Fellow endurance athletes listen up! A simple application on the iPhone called "Run Keeper Pro" will make the iPhone worth purchasing by itself.
I bought my iPhone last week and quickly learned that is was much more than just a phone. It's a personal assistant, computer, entertainment device, and much more. But wait......what's this Run Keeper program? Holy smokes......no way!
I downloaded Run Keeper Pro for a one-time fee of $9.99. The download/install took less than a minute. Later that day, I was preparing to head out on a short run to test out my new toy. I started the Run Keeper application and............
I began receiving audible information from a female voice through my headphones. The voice provided information including pace, average speed, distance, and duration. I was simultaneously listening to mp3 music on the same device, but the voice clearly told me the info I needed. There was no need to look at the device, which was awesome.
The Run Keeper Pro application uses the phone's internal GPS to calculate information. Of course, like all GPS, it needs an outdoor signal. But, I found the accuracy to be as good or better than the Garmin series watches we all use.
I was excited to discover this toy within a toy..........and I think you will to.
I share this mainly for those of you that carry a standard cell phone and, like me, had no idea that iPhones came with this capability. As an endurance athlete, I found this one application to make the phone almost worth the price by itself.
Using Run Keeper Pro on iPhone will work great for shorter runs, less than 3 hours. Like other portable devices, it has battery limitations. The Garmin 201/301 watches will track the same information, but last as long as 8 or 10 hours. (Also, if you're a trail runner, you must be weary of the expensive computer in your pocket so you don't drop it in the river.)
Other than batter life or fragility in adverse weather, I find no drawbacks to using the Run Keeper application on all runs.
Another sweet feature for runners is the added microphone in the headphones. If someone calls you while you're running and listening to music.......you simply press the 'answer' button and talk hands-free. When the phone call is done, you end the call and the music comes back on automatically.
Run Keeper information can also be uploaded and maniupated to provide mapping and analysis. Until now, this was something that only Garmin was doing with relative ease.
If you want to learn more, google iPhone Run Keeper. I found most of the user reviews to be positive. You should also know that the application can be adjusted for hiking and cycling as well.
I don't mean this to be an all-inclusive review of the Run Keeper Pro application. I merely wanted to share my excitement over this application for those of you that didn't know it existed....like I was just last week.
Run long, stay strong.
Jerry
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