Intro – The Early Days
Back when I first started tracking my runs on my iPhone (2010s), I tried using MapMyRun (or MapMyFitness), Runkeeper, Nike run app, Strava and Wahoo Fitness (and it was probably in that order). After trying them all, I stuck with the Wahoo app for a while because it did a great job syncing my runs to all the other apps. This means I could run with the Wahoo app, which tracks and stores the run data (location, time), and then, with a few simple clicks, that data (GPX/TCX file) is shared with the other running apps. This made it easy to maintain my records on all the separate apps simultaneously. [For some reason, I felt that was necessary.]
Basic running app features (pre-smartwatches)
In my opinion, most of the (above-mentioned) running apps* were/are quite similar. They tracked my runs with GPS/GNSS (from the phone). After the run, it showed my running route overlayed on a map and provided some basic analysis of pace at different run sections. It is a training log, so I know how many times I ran last week or last month and whether I reached a goal or have been training harder or slacking off. Then there is the social aspect, where I can add and follow friends who also run using the same apps. Besides being able to “stalk” people I know to see where they have been running, it is also a motivational/competitive thing.
[* This list of running apps is nowhere near exhaustive; it’s just several apps I have used previously.]
Smartwatches & Running Wearable Devices
As microtechnologies (Bluetooth, wireless, sensors, etc.) improved, different running wearable devices were developed that tracked various performance aspects of the runner. Those devices include heart rate chest straps or armbands, smart insoles, smart shoes, shoe-pods, gait sensors, muscle oxygen sensors, smartwatches, etc. Some of these devices are still around, some have evolved (for elite or health applications), and some have simply dropped off the market. The smartwatch is the device that has remained the most commonly used today. Not only do most smartwatches track GPS, but they also track heart rate and motion (cadence). They allow runners to quickly see their pace and distance, and some even store music or allow you to stream music if it has cellular connectivity. So much so that if you have a smartwatch like that, you don’t need to run with your smartphone.
Of course, even with a smartwatch, we still need running apps to store and visualise our running data. The question is: what else can apps offer besides the basic run-tracking features?
We will explore four different types of apps that are really useful to runners apart from run tracking:
- Custom training programs,
- Getting running directions while exploring new run routes,
- Running shoe fit, and
- Running gait analysis.
Let’s explore this a bit further.
1) Custom Training Plans
Most of the run-tracking apps mentioned above have some form of training plan integrated into their app. This means besides tracking and logging your workouts, they provide basic plans to help runners achieve their goal of completing a running event, which can be either a 5k, 10k, half marathon or full marathon (OR ultra-marathon). The thing is, it is pretty basic, and they don’t offer much room for customisation (and most of them have it as a paid feature except Nike).
There are two apps out there that I am going to talk about. One is the Runna app, and the other app is Run With Hal. The Runna app is a paid app with a 2-week free trial, and Run With Hal has a basic version and a premium version (Hal+) with added custom features. I will briefly cover the apps, and I will break up their use into 3 phases: there is the setup phase that allows the user to create a training plan, then there is the Usage of the app during training and the Progress monitoring with the app.
Setup phase:
We can see from the table below that both the apps are largely similar in terms of setting up a plan. It is getting users to answer certain basic questions about themselves and their goals, each with a slightly different approach. Ultimately, the aim is to build a personalised plan based on your input. I think the main difference here is Run With Hal is more race-focused, while Runna allows more generic goals like building general fitness or post-race recovery.
Usage of the app during training
In terms of using the app, Run With Hal integrates with Garmin Connect, so you can run with your Garmin device and sync your run data into the training plan. Alternatively, you could run with your smartphone while running the Run With Hal app. At the end of your run, the app will let you self-evaluate how hard the run was and how fatigued you felt. Based on your input and probably together with your run performance, the app might make changes to your workout plan that suit you better.
With Runna, they work with a few more smartwatches, including Garmin watches (& Garmin connect), COROS watches and Apple Watch (series 3 and newer). Similarly, you could just run on your smartphone with the Runna app. During the run, following a training plan will give audio cues about the pace you should be doing for that session and whether you should go faster or slower based on your current pace. One additional thing Runna recently added is tracking treadmill runs. If the treadmill has some “smarts” (i.e. Bluetooth and app connectivity), it makes the syncing easier else they do suggest some workarounds.
