App to track running

RoseAllisonx

Hey,
This is my first time starting a discussion, so I’m sorry if I did something wrong, lol.

So I’ve started to run outside recently, using my fitbit to track but I found that the information it gives isn’t enough.

So I downloaded Runkeeper, MapMyRun & Runtastic - and i’ve been looking at them (haven’t used any of them on a run yet)
But I can’t really decide which one is best to use?

So I would love to know which one you use, and why you think it’s good!

Edited because off a typo and to add: i’ve been searching the forums for info on these apps, but it didn’t really help, lol.
Edited again because of another typo, sorry.

stanmann571

RoseAllisonx wrote: »

Hey,
This is my first time starting a discussion, so I’m sorry if I did something wrong, lol.

So I’ve started to run outside recently, using my fitbit to track but I found that the information it gives isn’t enough.

So I downloaded Runkeeper, MapMyRun & Runtastic - and i’ve been looking at them (haven’t used any of them on a run yet)
But I can’t really decide which one is best to use?

So I would love to know which one you use, and why you think it’s good!

Edited because off a typo and to add: i’ve been searching the forums for info on these apps, but it didn’t really help, lol.
Edited again because of another typo, sorry.

What information do you want?

IF it's calorie info they're all going to be bad.

Oh, and add Strava to the list.

RoseAllisonx

I would like to know my speed, in kph, in fitbit it gives me my pace - which is good, but I have no idea what my fastest/slowest kph is.
My fitbit Blaze also tracks my HR & calories (which i know isn’t 100% accurate but oh well).
I’ve noticed these apps all have a premium part, before spending money on it I would like to know if it’s worth it! And thanks for the tip, I’ll go check it out!

stanmann571

RoseAllisonx wrote: »

I would like to know my speed, in kph, in fitbit it gives me my pace - which is good, but I have no idea what my fastest/slowest kph is.
My fitbit Blaze also tracks my HR & calories (which i know isn’t 100% accurate but oh well).
I’ve noticed these apps all have a premium part, before spending money on it I would like to know if it’s worth it! And thanks for the tip, I’ll go check it out!

I'd recommend a GPS watch, mostly because it's going to give you a more accurate and faster sample rate as compared to your phone.

That being said. whichever app has the interface and features you like best will do what you want.

Just don't trust the calorie counts.

pondee629

I use Garmin Connect with their Forerunner 225 watch. Tracks everything I need. There are plenty others. Shop around.

xLyric

stanmann571 wrote: »

RoseAllisonx wrote: »

I would like to know my speed, in kph, in fitbit it gives me my pace - which is good, but I have no idea what my fastest/slowest kph is.
My fitbit Blaze also tracks my HR & calories (which i know isn’t 100% accurate but oh well).
I’ve noticed these apps all have a premium part, before spending money on it I would like to know if it’s worth it! And thanks for the tip, I’ll go check it out!

I'd recommend a GPS watch, mostly because it's going to give you a more accurate and faster sample rate as compared to your phone.

That being said. whichever app has the interface and features you like best will do what you want.

Just don't trust the calorie counts.

Would you trust the calorie counts from the watches or do you mean don't trust them on anything?

Ebony_Kitty

I've used Runtastic Pro for about 6 years now. I like the screen and the audio feedback gives me info every .5 miles. You can change the units to KMs. But like others have said, it gives me about 100 calories per mile- at 125lbs, I assume 80 calories per mile is a better estimate.

Ebony_Kitty

Your kitty cat is very pretty by the way.

DX2JX2

RoseAllisonx wrote: »

I would like to know my speed, in kph, in fitbit it gives me my pace - which is good, but I have no idea what my fastest/slowest kph is.
My fitbit Blaze also tracks my HR & calories (which i know isn’t 100% accurate but oh well).
I’ve noticed these apps all have a premium part, before spending money on it I would like to know if it’s worth it! And thanks for the tip, I’ll go check it out!

Are you sure your fitbit doesn't have a setting to reflect speed instead of or in addition to pace? That's a fairly basic function for a run tracker. Perhaps you just need to dig through the display settings?

stanmann571

xLyric wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

RoseAllisonx wrote: »

I would like to know my speed, in kph, in fitbit it gives me my pace - which is good, but I have no idea what my fastest/slowest kph is.
My fitbit Blaze also tracks my HR & calories (which i know isn’t 100% accurate but oh well).
I’ve noticed these apps all have a premium part, before spending money on it I would like to know if it’s worth it! And thanks for the tip, I’ll go check it out!

