While at the beach, I emailed one of my Cruiser friends the following note:
RunKeeper is crazy down here! According to it, yesterday we ran 20:54 minute/miles and today we ran 5:35 minute/miles! Woot woo!!! What an improvement in just a day! I assume the satellite signal is sketchy! ;-)See you in a few!
She replied with:
Try and keep your miles to margaritas ratio reasonable…I’ll let you determine what’s reasonable. 😉
Run keeper tip I always use for better accuracy and consistency:
Turn off wi fi in your settings
Close every app (double click the home button then hold on any app in the bottom row until they wiggle. Then close on each with the x)
Power off your phone
Power back up you phone
Open runkeeperEnjoy the beach!
I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. It sounded like she was telling me to delete my apps… Had I read carefully and actually tried, I might have figured it out. In my defense, I needed to close each with the “red -” not, “black x”.
This morning on my first day back from vacation, I went for a run with a client. We went on a tempo run and when I set RunKeeper up to track our mileage, it started doing the crazy stuff I mention in my first quote above. I told her about my friend’s suggestion and my client said that she could show me how to do it. She told me that she taught her 75-year old mother how to do it, so she was sure I could learn it, too. Done! Apps are now closed!
Just for fun, here are our runs from last week. The best part about vacation is having plenty of time to run every day! These run maps just get crazier every day. Be sure to look at Sundays and Mondays running course, distances, and paces! 🙂
Tuesday:
Time of day and weather conditions – 4 PM, overcast and windy
Location – 1 mile loose sand, rest on asphalt, concrete trails and wooden boardwalk
Duration – 1:06:59
Actual distance – 6.75 miles
RunKeeper distance – 5.78 miles
RunKeeper pace – 11:35 minute/miles
Wednesday:
Time of day and weather conditions – 12:15 PM, hot and sunny, some breeze
Location – low tide packed sand
Duration – 1:17:01
Actual distance – 8 miles
RunKeeper distance – 3.8 miles
RunKeeper pace – 20:15 minute/miles
Thursday:
Time of day and weather conditions – 10 AM, hot and sunny, no breeze
Location – asphalt roads
Duration – 1:04:25
Actual distance – 6.5 miles
RunKeeper distance – 11.52 miles
RunKeeper pace – 5:36 minute/miles
Friday:
Time of day and weather conditions – 2:30 PM, hot and sunny, sea breeze
Location – low tide packed sand
Duration – 1:16:06
Actual distance – 7.5 miles
RunKeeper distance – 8.13 miles
RunKeeper pace – 9:22 minute/miles
Saturday:
Time of day and weather conditions – 6:30 AM, sunrise hot and humid
Location – tide coming in, but mostly packed sand, loose at end of run
Duration – 1:04:01
Actual distance – 7 miles
RunKeeper distance – 13.52 miles
RunKeeper pace – 4:44 minute/miles
Sunday:
Time of day and weather conditions – 4 PM, hot and sunny, storms brewing
Location – low tide packed sand
Duration – 40:40 (after running 20 minutes with RunKeeper and giving up)
Actual distance – 6 miles
MapMyRun distance – 31.22 miles
MapMyRun pace – 1:18 minute/miles (we rock!) 🙂
Monday:
Time of day and weather conditions – 6 AM, sunrise and humid
Location – low tide packed sand
Duration – 56:52
Actual distance – 6 miles
MapMyRun distance – 169.51 miles
MapMyRun pace – :20 minute/miles (I totally rock!) 🙂
Whew! After running and swimming at total of 233.9 miles this week, we needed a drink!
- Questions:
- Do you use RunKeeper or MapMyRun or something else?
- Did you know how to close your apps before I showed you?
- Whats the most number of miles you’ve run in a week?
Haha I was wondering what this post was goin to be about! My garmin I always off in the neighborhood I run in. It says I’m going 2 minutes slower so I always end up going faster and tiring myself out!
Technology can be so frustrating! 🙂
Ive had the same problem with Runkeeper on this last update. I use an Android and several of my runs looked like I ran through the backyards of my neighbors. I then switched to Nike+ app and had issues with it, No GPS signal and pausing halfway through a run and not able to add workouts type stuff. Ive settled on Runtastic at the moment. I got a upgrade code to the pro version back in Jan but didnt use the app. It has been more consistant and the fact that they sell a GPS watch that integrates with their website may be the reason for my next purchase.(im not paid to say this)
I’ll be running the OBX half in Nov so it will be interesting to see whether my GPS does the same as yours.
Happy Running!!
Thanks for the input, Mike! Now that I’ve closed my apps properly, it will be interesting to see how RunKeeper does on my next run. If it doesn’t improve, perhaps I’ll try Runtastic. My husband and I have thought about running in the OBX marathon or half, but we always have a conflict that weekend. Good luck and have fun!
This is why I prefer my trusty Timex in chrono mode. If I’m running a course that isn’t clearly marked, oh well!
Going old school! 🙂
Yep, I’m totally an old school kinda gal! I think a Garmin would make my head explode…or I’d get totally obsessed and never go for an easy run again!
I think this means you need to move up to iPhone 5…may or may not improve Runkeeper performance, but you’ll have a slick new phone. 🙂
I’m planning that for the fall! 🙂
Beach runs are the best, regardless of how fast or slow they actually are 🙂
Those are some really narrow stretches of land (by Corolla). Is that actually how narrow it is there?!
I use my Garmin 910 or go without anything.
Yes, the Outer Banks are barrier islands and very narrow at points. We have fun on our beach runs and stop and take pictures whenever we feel like it!
I’ve thought about getting a Garmin, but I’m trying to keep it cheap using the free iPhone apps!
Wow, that app is all over the place!!
Yes, I know how to close my aps =). It saves a ton of battery life and data!
I only use my Garmin. Sometimes I map out runs on mapmyrun beforehand, but always the Garmin. It’s been having some trouble picking up the satellites around our new apartment, though..darn city living!
I started to title this post, “Yes, You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks!”
I don’t really use running apps. I did try a couple of them, here and there, but they never really stuck. Someone had told me about closing the apps on my phone a while back, otherwise I would have had no idea and that it was draining my battery. If I do my scheduled run tomorrow then this week will be my highest mileage ever (27 miles) !!!!
Yay for running 27 miles this week! 🙂
Apparently I’m the ONLY iPhone owner that never learned to close my apps! HaHa!!!
I’ve toyed with a few of these apps, so I can help/suggest them to clients, but honestly…I’m a Garmin Girl, all the way. And as previously noted/whined about, I have moisture paranoia when taking my phone on runs in Singapore. [Although I have less sweat-prone clients who can HOLD THEIR PHONES IN THEIR HANDS – I don’t suggest this – without getting them dangerously what. Thanks, Mom, for the Sweaty Gene.]
So I Garmin, all the way – and seldom have issues. I find that mine is SUPER reliable. But I am excited to get my Bia GPS watch/stick in the next few months!
I’m trying to avoid the cost of a Garmin by using free apps. Obviously, you get what you pay for! 🙂
First off nice job getting in those actual miles while on vacation! Secondly, wow! Run Keeper was all over the place. Well done on your run to Norfolk (and back?) at your superior speedy pace of 0:20/mile. Don’t expect me to keep up with you at the Hokie Half 😉
I don’t think I’ve ever gone much over 30 miles in a week in the past. That will change soon, as I progress with marathon training. I will be hitting brand new weekly mileage high’s and new personal distance records. It’s exciting and scary at the same time!
Don’t worry, I’ll slow down for you at the Hokie Half! 😉 BaHaHa!