For both apps, notes explain the purpose of each training session by the “coach”. Both also recommend cross-training or strength training activities on your non-running days. Runna takes that a bit further by recommending specific exercises after you fill in a survey (similar to the running one) about your experience level in strength conditioning, days you can train and the equipment you can access (e.g. dumbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, etc).
Progress monitoring
With Run With Hal, there are basically two tabs that let users know their progress. There is the “Stats” tab – this shows your “Training Progression”, how much you have trained and how much more you have to go till your race date. It also shows basic overall stats of your runs to date. The other tab is “Hal Says” which gives you an overall rating of the Quantity and Quality of your training.
For Runna, when you go into your Plan Overview, you also see your progress (how many weeks completed, distance covered and how much left to go). If you picked a race as a plan (e.g. half-marathon plan) instead of a generic training plan (e.g. Get Fit Plan), the Plan Overview will show an estimated race time based on your performance that’s been tracked. But even in the Get Fit Plan, there’s an estimated 5km time on the Plan management page. So, either way, your progress/performance is being evaluated.
Overview (of training plan apps)
When you have a goal to run an event or distance (that you have never done before) or want to achieve a new personal best (PB), these training plan apps make really useful tools. The few advantages include:
- They set you up with the exact training to follow according to your preferred schedule. Plus, there is some flexibility.
- There are recommended strength training exercises to help supplement your run sessions.
- There is audio guidance when it comes to certain runs (e.g. intervals and speed work) [only in Runna]
- It gives you an estimate of how you are tracking towards your running goal, so in a way, it mentally prepares you for the final run event.
Ultimately, they play the role of a running coach, helping you achieve a specific running goal. But again, they are only really helpful when you are planning to run an actual race and have a specific goal. Once you are done with that, you probably don’t need them anymore. Unless you sign up for another race or set yourself another PB goal.
2) Explore New Run Routes
For those of you who like to run on new routes or explore new places while running, there is the risk of getting lost or making a wrong turn because you are not familiar with the area you are running in. RunGo is an app that will help you find or create new running routes while keeping you running on the right path/track without constantly looking at your smartphone for directions. It has a basic free version and a premium version. Here’s a quick rundown of how it works.
Find or create your route.
On the app, you can search for routes that other people have created either around you or even somewhere you plan to get to run. Each route pin is a starting point, and its number represents the distance in km/mi (depending on your app settings). When you select a route pin, it then shows you the actual running route. Every arrow icon on the route is a point where you have to change direction, and it will have an audio cue to remind you to turn.
If none of the available routes appeals and you want to forge your own path, you can create your own route. Once you select “Create”, it will open a map with your current location. You can interact with the map as with most map apps (moving/panning, zooming in/out, etc). Decide where you want to start and select the point on the map. It should mark that with a green play icon. Then, keep adding points on the map to trace your desired path. The last point added will be considered the endpoint. You can always edit or hit undo and re-add the points till you are satisfied with the route you created. Save and put in a name for the newly created route, preferably a name that is easy to search up later on.
Running with the app
IF you have an iPhone and an Apple Watch, you could just send the route to your Watch and just run with your Watch. The Watch would be able to give you every turn instructions as you run, through vibration, and audio, and displaying it on your Watch face.
IF you just run with your phone, possibly carrying it in your run tights or running armband or running belt, it will be best to have headphones to hear the audio cues of the turn instructions. The cues typically happen 100m before the actual point where you need to change direction so you can anticipate the turn. It will cue you again to turn when you reach that location. It reminds me of navigation apps for driving, but not exactly. When I miss a turn, the app will warn me about it and remind me that I am no longer on track. Then, if I don’t turn back and keep going in the wrong direction, it will remind me again and tell me to check where I am on the map. So, unlike navigation apps that will re-route and give new instructions, RunGo can’t do that.
