iPhone fit | Part 3 :: Tracking Your Runs

Over the last month I’ve started running, something I always made excuses for before. It doesn’t hurt my knees nearly as much as I’d thought it would. Maybe it’s just that I’m wearing the right shoes now, who knows, but I like it. Breaking each goal is part of my motivation. Enter Pace, Path Tracker, & Run Keeper iPhone Apps.

pace

Pace »

Pace: This is a great app to track your runs be them on a treadmill or on pavement. Enter your info and track progress against your set goals. It calculates calories burned based on the info you provide and will keep track of the miles on your shoes, so you know when to replace them. It’s a fantastic all around running log. It does not GPS track your runs though, both an advantage and the cause for additional apps. Goals… April 13-30 run 18 miles: done. Run 3 miles on the road by April 30: done. Leave your iPhone at home and time your self on a watch.

path_tracker

Path Tracker »

Path Tracker: My first download for tracking walks, biking, hiking and running. It’s ok but the interface is rudimentary and support is minimal. If you live in an area where GPS signals are low it won’t work well. Good for biking I’ve found, however when I tried going for a run with my iPhone strapped to my arm, it recorded 4.265 miles when I’d run 1.5mi. It allows you to upload trips to their website and map and other data over the course of your trip, but poor for walking and running where I live.

run_keeper

Run Keeper »

Run Keeper: Allows you to track your activities by type. Running, Walking, Biking, Skiing, Etc. It’s results have been better than Path Tracker, however not perfect. It provides interesting stats on speed and elevation throughout your tracked activity. The pro version provides voice prompts on selected milestones (aka every mile traveled). Their website is nicer than path tracker’s and allows you to export your route to Google Earth or share it with friends. It also shows your mileage by month and type along with several other reports. While not always perfect I find it helpful to export the data to Google Earth and trace it out to check distance. Then add the raw data back into Pace.

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