Revolver

Before the iPhone came out, I ran with a watch that uses GPS satellite technology to keep tabs on my pace, distance and other measurements when I run. Like a lot of runners, I’ve gotten hooked on the ability to tally up how many miles I put in on the road and to use my watch to motivate myself to run a bit farther or faster. The Adidas miCoach These days ordinary smartphones have GPS built into them and developers are creating apps that use the technology for tracking runs. Plus some of the apps do a lot more than a GPS watch: They can help you devise a training schedule prior to races and more actively coach you during your runs. I spent a couple of weeks using three running apps for the iPhone—Running Method’s Run Coach Pro, FitnessKeeper’s RunKeeper Pro and Adidas’ miCoach—with the goal of seeing whether any of them could be an adequate substitute for my GPS watch, a Garmin (GRMN) Forerunner 305, which cost me $190 two years ago with a companion heart-rate monitor (the same package now sells for $153 on Amazon). (There’s a BlackBerry version of miCoach app and an Android app is in the works.) The answer, in one case, is an emphatic yes. There are, however, some tradeoffs to running with an iPhone that might make using any running app a deal-killer for some people. First, the iPhone is a handsome device that faces a risk of disfigurement from your sweaty hands as well as from falling onto concrete so runners will want to consider buying an accessory that keeps the phone safe. My Garmin is a giant of a watch, but at least it doesn’t require its own carrying case on a run, unlike the iPhone. Armbands for the iPhone let you easily glance at the screen while you’re working out. I ran with the iPhone tucked into a carrying pouch that came with a water-bottle belt I used on long runs. The iPhone is also a music player, which meant I could leave the iPod Shuffle at home. The iPhone’s maps feature also would have been very helpful on runs in unfamiliar places where I’ve gotten completely lost. Revolver’s Run Coach Pro ($2.99) was the most bare-bones apps I ran with. It starts by guiding you through a few selections to develop a training plan for everything from achieving basic Read More

by Runner’s World magazine today announced the release of its SmartCoach iPhone app, which creates customized training guides for race distances between a 5-K and a marathon. Users can input their most recent race time, weekly and long-term distance goals, training level (maintenance, moderate, hard or very hard), the day they’d like to schedule their long runs and the amount of time they’d like to train for (up to 16 weeks) to receive their customized plan. The app suggests a running distance and pace that varies each day, increasing in distance and speed and then tapering off shortly before race day. The plans are based upon the work of exercise physiologist Jack Daniels PhD, who co-published two equations that relate oxygen consumption to the speed and length of various running performances. These equations, the app’s Background section explains, have helped shape nearly every training program since developed for runners. The app is available in two versions: one for $0.99 [iTunes link], and a second for free [iTunes link], courtesy of New Balance. The paid version is ad-free and allows users to e-mail and print their training plans, as well as receive special discounts and other offers. While the app offers a much more convenient alternative to planning my own training guide (which I’ve somewhat inefficiently been doing in iCal for the past two years), it doesn’t offer enough functionality to be truly useful. I can’t, for instance, switch my long run to a Saturday because of a scheduling conflict, or adjust my Wednesday run to eight miles because I only had time to do four on Monday. Nor can I record my runs to track my progress. The app would also benefit with the addition of iCal and Google Calendar integration, as well as a timer and GPS-based distance meter which could automatically be saved in the app and on my calendars. Several other running apps already offer these features, like Fitnio [iTunes link], a $1.99 app that tracks your speed, distance and caloric burn, and keeps an ongoing log of your workouts in the app and on its website. The app that offers the best value, I believe, is Revolver’s $0.99 Run Coach Pro [iTunes link]. It offers flexible scheduling, the ability to track runs (both distance and location) and graph your progress, eight-32 weeks of personalized training schedules reportedly designed by a team of Olympic and professional runners, and Read More

For people who enjoy running, there’s nothing like lacing up the Nikes, heading out the door and hitting that stride. But every runner hits a wall at one point or another and day after day, run after run can soon become monotonous. Sometimes a little jolt to the routine is welcomed. Whether you want to try out new routes, strive to be faster, have better endurance or even lose a little weight, runners (and want-to-be runners) can turn to the following 10 iPhone apps for a little more variety in their training regimens: RunKeeper Pro is probably the most well-known of the running apps on this list. This is a feature-rich app that enables GPS tracking, distance, speed monitoring, caloric output and activity history for any number of activities you partake in including sports such as running, cycling, hiking, skiing and swimming. You can also sync all the data to RunKeeper’s website to monitor progress and share publicly. RunKeeper also offers a simplified version of the app for free. Cost: $9.99 Sometimes, the best motivation is competition and who better to compete with than yourself? Ghost Race enables you to track your times on various routes and compare your performance from day to day. The app’s audio function also keeps you updated on your progress against your ‘Ghost’ in real-time. Cost: $0.99 Assuming most people who run regularly are also health conscious, the Livestrong Calorie Tracker boasts more than 625,000 foods in its database and is a great app to have to monitor caloric/fat/carbohydrate/protein intake. You can also monitor your progress based on daily caloric goals that you establish and track your weight loss goals. Cost: $2.99 Targeted more for beginner runners, Get Running provides users with a specific training regimen over the course of nine weeks, with the end goal of being able to run for 30 minutes. Audio prompts guide users through each workout and even provide encouragement along the way. Cost: $1.99 iRace is a comprehensive app for locating road races near you or in any city that you choose to search. The app also enables you to preview the race route (if available) and send “challenges” to contacts, inviting them to run the race with you. Cost: $0.99 Fitnio is another GPS-based tracking and monitoring app for walking, running and cycling. The app records your activity and then displays distance, pace, caloric burn and also keeps an Read More