Overview
Overall, this is quite a helpful app. It does get tricky if I am running on the trails and when the path isn’t so clear, especially if I get to a cross-road and there are multiple options for “left” or “slight left”. I have also found that running with RunGo may not work well when running close to tall buildings. That’s because it basically tracks my location using GPS, and GPS signals can get affected by tall buildings. The best thing about the app is that the free version is already very useful. It does limit the number of routes you can create per month. The premium version, on the other hand, gives you unlimited route creation and has interesting features such as Voice-guided interval training (iPhone only), live tracking and some integration with Strava.
3) Running Shoe Fit
The problem
One of the challenges I have had is finding a new pair of running shoes that fit my feet and my running. I am not just talking about the size fit. Besides shoe size, there are things like arch support, shoe width and shape of the shoe, and whether it is suited for road running or the trails. Even when I went to retail stores to try on all the different shoes, it took some trial and error over the years to figure out what was great for my running and what would give me black toenails. The engineer in me tells me I should just stick to the same make and model that worked. But that’s a bit boring. Plus, sometimes, running shoe companies don’t make the same model the same way anymore, and I may not like the new fit.
I am not sure when they all started, but in the last couple of years, I noticed quite a number of running shoe brands and online retailers have a “shoe finder” widget on their website. Some I have come across include Brooks, Nike, Asics, Sportitude, and a running shoes blog called Running Shoes Guru. They essentially have a survey-type widget where you answer 6-10 questions. They all have some slight variations, but some common questions include where you like to run (road or trail or mix), your typical weekly run distance, some specs of your shoes (width, support requirements, etc) if you know them, and your running goals. Brooks even gets you to do some tests to evaluate your stability and balance. The two constraints with these widgets are: Firstly, you do need to know about your running, your feet measurements, and know things like how you land, if you supinate or pronate, etc. If you don’t, it may not work well for you. Secondly, if the widget is from a shoe brand, they are just going to recommend their shoes at the end. So these web surveys/widgets come close, but no cigar.
The app that scans your feet.
Neatsy developed an iOS app that 3D scans your feet and gives you objective information about your feet (ie narrow/wide, high/low, arched/flat). The 3D scanning is achieved using the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera (that was developed for Face ID) to scan the sides of your left and right foot, as well as the bottom of your right and left foot. [Note that not all iPhones have the TrueDepth camera, only the iPhone X and newer devices (except the iPhone SEs).]
The patented method of foot scanning involves combining the point cloud data from the two scans of each foot to create the 3D model of my feet. From there, it determines my feet width, height (or foot volume) and level of arch. On top of that, you have to fill in some information about your favourite pair of sneakers with brand, gender, size, width and specific model, and the type of sneakers you are interested in (for specific activities – running, CrossFit, basketball, etc). When all that is done, you can go to the shoe page and see a list of shoes that suit you. There’s a “Fit Rating” (between 3-5) for each pair of shoes, with 3 being extremely uncomfortable and 5 being a good fit to you. This rating is also based on their database of feedback/votings from Neatsy’s customers and partners whom I presume have done their feet scans.
Overview
There are a few good things about the app. Firstly, you can see a list of shoes (not just from a single brand) that is recommended and it is based on the 3D scan of your feet, and feedback from other users who have similar feet. Secondly, you can search up brands and models of shoes you like and see how they rate in terms of fit for your feet. The main downside is probably their limitation to the iPhone and not being available on other devices. They do have a pro (paid) version, which offers foot health checkups, online consultations, personalised health guides and recommended workouts. I didn’t try the pro version but it looks like Neatsy has a focus on using this technology for telehealth, and they are planning to include doing body scans for other body analyses.
4) Running Gait Analysis
If you have got a training plan, and you have got the right pair of shoes, and you have great places to run, then it feels like you are all set. But what if you can’t seem to get rid of the odd niggle in your knee, or maybe you feel unsure about your running posture or technique. Traditionally, you would go see an expert – a running coach or even a running biomechanist. You might do a session on the track where the coach examines your run technique and point out where you need to work on. Or you might go to a biomechanics lab, and the biomechanist puts you on a treadmill and performs motion capture to measure your joint angles and refine your movements. What if you could do that simply with your smartphone? Ochy is an app that lets you do just that. Whether you have an iPhone or and Android smartphone, they have got you covered.
Setting up and using the lab in your pocket.
