Running App Review Part 1: Map My Fitness and Runtastic

So begins my Friday Product reviews.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I will be discussing  the two apps below this week, followed by RunKeepers and Endomondo next week.   I will end with Strava the following week.

Let me know if you agree with my reviews or you have other running app recommendations.

Map My Fitness

This app is kind of the granddaddy of the bunch.  Originally an one-stop site to track both your fitness and diet, it has since put out apps that interface with their site.  This is the site I began tracking much of my running three years ago since it interfaced nicely with Google maps.

For the most part, it is a sound app.  It does track pretty accurately; however, I stopped using it because it was power hog.  When it first came out, unless you like running with a bulky powerskin, you are good to have an hour to maybe a hour and a half of battery life.  They have since fixed the problem and it now uses power much more efficiently.

The GPS tracking is pretty accurate.  I also run with my Timex Ironman  Global Trainer GPS and the differences between the two are with 1/100^th of a mile (probably because I started on before the other and moved a smidge).

A new feature found on their site is challenges.   Very similar to Strava, you can create segments that you may run on a regular basis, and it will record your achievements and those of other runners that run the same course as a creative way to improve your running.

I am a bit disappointed with the audible.  While you can adjust the frequency, currently it will only provide you an update every mile.  This is fine for a race; however, it very good if you are using it to train with.

Also, and this is why I switched to RunningAhead.com, I over analyze everything.  While Map My Fitness is an one stop shop from a fitness standpoint, allowing you to track your diet and activities, this is a basic site that doesn’t do a good job of in depth tracking and trending.  That you get at the fee based premium level.

Runtastic

I do not recommend this app. While it has so much potential; however, you do not get much through the basic program.  There are a series of premium levels; however, why pay when you can get so much more on the other sites?  

For example, it does have audible cues down to the half mile; however, you need to purchase the premium level if you are going to run further than 1.5 miles (which you are alerted to when you run past that distance).  Also, the metrics provided are very basic, the time you have run, your average miles per hour (not pace) and calories (I can care less on the amount of calories I expend while I am running).

It appears that they are more of a company run by the technology instead of the end user.  For example, I have been getting an e-mail on a regular basis.  I would love to read it; however, it is in German.  Their limited basic service shows that they are focused on marginal revenue instead of wanting consumers to want their product, driving premium membership.

With all the competition, they really need to reexamine their business model.  Strava, RunKeeper, and Map My Fitness provides so much more content at even a basic level, I do not see much adoption by runners other runners which will further hamper innovation at Runtastic.  From my experience, Runtastic is not fantastic.

Running Apps: A Preview

So starting this week, I am beginning product review Fridays.  I’ve realized that one of the reasons I enjoy blogging is that it takes me back to when I was a reviewer on the high school newspaper.  I would review anything from restaurants to movies.  What’s funny is that I would always shy away from doing any type of sports reporting – I was brought up believing sports was a waste of time and to develop more of my “intellectual” side.  It is kind of funny now that I enjoy running and cycling at the level I do. Now that I also working for an Open Access Publishing company, my writers block is gone and I am really enjoying writing again.

Over the years, I have been using different online sites to track both my fitness and diet.  My favorites being  Livestrong.com, LogYourRun.com, and RunningAhead.com. I will review the different sites in another post. 

The greatest challenge though for me has always been the tracking, it has been very manual.  I would map out different routes using the sites mapping program and assume with the that they are at least 95% accurate (which I have since found out that I was correct).  The greatest value though for me to use these sites is at least I can match up my diet with my exercise schedule and tweak it as I go along.  Also, one of the greatest benefits for me has been that I am able to track the mileage I put on my shoes and bike.

So last year I got my first smartphone, a HTC Sensation.  I love this phone!!  I have never been a gadget guy, I am a slow adapter.  That said, I have really enjoyed the different apps from Google Play (android market) I can download, which brings me to this post.

One of the things I look for in a running app what is the ability of the app to provide audible cues that tell me my average pace, current pace, and distance.  Why this is crucial for me is that I wanted the ability to know exactly how fast I was going, especially during a race, so that I could meet my goals.  It also is a motivator during my training runs.  This is something my watch cannot provide.  What also is important to me is the frequency of the cue. For example, if I am training, I like an the cue to tell me the above at the very least every 0.5 mile, preferably every 0.25 mile.  This way I can run fartlek’s to work on my speed.  If I am running a race, I might only want to hear the queue every mile to two miles.

Also important to me is how much of a power drain on my phone it will be.  I do have a power skin; however, it is too bulky to run with.

Finally, I prefer an app that have comprehensive level statistics as well as  the ability to test your mettle  against others using the app as part of its basic features.  This has greatly helped to further motivate me in my training runs.

I downloaded a series of running and exercise apps to use. I tried Map My Fitness, RunKeeper, Endmondo, Runtastic, and am currently using Strava.  That said, I am also running with a Timex Ironman GPS Triathalon watch now, reason being I have been using RunningAhead.com for some time and also have found that some of the apps do not use the power in the smartphone efficiently or they have problems with the GPS (this may be my fault since I keep my phone in my pocket and not on a smartphone arm band holder). 

So this week will contain a review of the Map My Fitness and Runtastic.  Friday July 6th will be a review of RunKeeper and Endomondo.  On Friday, July 13^th I will wind up this series with Strava.