS 10 beta 7, but this happened on previous WOS 10 betas too.

 

[cfc]

I have a repeating issue with the latest beta. This morning I completed a 14k run. I was meeting my wife after the run for breakfast, so I stopped roughly 2k from where I was meeting her to cool down. After saving the run and returning to the activities menu, I selected a walking workout to record the walk to the cafe. The walk workout starts, but the time never increases, but the distance does. Normally I end the workout and restart a new walk workout, and it is fine the second time. This happens every day. Today I didn't stop the rogue workout as I was keen to see what happened. At the end of the walk, I pressed the activity and selected the red 'end' button, but instead of going to the summary screen, it jumped straight back to the activities menu. There appears to be no record of the activity in WOD on the phone, but the activity is in Apple Health, showing a walk of 4 seconds but a zero distance. WOD definitely persists something.

Is it because I am starting a second workout whilst the first running workout is still writing? It does it every time I start a walk workout after a run.

On the latest WOD beta and WOS 10 beta 7, but this happened on previous WOS 10 betas too.

I have never heard of that before and can't reproduce it now, so there must be something about your run or walk that is different and highlighting a bug. The second workout is probably being ignored because the app ignores workouts less than 1 minute and that workout would be considered very short if the time was not updating.

However it would be interesting to see the wkt file for the first workout so that I can better replicate it to try to reproduce the bug. Please could you send it to info@workoutdoors.net and I will take a look. To do this tap the Export button 3 times quickly.

Thanks for testing the app!

 

[leescottdavis]

I have never heard of that before and can't reproduce it now, so there must be something about your run or walk that is different and highlighting a bug. The second workout is probably being ignored because the app ignores workouts less than 1 minute and that workout would be considered very short if the time was not updating.

However it would be interesting to see the wkt file for the first workout so that I can better replicate it to try to reproduce the bug. Please could you send it to info@workoutdoors.net and I will take a look. To do this tap the Export button 3 times quickly.

Thanks for testing the app!

I think the running workout has to be over a certain distance/duration. I’ve sent you the file anyway. Happy hunting!

 

[leescottdavis]

the app ignores workouts less than 1 minute and that workout would be considered very short if the time was not updating.

Just out of interest, why did WOD write the workout to Apple Health if it ignores them? I hope this doesn’t come across argumentative. It’s not meant that way, just I was pondering whilst eating dinner.

 

[alzxjm]

Is there any way to get the font for the street names to be larger? I'm used to them being easily readable on my Garmin watch. Here are some screenshots.

 

[cfc]

Is there any way to get the font for the street names to be larger? I'm used to them being easily readable on my Garmin watch. Here are some screenshots. View attachment 2251820 View attachment 2251821

You can configure the size of poi names but not road names. That gets requested occasionally so I will probably add it at some time in the future.

In the meantime you can tap a road name and it will be temporarily magnified and also displayed at the bottom of the screen.

 

[alzxjm]

You can configure the size of poi names but not road names. That gets requested occasionally so I will probably add it at some time in the future.

In the meantime you can tap a road name and it will be temporarily magnified and also displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Great, thanks for the tip. Did not know about the magnification feature.

 

[mgmooij]

I have never heard of that before and can't reproduce it now, so there must be something about your run or walk that is different and highlighting a bug. The second workout is probably being ignored because the app ignores workouts less than 1 minute and that workout would be considered very short if the time was not updating.

However it would be interesting to see the wkt file for the first workout so that I can better replicate it to try to reproduce the bug. Please could you send it to info@workoutdoors.net and I will take a look. To do this tap the Export button 3 times quickly.

Thanks for testing the app!

Just had a 15k run this night and thought I’d try the same as Lee. And yes, I was able to reproduce it. Stopped and saved the run as normal, immediately started a walk for about 1 minute or so. All metrics seemed to add up but the time stayed at 0. And also, saving the walk got me straight to the menu… Also in Apples workout app only time (5 seconds) but no distance… do you want my wkt for the run Ian?

 

[cfc]

Just out of interest, why did WOD write the workout to Apple Health if it ignores them? I hope this doesn’t come across argumentative. It’s not meant that way, just I was pondering whilst eating dinner.

In theory it shouldn't so maybe that is another symptom of the problem.

 

[cfc]

Just had a 15k run this night and thought I’d try the same as Lee. And yes, I was able to reproduce it. Stopped and saved the run as normal, immediately started a walk for about 1 minute or so. All metrics seemed to add up but the time stayed at 0. And also, saving the walk got me straight to the menu… Also in Apples workout app only time (5 seconds) but no distance… do you want my wkt for the run Ian?

Yes please. That is good news because it sounds easily reproducible. I have only been testing for a few minutes, so I will try longer workouts.

 

[cfc]

It looks like both of you are using the Stryd footpod, so it could be related to how the app communicates with that. I have just tried a quick 2 minute run around the house with the Stryd and couldn't reproduce it, so will try a longer run tomorrow.

It would be interesting to know if anyone else can reproduce the problem, either with a Stryd or without.

 

[eulin87]

I am used to using 4 Heart rate zones so a bit confused when entering data for 6 zones. Is there anyway to possibly, or is it possible, to have a feature where we can adjust how many heart zones we want? Thank you!

 

[cfc]

I am used to using 4 Heart rate zones so a bit confused when entering data for 6 zones. Is there anyway to possibly, or is it possible, to have a feature where we can adjust how many heart zones we want? Thank you!

You can't adjust the number of zones at the moment, but you could just make the ones that you are not interested in very high so they are never used.

 

[mgmooij]

Yes please. That is good news because it sounds easily reproducible. I have only been testing for a few minutes, so I will try longer workouts.

Btw: maybe interesting, Apple’s workout app didn’t register a 5 second walk workout but it’s a 5 minute workout! No way… was max 30 seconds

 

[cfc]

Btw: maybe interesting, Apple’s workout app didn’t register a 5 second walk workout but it’s a 5 minute workout! No way… was max 30 seconds

I have had a look at the code and I have a theory that I will investigate tomorrow. In the previous version of WOD the app waited until watchOS had saved the workout before allowing the user to quit the summary screen. It showed "Saving..." until watchOS informed it that the workout had saved, and then it changed to "Done".

However this saving process seemed to be taking a very long time in watchOS 10 for workouts that had been running for a while. So in the new version the app does not wait for the workout to be saved and just shows "Done" immediately.

My guess is you may be starting another workout before the previous one has been saved by watchOS. The timer in WOD starts when watchOS informs app that the new workout has moved into an active state, but watchOS may not be doing that because you started a workout before it was finished with the previous one.

The fact that you are both using the watchOS 10 beta means that the saving is probably taking a while, which is why you are seeing the problem.

I will probably restore the "Saving..." message in the next beta and see if making the user wait until the workout is fully saved will help the problem. Hopefully the release version of watchOS 10 will be faster at saving workouts than the betas have been.