Ochy calls their app “the lab in your pocket”, because you could get similar outcomes with their app from a biomechanics lab. Setting up is pretty straightforward. As with other apps mentioned (except RunGo), you will be asked to put in some basic details about yourself – type of user, height, weight, age, running goal, average racing pace and gender.
After that initial setup, we are ready to use the app to capture some running data. The data capture is via the smartphone camera and you do need either a camera tripod or someone to hold the smartphone and film you running. It is important to get good footage of yourself running and here are their guidelines to the filming:
- Make sure that there is a distance between the camera and the runner (~7m) – the goal is to capture the full height of the runner.
- Have the camera in landscape mode
- Have the runner run at least 50m before running past the camera
- Make sure the video submitted in Ochy for analysis has the runner in the first frame.
The fourth point is really quite important because not doing that will mean the system will start analysing something else in the frame that is not the runner, and the result will be quite ridiculous. Trust me, I made that mistake (see image below). Anyway, you could record the run directly from the app or record it with your camera app, then upload it to the Ochy app and start the analysis.
Run analysis
The analysis typically takes a few minutes, and once it’s done, you get an overall score plus a breakdown of 6 areas of your run. They are your foot landing, head position, back position, arms position, front leg cycle and back leg cycle. For each of those areas, if it is ranked “bad” or “okay”, you can click on it, and you will find an explanation of the result and recommended exercises to help you improve in that area. As you can see in some of the images above, you can also access the data and analysis on the web browser, which lets you see things on a bigger screen. Besides the run analysis, you can also get your run metrics (Time of flight, ground contact time, duty factor & step frequency), a graph of your leg cycle (web only) and your running style (smartphone app only).
Overview
The use of computer vision to identify an athlete, run pose estimation (overlay a skeleton), and then analyse the joint angles during motion has been happening for some time. But it is still pretty challenging, especially for an activity like running where there are self-occlusions (joints of the athlete being blocked from the camera’s view by another body part), which leaves gaps in data. Ochy has done pretty well in applying their biomechanics modelling/algorithm to work out the analyses. Their app can be used by runners, coaches or allied health professionals. You can get one free analysis when you first sign up, and you can purchase more analyses as required (per analysis, monthly or yearly). This caters for the different needs of users. You might only do an analysis once or twice a year to see whether you have improved after further training and doing the recommended exercises. For coaches who work with different athletes, they might find the monthly or yearly subscription more worthwhile.
Summary/Final Thoughts
It’s amazing to see how smartphone apps have progressed in the space of running to do more than just tracking your run with location (GPS). Looking at these four categories of apps, there are five common functionalities that I see in them: 1) measuring objective data (run data, computer vision data), 2) collecting user input, 3) allowing users to access a database of information, 4) access to expert input, 5) creating “models” or “programs” for the user. The underlying theme appears to be: to create a really great solution, we need data/input from different reliable sources.
Potential integrations/extensions
What would make things more interesting is if some of the apps can integrate with each other, providing more helpful insights to runners. Here are three that I thought could take things to the next level:
- Neatsy + Ochy = How different running shoes could affect a runner’s running gait, OR the shoes that suit the different running styles
- Neatsy + RunGo = Identifying the most suitable running shoe for a runner’s typical running routes (and types of terrain)
- Ochy + Runna/RunHal = A suitable training program based on the running gait analysis targeting a runner’s weak areas.
As mentioned at the top of this article, there are definitely wearable sensors that could do some of the things mentioned above – like GPS navigation shoe pods and running gait sensors, which could also give you information about the suitability of your shoes and they might even offer some training tips or training plans. But chances are, taking a leap to purchase those sensors/devices would not be for everyone unless it is multipurpose and fit for everyday use (like a smartwatch). On the other hand, downloading an app on our smartphone is a very easy step. Although some of the apps covered in this article come with a subscription, they do come with free trial options, so you can try it before you buy it. So if you are a runner looking to improve your running, and you haven’t tried these apps, maybe this is your signal to give them a go.
That’s it for this review post. I hope you got something out of it. Do leave a comment below if you would like to share your thoughts about one of the apps or if there is a great running app that we missed out on covering. You can also leave us a message here if you would like to chat further about this topic. Thanks for reading!
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