different distance in different training settings

[RikSel]

As many others I miss the cross county ski in my Ionic. I have therefore used the run or bike programe.

But I noticed that it show different distance for the same exercise? I assume that it is because the run program dont accept when I move to fast.

So I now use bike programe when I ski, then I transfer this over to runkeeper, and in runkeeper I change from bike to cross country ski.

But I still get a different in disance, anyone that can explain this? Or have a better way to do it?

[RobertoME]

Hello @RikSel, nice to have you here as a new member of the Fitbit Community! I was reading your post and it reminds me to a post I saw long ago regarding a similar scenario. In your case I'm wondering if the distance is higher or lesser in your Fitbit app? 

If you are using a GPS exercise, the type of exercise should not be of great impact in your results as long the GPS signal is constant and not interrupted by environmental factors such as tall buildings, dense forest, steep hills, or even thick cloud cover. While GPS gives you a more accurate measure of distance than step counting alone, the actual accuracy depends on both your environment and the weather.

The post I was mentioned before can be found here.

See you later and keep me posted how it goes.

[RikSel]

I still dont really get it, I did use the run programe first (GPS). With this I went a lap on on cross country ski, and when I copleated one lap it shown 3,08 km.

I stopped that training and started a new ond with bike programe (aslo GPS) made a second lap on the exat same rout and when I returned this time it shown 4,25 km.

I believe that 4,25 km is correct.

Looking at the map, it looks the same, but when I look at the pace I see that I miss some data. Could it be because the speed was to high for running? 

  

[HowieHarrington]

Steps walked on Fitbit are routinely approximately 300 more than on Samsung Health. What is the source of the discrepancy, Fitbit operating off of GPS and "Health" not? Can I link both programs and resolve the discrepancy?

[bmw54]

After I got my Ionic I was puzzled by the Run app:

On training runs it is accurate in both distance and pace.

But when I race (at a much faster pace - I  like to win!) Ionic significantly understates distance and overstates my pace. 

In other words, the faster I run the less distance Ionic logs while also calculating much slower pace.

In both cases the GPS data 'paints' a very accurate mapping of the course I just ran.

The reason has been confirmed during chat with Fitbit. The Run app collects GPS data but really doesn't use it. It uses step-count multiplied by stride-length. When racing I use fewer strides to cover greater distance. The Run app interprets this is less distance and slower pace.

The last Fitbit person I chatted with (I saved the chatlog) confirmed this while also advising that engineers were aware of and in the process of making corrections.  (this is something they always tell me, as well as providing unhelpful instructions on how to re-start my Ionic. And questioning whether I know how to charge the battery)

He also told me that Run recalculates stride-length from the GPS data every 10 minutes and that this should correct its calculations.

But in shorter races it's an inaccurate approach. And for all of us that believe Ionic is using GPS it's a real letdown.

The Bike app appears to use GPS data for both distance and pace.