I'd recommend a GPS watch, mostly because it's going to give you a more accurate and faster sample rate as compared to your phone.

That being said. whichever app has the interface and features you like best will do what you want.

Just don't trust the calorie counts.

Would you trust the calorie counts from the watches or do you mean don't trust them on anything?

I mean don’t trust the apps. The watches are generally trustworthy

jjpptt2

I've used both MapMyRun and Strava before and both were similarly OK. If all you're looking for is basic things like current speed and pace, average speed/pace, max speed/pace, distance and time, then most any of them will probably be fine - just use the one you like the look/feel/interface of the best.

xLyric

stanmann571 wrote: »

xLyric wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

RoseAllisonx wrote: »

I would like to know my speed, in kph, in fitbit it gives me my pace - which is good, but I have no idea what my fastest/slowest kph is.
My fitbit Blaze also tracks my HR & calories (which i know isn’t 100% accurate but oh well).
I’ve noticed these apps all have a premium part, before spending money on it I would like to know if it’s worth it! And thanks for the tip, I’ll go check it out!

I'd recommend a GPS watch, mostly because it's going to give you a more accurate and faster sample rate as compared to your phone.

That being said. whichever app has the interface and features you like best will do what you want.

Just don't trust the calorie counts.

Would you trust the calorie counts from the watches or do you mean don't trust them on anything?

I mean don’t trust the apps. The watches are generally trustworthy

Thanks

Azercord

I second @jjpptt2 mapmyrun and strava are pretty good for phone apps. The best route if you are really looking to get into it though is to bite the bullet and get a fitness watch geared towards running. I like my Garmin and they have a lot of different options. Fitbit does ok in the beginning but you can out grow it quickly once you start logging some miles. You can have Fitbit feed an app like Strava for different metrics though.

stanmann571

Strava
Garmin

MeanderingMammal

RoseAllisonx wrote: »

So I would love to know which one you use, and why you think it’s good!

Personally I'd recommend Strava, Endomondo or Runkeeper. They each have strengths and weaknesses but I've found those to be most consistent from a GPS perspective and energy reasonable from a mobile phone perspective.

I would not recommend either Runtastic or MapMyRun as I've found both to be unreliable from a tracking perspective, power hungry and tended to fail on me mid session. It's some time since I used them so I'm sure the apps are quite different now.

In practice I use a Garmin Forerunner 735XT, Triathlon Watch. The GPS tracking is very solid and it doesn't have any dependency on phone batteries. It's a big investment if you're just exploring running though.

gearhead426hemi

Runkeeper was my go to until I got Strava. Now I prefer Strava, it seems to have better GPS tracking with elevation and calories burned. The best would be to get a GPS watch but $400 for a good one is hard to justify when you can use your phone for free.

rsclause

I use Runtastic Pro and also wear a fitBit. Never have used anything else and did no research before selecting Runtastic. I like the feedback. Mine is set to give miles, time, pace and calories burned. It also tracks mileage on my shoes.

Cons: It stopped syncing to MFP to post miles to my wall. Stopped sync to my fitbit HR monitor to show heart rate zones on map.

stanmann571

Garmin. Note the lower estimated calorie burn

dewd2

RoseAllisonx wrote: »

I would like to know my speed, in kph, in fitbit it gives me my pace - which is good, but I have no idea what my fastest/slowest kph is.
My fitbit Blaze also tracks my HR & calories (which i know isn’t 100% accurate but oh well).
I’ve noticed these apps all have a premium part, before spending money on it I would like to know if it’s worth it! And thanks for the tip, I’ll go check it out!

FWIW - Pace is how runners measure speed (miles or kilometers per minute). For example, tonight I averaged 7:20 minute/mile pace during my workout. I have no idea at all how 'fast' that was in MPH or KPH (nor do I care).

Try all the apps and see which one you like best. I settled on Endomondo before I got my Garmin. Since then, I'd never go back to an app (the watch is so much nicer in so many ways).

goatg

Garmin Forerunner.

I'm on the FB Tri'n Sell It group. There are a bunch of people selling their quality, not-brand-new, fitness watches there.

juliet3455

@RoseAllisonx Lots of great info-suggestions from all above. If you are looking at watch reviews try DC Rainmaker


To quote DC Rainmaker's comments about Fitness Trackers that I believe applies to Watch's and Tracking apps.

