For anyone just starting running, it’s common to wonder what’s the best app to track your performance?
I’ve used Strava intermittently for more than 2 years now. I recorded my first run on 28th Sept’15. I chose Strava among the other apps because it was the most famous app for cyclists.
Here’s a bike ride I recorded when I got my new bike way back on 16th Feb.
When I started my August running challenge, I needed a new app. I hadn’t run for a while and completing a 10k was going to need some training. While Strava has training videos — you need a 4k per year premium subscription to access it. So Strava was out.
The next best app was Nike’s NRC. I decided to take it for a spin. The design is quite sleek. And it also helps you create a training plan! It asks you a bunch of questions — your goal, your current speed, your best effort etc to build a custom training plan for you.
While i was preparing for the 10k race, I did a bit of research on the types of runs, training methods & i have to say Nike’s schedule does a great job of mixing it up to give you the perfect plan. To start with there’s a benchmark run to gauge your current pace & ability. Speed runs help you go faster, long runs(or endurance runs) help you build stamina, tempo runs combine the best of both and rest days help your body recover.
Typically when one is new and starting out, one tends to try longer and longer runs. You want to run a 10k as soon as possible. However this approach risks injury as you may not get enough rest between runs.
As i said earlier, the app is beautifully designed. It’s simple to use. You can easily keep track of your runs, follow your training plan & keep up with your fellow runners.
The achievements section is cool too. It motivates me to log more miles to get to the next level.
While NRC wins on design and simplicity, Strava has a bigger network of cyclists, runners and other athletes(since it takes a more public approach as against friends only for NRC) which makes you feel part of a larger community of runners/cyclists. By default all your runs are public & you’ll find random folks giving you ‘Kudos’ after an effort. Reminds you a bit of twitter though it’s fun to get kudos.
One of my favorite charts on Strava is the pace chart after a long run.
Another interesting feature is ‘segments’ — Strava keeps track of the routes you’ve run and tells you if you did a better job this time. Also it’s got a sweet record tracker — if you’re a runner you know we’re obsessed with PRs. Though i have one grouse — there’s no way to see all my PRs so far.
Also Clubs are more vibrant on Strava — there’s 100 days of running, Mumbai Strava running club, Cycle for Pune among the many where you meet fellow runners and get inspired to do better.
TD:LR
NRC is really good if you’re just starting out. It’s got a great design, it’s simple to use & since it only tracks running overall it’s more focused.
If you’re a stats freak, need segment tracking, want to track more than 1 sport, need a vibrant community — you should choose Strava.
Some more comments:
- I use a fitbit charge 2 for tracking my activity & runs. Sadly Strava isn’t compatible with charge 2 so i still have to carry my phone for serious runs. Btw NRC doesn’t connect either.
- I’m not sure which app is more accurate at measuring distance. Stats vary slightly across both the apps.
If you found the article useful, please feel free to hit the green ‘APPLAUSE’ button, multiple times. Also what’s your favorite running app? Tell me in the comments.
