As Apple did several years ago, Google has caught on that running is one of the most accessible and nerdiest sports. Assuming you don’t have mobility issues, all you need is a good pair of running shoes and a pair of shorts. It’s easy to see improvement quickly, especially if you’re just getting started.
Among the new touted features for the Pixel Watch 3 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is holistic running guidance, under an umbrella Google calls Plan, Run, Reflect, found in the Fitbit app. (Google owns Fitbit.) You can build custom runs on the app on your Pixel phone or watch; get real-time interval guidance as you’re running; look up your stats and advanced running analysis on a specialized running dashboard; and get daily AI-powered run recommendations. That’s in addition to a new feature called Cardio Load, similar to Garmin’s Training Load in that it can show you how hard your heart is being taxed, and whether you’re over- or undertraining to improve your fitness.
This is all based on science-backed research, derived from Fitbit’s years of accumulating data in the health space. It’s also a departure from Apple’s running features, which are granular but only recently have begun offering comprehensive training algorithms. Premium sports watch manufacturers like Garmin and Coros, on the other hand, have offered similar plans and features for years. I’ve used both of those training tools and decided to test Google’s AI-powered running suggestions the same way. I am a strictly middling runner; however, I run almost every day, and I ran a 5K at an 8-minute-mile pace before I had kids. That was almost a decade ago, but still.
I decided that getting to an 8-minute-mile 5K (3.1 miles) was a reasonable goal within my two-week testing period. TL;DR? I screwed it up. Artificial intelligence is a lot harder than it looks.
Add It Up
If you’re trying to improve your time, you need a baseline. In the app, I input that I’m an intermediate runner who runs 20 miles a week. Fitbit then offers you several “Recommended for Today” runs. For my first run, I picked a time trial run for 3 miles.