⇐ Part 3 contents

    Apple Watch Apps

    When writing the book, there were only two Apple Watch apps that offered wrist-based power; I’ve since found a third. They are:

    1. The Apple Workout app
    2. The WorkOutDoors app
    3. The Watchletic app

    I’ve tested all three and recommend the Watchletic app.

    Why?

    The Apple Workout app had a few issues that made it difficult to use for Running with Power:

    • it only offers real-time or workout average power. There is no smoothed power (so you’ll have to put up with ‘spiky’ power numbers when running), and there is no lap power (which makes it just about impossible to run intervals to target).
    • it doesn’t record datapoints every second. Instead it uses ‘smart recording’ which records two datapoints every 5 seconds. This resulted in some very strange averages when analysing completed run data.
    • the Apple Health app stores completed workouts, but calculates averages using (end time – start time) rather than using the number of recorded datapoints. This led to inaccuracies if the run included pauses or stops.

    Both WorkOutDoors and Watchletic are good choices, meeting most of the evanuation criteria.

    My preference was the Premium version of Watchletic, which can download from and upload to many different planning and review apps.

    Nevertheless, these pages cover all three apps so that you can make your own choice.

    The Watchletic (Apple) app

    Watchletic is the most connected Apple Watch app for runners, bringing your planned sessions from the services you already use, collecting richer live data from Bluetooth devices during the run, then exporting the completed workout back for analysis.

    Setting up wrist-based power

    Once installed, the only setup necessary is entering your height and weight.

    Height & weight settings

    As explained in the Settings for all Watches/Power Meters book chapter, it’s important to ‘set and forget’ your height and weight.

    Height and Weight must be entered in the Apple Health app (not in the Watchletic app), as described in Change settings in Workout on the Apple website

    Auto-lap, Auto-pause, Auto-calibrate, Recording Frequency

    These settings are explained in the Settings for all Watches/Power Meters book chapter. They are configured on your Apple Watch, or via the mobile app.

    Auto-lap

    Auto-laps are not supported by Watchletic.

    Auto-pause

    Auto-pause is enabled/disabled in the Watchletic mobile app.

    To enable/disable Auto-pause:

    1. Open the Watchletic mobile app
    2. Select Settings – a cog at bottom right of the screen
    3. Select Auto-Pause (in the Pausing section)
    4. Toggle Off to disable Auto-pause

    Auto-calibrate

    Apple watches auto-calibrate whenever you walk or run outside.

    To disable Auto-calibration, use the Watchletic mobile app to force GPS for running pace instead of using Apple’s calibrated distances.

    To force GPS for running pace:

    1. Open the Watchletic mobile app
    2. Select Settings – a cog at bottom right of the screen
    3. Select Force GPS for running pace (in the Advanced section)
    4. Toggle on to disable auto-calibration

    Recording Frequency

    Watchletic uses ‘every second recording’.

    Adjusting what's displayed on your watch

    Use the Watchletic mobile app to adjust what’s displayed on your watch:

    1. Open the Watchletic mobile app
    2. Select Settings – a cog at bottom right of the screen
    3. Select Layouts – a tab at the top of the screen.
    4. You can add or delete layouts, adjust the content of each, and setup criteria that Watchletic will use to select the layouts to show while you run.

    Power Averaging

    Power averaging is explained in the Settings for all Watches/Power Meters book chapter.

    Watchletic offers real-time, 3s smoothed, 10s smoothed, lap (or interval) and workout average power. To select which power averages to show, use the layouts feature (see previous section).

    Watchletic can display power as Watts or percentage of Threshold Power (CP/FTP).

    Displaying power, pace and heart rate

    Some of the activities in the book ask you to display power, pace and HR on your watch so that you can keep track of changes in those metrics as you begin to experience running with power.

    To do this, add (or adjust) a layout to show real-time power, pace and heart rate.

    Moving to the next lap

    To move to the next lap (or interval), use the Apple Watch side buttons or configure Watchletic to show a circular next lap button.

    To configure the Apple Watch side buttons:

    1. Open the Watchletic mobile app
    2. Select Settings – a cog at bottom right of the screen
    3. Select Action button or Crown + side button action (in the Physical buttons section)
    4. Select Next interval for one (or both) of the physical buttons

    To configure Watchletic to show a circular next lap button:

    1. Open the Watchletic mobile app
    2. Select Settings – a cog at bottom right of the screen
    3. Select Show circular next lap button (in the General section)
    4. Toggle On to show a circular button in the middle of the screen
    5. When running, press the circular button to move to the next lap (or interval)

    Using structured workouts

    You can create structured workouts (with multiple steps, often used for interval workouts) using the Watchletic website, the Watchletic mobile app or using any one of multiple ‘connected services’.

    If you already use another service to plan your training, connect it to Watchletic:

    1. Open the Watchletic mobile app
    2. Select Integrations – a ‘+’ in a rounded square towards the bottom left of the screen
    3. Select the service you’d like to connect (in the Explore section)
    4. Follow the prompts to connect the service – for import (or download) to Watchletic, for export (or upload) of completed workouts, or both.

    Uploading completed workouts

    Completed workouts are added to Apple Health. 

    You can also upload completed workouts to any one of multiple ‘connected services’. To connect a service:

    1. Open the Watchletic mobile app
    2. Select Integrations – a ‘+’ in a rounded square towards the bottom left of the screen
    3. Select the service you’d like to connect (in the Explore section)
    4. Follow the prompts to connect the service – for import (or download) to Watchletic, for export (or upload) of completed workouts, or both.

    Finally, you can export completed workout files:

    1. Open the Watchletic mobile app
    2. Select Calendar – a calendar icon at bottom left of the screen
    3. Find and select the workout you’d like to export
    4. Select Export and choose the format you’d like to export in (e.g. FIT file)

    ⇐ Part 3 contents

    I'd like to give feedback ...

    If you have feedback – perhaps something that’s missing/incorrect, or something that would improve the content of Part 3, please let me know in the from1runner2another Facebook group.

    Updated:

    6-Jun-2026