I’ve never really done much exercise, but as a result of lockdown and home working I found myself moving even less than usual. So I’ve been running, using the BBC’s Couch to 5K app, and after a couple of months I’m amazed to find myself regularly running for half an hour. So now that I’ve completed that, I’m looking for another running app to encourage me to keep going. Couch to 5K doesn’t actually track how far or fast you’re running, so I’d like to be able to see that, and I’d like to be able to listen to my own music. And I’d like it to update me as I run, how far I’ve gone and how long I have left. And I’d prefer it to be free if possible. Thanks in advance!
ATM: running apps
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Here’s everyone’s favourite athlete, Jason Spaceman, with an ode to exercise. I think.
It’s a cheeky JJ Cale cover. I love it, and the album it comes from.
Cheeky because he changed the title and the tune.
The Spiritualized album? Me too.
Ok. Running app man here @wilson-wilson. I assume that you are talking about an app you can have on your phone, as opposed to a dedicated smartwatch. Both the below I think integrate with an applewatch or android equivalent but I don’t have one of those.
Your choices are I would say two:
Strava – free and paid versions. The free version will record how far and fast you’ve run, averages and stuff such as splits (how long you took to run each kilometre). If you cycle strava will also do the same for your cycling. It will also show you (gps enabled on phone) your running route on a map, elevation gained and calories burned
Then cumulative totals for day, week, month, year etc.
The paid version has heartmonitor integration for lots more stats on training efficiency, average heartrate, power output etc. (so with my garmin running watch).
Nike plus – pretty much the same as the free strava with a slightly simpler interface. No paid version.
All these apps require you to turn them on and off at the start of the run, and they can be set to give you updates in your headphones every 1k – ‘You have run 4k at average 5:50 minute per k’.
Any further help just ask you can dm me if you like, and good luck!
As for music I generally use itunes with some downloaded dj mixes. Each to his own of course. The Nike app does I think offer some kind of autostart feature with itunes.
Brilliant, thanks @moseleymoles! Sound like either of those will do the job.
It’s really Strava. If you have a smart watch, you’ll get obsessed with the data, though, so fair warning.
I currently have a Fitbit Charge 4 and as much as it was fine before I got reasonably serious, it’s a bit underpowered as a real running watch. I’m saving for a Garmin.
NB: do make sure you’re comfortable with Strava’s privacy stuff before you start, or it’ll publish your running routes to everyone. This is easily changed but it does default to Public (and if you start your runs from home, as most people do, it means everyone sees where you live!)
.. as well as when you’re out running and how long you usually are out running.
Yup! As a friend of mine once said, it’s yet another example of why having tech teams full of bros isn’t your best idea.
Why, because they owe you nothing?
I found the Strava use of contacts annoying – if you wanted to share with mates it shared with everyone and I kept getting “community” crap with people from work who happened to be in my contacts. Is that improved? This was a couple of years ago.
I agree the social stuff is the most annoying thing about Strava. Makes sense if you are part of a running club, not otherwise. The features on a free app though are so good I was more than willing to tolerate these. The Nike app pushes ‘5k recovery run with Coach Carter!’ and ‘new shoe drops’ at you and ‘d rather have the strava features than that (though in fact I use both as – killer app – Strava does not allow manual entry of data so if the app crashes during your run that’s that. Nike you can enter data and date to keep run records accurate. Only happy to me a couple of times in 500 odd runs but grrr…
I don’t do any of the social stuff on Strava so haven’t found that a problem. I literally just use it to track my own performance.
there was a thing a few years back where they published all the GPS data they’d ever recorded, and inadvertently revealed the location of secret airbases etc when people started wondering why lots of people were running in perfect rectangles in what looked like the middle of nowhere in the Middle East.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/28/fitness-tracking-app-gives-away-location-of-secret-us-army-bases
There’s the, er, DDR stuff of course…
https://thevinylfactory.com/features/you-can-never-be-too-convincing-kosmische-laufers-top-10-krautrock-records-to-run-to/
…there’s actually a fkin good playlist on that page.
That is a good playlist! I must say, a possibly apocryphal, DDR-sponsored Krautrock Olympic training tape is a very Afterword suggestion!
For “possibly apocryphal” read “phonier than an autographed First Folio”…
Good music though, especially Vol. 3
I use MapMyRun, good enough for me, need to have phone with you though.
Another Strava user here, been on it for years (after starting with C25K too).
I use Strava as well, never felt the necessity to upgrade to the paid version.
Is there an appetite for an AW runners club on Strava?
Restart of “Chubby Checkers”? @drakeygirl
Would be interested except my knee is kaputt.
Cheers all, Strava seems to be the way to go.
Far be it from me to try and upsell you here, but a fitness watch really helps streamline the process. My Fitbit is linked to my Strava account and sends it all the GPS data once the run is over, with the bonus that I can get it to buzz me when I’ve done 5 or 10k, and check on my pace/distance/elapsed time as I go. It also means you can monitor your heart rate as you run, and Strava will thus be able to tell you how much relative effort you’re putting in from one run to the next.
As I’ve said upthread, the more serious I’ve got, the more I feel the need for a more serious watch, but over the last few years my humble Fitbit has been a real boon in terms of tracking my activity levels etc. Hugely motivating.