" But the market has simply gotten so big, and the features in general overlap each other on so many units. It’s nearly impossible to simply say “Go get a Fitbit” or “Go get a Polar Loop” or “Go Get a Jawbone” (actually, no, don’t get a Jawbone).

Instead, it’s really best to look at whatever activity trackers either:

A) Your friends are using
Your existing device is on

Seriously. If you’re motivated by competing with friends, then you want to be on the same platform as them. So if they’re all on Fitbit – go get a Fitbit. And same goes for Garmin or Withings, or anyone else.

Secondly, if you already have (for example) a Garmin device, heck, it’s likely it has an activity tracker in it. But say you want something else – in that case, get something on the same platform as that – so you can track everything in one place. It’d make no sense to have a Fitbit activity tracker and a Garmin GPS watch.

There are of course nuances to each unit out there. Some do optical HR slightly better than others. While some have more sports modes than others. And some have coaching, while others have better smartphone integration. And of course, now some even have GPS (like the Vivosmart HR+ and Vivosport). Most of them are within a pretty small price window, so it’s really best to figure out what suits you. "

So if your friend's and local activity partners are on Strava, MapMyRun etc then that's probably the app for you.
When It comes to the Calorie Estimations that trackers/watch's/app's give, most of my friends cut that number in half when they add notes-details to there on-line logs, and cut it in half in the MFP exercise log.

woodruffsteve1467

Why do they cut the calorie count? Is it not accurate? Just got a vivosport today

Tacklewasher

Garmin & Strava. But friends are also on Strava so that was a big driver for me.

lorrpb

I think mapmyrun will give you the info you mention, I haven't used the others.

TravisJHunt

I usually use MapMyRun although for awhile I used the Nike running app. They changed with an update mid training for a 10k and I lost everything so I stopped using them. I also keep a copy of my data else where in case along with the training plan.

ValeriePlz

I use Nike+ Running and like it. I also use Strava for bike rides.

RoseAllisonx

Thanks everyone for all the replies!
I’m currently using strava, but it has been too cold to run outside (-10 degrees celsius, not good when you’re asthmatic) so I haven’t been able to use it on an outside run yet.

About the GPS watch, I’m looking into buying one when I’m getting more serious about running!

Someone also mentioned that they don’t care about their kph - I know pace is more important, but I’m so used to being on the treadmill and seeing the kph, I guess that’s why I want to know my kph. but so far strava has been my favorite app, it might change after a few runs though. I’ll see!

Jthanmyfitnesspal

A phone is fine, no need to buy the watch, unless you really want one (they are lighter and they track HR with some degree of accuracy). I don't believe that the GPS is any more accurate on a watch than on a phone.

If you want to track HR on your phone, get a bluetooth HRM (Wahoo fitness, etc.). The chest ones are a bit more accurate than on your wrist (if you care).

As for apps, there are so many. I end up using the Wahoo Fitness app, which is simple and gets the job done. It also automatically uploads to MFP.

BrianSharpe

I use a Garmin 920XT (only because it's multi-sport & has a built in triathlon setting etc) and Garmin Connect as my primary app for tracking (it's free) & Strava for seeing what everyone else is up to.

MeanderingMammal

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

I don't believe that the GPS is any more accurate on a watch than on a phone.

I'm a mobile phone the tracking app is in contention with a number of other services for the attention of the GPS, which may not be a dedicated function on the sensor set. As a result is getting less data than in a dedicated device like a watch.

That may not be hugely important, but in general the pool of error for a phone is going to be bigger than for a watch. The cumulative effect of that has the potential to be significant.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

I don't believe that the GPS is any more accurate on a watch than on a phone.

I'm a mobile phone the tracking app is in contention with a number of other services for the attention of the GPS, which may not be a dedicated function on the sensor set. As a result is getting less data than in a dedicated device like a watch.

That may not be hugely important, but in general the pool of error for a phone is going to be bigger than for a watch. The cumulative effect of that has the potential to be significant.

Not buying it. I have a GPS app that tracks both accuracy as well as location on the phone ("US Topo Maps"). The biggest factor affecting accuracy is sky-view. In other words, GPS sucks under foliage, in canyons (natural or artificial), in heavy rain, and also when your phone or watch is blocked by your body. When the sky-view is good, the accuracy goes below 10m (absolute), which is about as good as is theoretically possible. In the past, I found that the phone was as good or better than a Garmin hiker's GPS, whose sole purpose was GPS tracking.