Keep Track While You are On the Track

Which running app is the best?

Jovan Abernathy
Jun 24, 2019, 6:57 am
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Jovan Abernathy is an international marathoner and owner of Houston Tourism Gym. To claim your free tour, contact her at info@tourismgymhtx.com. Follow her on Twitter @jovanabernathy. Instagram @TourismGymHtx. Facebook @TourismGymHtx

I was talking to a friend recently, who just picked up running. She wanted to lose 60 lbs. She had been running for a couple of months, but she was already bored. She, knowing that I had done a number of races, wanted my advice on how to get more excited about it. My advice: get a running app for your phone.

I was not being flippant or dismissing her, but was telling the truth. Running apps are super useful for recording your running metrics like distance, time, and pace. Running apps can sync to your playlists and heart rate monitors, FitBits, or Apple Watches. And of course, you can share comments and photos about your workout. After our conversation, I began to look at the different running apps and these are the ones that stick out to me:

Map My Run by Under Armour

I'm going to be honest. I was already partial to Map My Run because it logged all of my routes, but it has been a while since I used it. I also loved that it was a great journal for all of your workouts. Since I was regular on it, some great improvements have been made.

  1. Different activities- Change your activity from just a regular run to a treadmill run, group run, gym workout, or swim.
  2. Voice feedback -Keeps you informed of your distance and time.
  3. Mile Tracker- Keep track of the total miles run on the same pair of shoes. This lets you know when it is time to change.
  4. You could also choose to upgrade to get live tracking for safety, training plans, guided running, heart rate analysis, and predictive guided running.

Strava

Starva is more for marathoners, bikers, and triathletes. They use Strava to connect with their friends all over the world and compete. Because they are geared towards setting big goals, they do not offer a lot of perks. Only the basics are free. If you want perks, you have to do the upgrade. Here are some unique points about Strava:

  1. Easy notes- keep notes on each run through virtual "sheets" that automatically come up for each workout.
  2. Challenges- choose from many challenges and virtual races.
  3. Run Clubs- Connect with run clubs in your area and not just virtual

RunKeeper

After checking RunKeeper out, it looks like the one that is best for my friend. It seems like it is great for novice runners. It is oriented towards fitness goals with some competition. In fact, it seems experience based. Here is why I would say that:

  1. Voice Feedback- You have more choices with the vocal feedback. You can choose the accent, which stats, and how often you receive feedback.
  2. Easy to understand- Modules are step-by-step and with large print. This seems simple, but it means a lot to new runners.
  3. There are not a lot of perks unless you upgrade.

Nike Run Club

Nike Run Club is geared towards that in-between runner. They are kept motivated by challenges that they can join. They also are given awards and achievements for their milestones. These are milestones like your longest run to your fastest 5K. Other perks are:

  1. Mileage status- You can achieve a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum status.
  2. Buy shoes- You can purchase new shoes from the app.
If you are a new runner or are thinking about getting into running, I hope you can use this information. As for me, I look forward to giving each one of these apps a try.

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Tom Brady's gym set to touch down in Houston

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt praises the New England Patriots' Tom Brady as the "best quarterback of all time." But you've got to wonder whether Watt — whose squad fell to Tom's team in 2018 and faces them again in December — would dare lift a single weight in the Brady-branded gym that's on tap for Houston.

Brady's lifestyle and fitness brand, TB12, just debuted a flagship gym in Boston. It's the second gym to open under the TB12 banner; the first one is in Foxboro, Massachusetts, where the Patriots play their home games.

TB12 (Brady's initials and jersey number) isn't stopping there, though. It's got its sights set on establishing locations in Los Angeles and New York City in 2020, with subsequent gyms planned for Houston, Chicago, London, Miami, San Francisco, and Toronto, Men's Health magazine reports.

John Burns, CEO of TB12, says in a recent release that the Boston flagship gym "marks an important step in our plans for national expansion of our training center business." In March, the Boston Globe quoted Burns as saying that TB12 intends to roll out 10 to 12 more gyms over the next few years.

The release explains that TB12 "advocates a holistic approach to overall health and athletic performance," with Brady — a six-time Super Bowl champ — serving as the inspiration. This approach centers on "preparation, performance, and recovery."

Representatives of TB12 couldn't be reached for comment.

Continue on CultureMap to find out what the Houston location may offer.

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