Runkeeper: An Innovative Fitness App

By Patrick Guess – Pilot ExpressJet Airlines

Overview: RunKeeper allows you to track your outdoor exercises using the built in GPS on the iPhone.
Cost: Free version and pro version. Pro Version is $9.99
Where to Get it: iTunes App Store - Free Version -  Pro Version
More Info: http://www.runkeeper.com
Alternative Application(s): iTreadmill (pedometer app works indoors and out), Motion-X GPS

If you’re anything like me you’ve been bombarded by news articles on TV, in print, and electronic media stating with such urgency that we live increasingly docile lifestyles, eschewing Nature for more immediately entertaining indoor activities and opting for sugary, easy-to-obtain foods that become ever more affordable as health care costs rise.  And if you’re like me, all you need to do is look at your waistband to know it’s true!  That’s why I’ve tried over the last few years to become more dedicated to exercising regularly and eating right; you know, the stuff we should do by default but don’t because it’s hard?  Well, it’s not as hard when you have some motivation, and lately that’s come in the form of a nifty iPhone application called Runkeeper.

Available in ‘Free’ and paid ‘Pro’ versions from Apple’s App Store, Runkeeper tracks the time, course, distance, and pace of your walk, run, hike, bike ride, or even skate session using the built-in GPS functionality of the iPhone, all while allowing you to listen to your own music or podcast with the device’s iPod running in the background.  The free version uses a small portion of the screen to show advertisements from sponsors, while Runkeeper Pro boasts ad-free usage along with audible prompts to keep you on your target pace.  When you’re finished running, both versions of Runkeeper prompt you to save or discard your activity, and automatically upload the statistics and route map to your own personal Runkeeper dashboard at www.runkeeper.com.  There you can view your exercise history, view a map of your workouts, and edit any GPS errors that may have occurred during your run. For any folks on a fitness regimen it’s always a good idea to log your training activity as a basis for measuring progress, but even the casual exerciser will find it rewarding to see how far they’ve come.

For those wanting to take their stats a bit further, Runkeeper offers the ability to post running results and maps to your blog, Google Earth, or Twitter account, enabling access to an innumerable community of runners who can share routes, offer encouragement, and provide accountability.  I personally didn’t use Twitter before Runkeeper, but was an avid troller of Facebook.  While Runkeeper does not allow direct posting to Facebook, the elegent solution for those wanting to do just that is Facebook’s built-in Twitter application, which will update your Facebook status when Runkeeper posts your running results to Twitter.  A tad indirect, but once configured it works beautifully.

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The site also features a member forum where users can ask general questions, discuss tips & tricks and technical issues, and even request new features in future versions of the app.  In my opinion one of the most endearing aspects of the Runkeeper world is the small-town feel of the online community.  The blog by Runkeeper staff is extremely transparent about what the company is enduring and trying to accomplish.  Take the post from May 28^th, which expresses frustration over the pessimistic air in Massachusetts regarding tech companies, but ends with a resolve to push forward and commitment to find positive aspects in the situation.  Even if you’re just using the app to try and shed a few pounds you have to love a company with that kind of spirit!

As much a fan as I’ve become since using Runkeeper over the past few months, it is not without its limitations.  If you happen to be in an area with spotty GPS reception your results can be, pardon the pun, all over the map.  For example a tester in Manhattan found the tall buildings disrupted the mapping of her course.  Fortunately Runkeeper’s Settings menu allows you to account for varying GPS coverage by selecting between Poor, Moderate, and Good qualities of signal you’re likely to receive.  Poor will allow the app to keep tracking even the faintest signal, although time-and-distance accuracy could be reduced.  Leaving mine in ‘Moderate’ has produced reliable results over time, and I run everywhere from exposed beaches to close-walled urban settings.  Those using the app for a professional training regimen should select ‘Good’ for the most accurate tracking, but double-check the results for a given route until you can assure the GPS is solid in that area.  Furthermore if you find yourself traveling internationally but don’t have an international data plan, Runkeeper could get awfully expensive when it uploads your results over a roaming data network.  I haven’t had a chance to experiment overseas so I can’t comment on the billing results.

Second, Runkeeper does not run as gracefully in the background as perhaps it could, though it is getting continually better.  Early iterations prevented the user from navigating away from the program if they wanted continuous run tracking.  This included even shutting off the display using the iPhone’s ‘Top Lock’ button.  That’s been remedied, and now one can even go into iTunes to change the playlist without pausing run tracking.  However, an incoming call will still halt your activity so make sure you go back into Runkeeper and resume your run after receiving that unexpected call.

The most obvious and glaring limitation lies structurally in the nature of the app: its reliance on GPS. If you’re a gym dweller you don’t cover a lot of ground no matter how many calories you’re burning, and Runkeeper won’t do much for you.  I have a friend who prefers the treadmill to the track, and to date he hasn’t installed Runkeeper for this very reason.  He opts for the more expensive though arguably more versatile Nike+, which along with an iPod Nano uses a pedometer installed in the sole of his Nike running shoes to monitor his pace and distance.  I say it’s more versatile because you can use it indoors and out, but it does lack some of Runkeeper’s most attractive features, namely the graphic mapping of routes and the ability to share results in a social network.  Runkeeper is aware of and welcomes the competition from Nike, as shown from their blog post from June 23^rd.  As a Runkeeper fan I hope this means that there could be future integration with a pedometer, perhaps using the phone’s built-in Bluetooth capability, but as yet this limitation is unaddressed.

As colder months approach I might taper my enthusiasm for using Runkeeper in the great outdoors, but in the meantime it will continue to be the best running partner I’ve ever had.

Editors Note: Patrick was kind enough to offer to write for Flight Crew Life. Thank you Patrick! If you are interested in contributing to the pilot group on Flight Crew Life just contact us.