GPS estimating distance before connection

New Watch Garmin Instinct Solar (v1) - ok simple question but hopefully someone can confirm for me...

Using the RUN option my green dot to indicate start of GPS connection has been 2-3 miles further on the map from where I started the run, yet the distance recorded is pretty accurate..

Does it work out the distance pre GPS connection by some other means? Normally I wait for GPS to connect properly but when i'm at work I dont have time to wait for it to connect so just start it and hope it picks up GPS along the route.

Trust this makes sense.

WIth thanks

0 trux over 2 years ago

Whenever the GPS signal is not available (even when it drops out in the middle of the run), the watch switches to the indoor mode, and uses the accelerometer. It estimates your pace and distance from the average running stride length (collected in your previous runs), the cadence, and the acceleration data. It is not always very accurate, but if you are lucky, it can work just fine.

0 FlatFoot3 over 2 years ago in reply to trux

Thank you for such a prompt answer! I needn’t wait about for the connection any more !

Really appreciate your time to reply. I’m guessing this is another advantage over my Garmin Forerunner 35!
All the best

0 trux over 2 years ago in reply to FlatFoot3

FlatFoot3 said:
I needn’t wait about for the connection any more !

Just do not expect any great accuracy from the indoor mode. especially if you do not always run with the same pace and cadence. And besides that, the GPS starts recording in the moment it locks the minimum of satellites, but the accuracy is usually not great during the first few minutes, and some satellites may also disappear from the sight - all that can result in wild deviations of the track on the map, and it can possibly skew the distance and pace as well.