I was previously a fan of "Map my Ride" which is apparently sponsored by Under Armor and had been using that for a while. The other day a friend of mine on a hash run told me about an app called Strava, that like most things, I had never heard of. I have now been using it for a week and not only is it better than Map my Ride, I feel it might be one of the best free apps available for outdoor exercise in existence.
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The 2 main things I enjoy about Strava is that 1. It works and 2. It is free. Map my Ride is also free but is so inundated with ads and efforts to constantly upgrade you that many times these "offers" actually interfere with what you are trying to do. When I am charging down the road at 25km an hour and dodging traffic I don't want to have to stop what I am doing in order to look at an advertisement.
Many times I didn't even know that the ad had paused my workout and later stop only to find out that there are massive gaps in my route because I didn't pull over to buy something from the ad that took up the screen (and subsequently the operation of the app in the first place.)
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Starting a ride is as simple as pushing one button and then pausing if you stop to do things like look at temples or get a water (there is an option to auto-pause when lack of movement is detected but at least on my phone / network, this is unreliable on any app I have tried as it fails to recognize that I have stopped moving very accurately.) For the most part I think you can just leave it on all the time. I'm not training to enter the Tour de France, I'm just trying to get an idea about how far i went, how fast i was going, and how long I was doing it. Strava has this in spades.
There is a "social" aspect of it for those out there that feel as though the world needs to know every time you break a sweat. I haven't used it much but unbeknown to me, I was on some elements of it as a few friends of mine "liked" my workouts. haha. I wont use this aspect of it but for some people this could be a big plus.
It is possible to "step up your game" and connect the app to heart rate monitors and also smart-watches and this could be a plus for people that want to integrate extra features into their workouts
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I don't use these features because I have not found a wristwatch that actually gives accurate heart rate information, i'm not gonna wear one of those things that wraps around my chest, and I don't need a machine to tell me that my heart is beating fast. However, I can see how this would be helpful to some people.
It tracks both running and biking and keeps track of every route that you take. You can set weekly or daily goals (probably monthly too) and for me, this free app is simply wonderful. Since it costs nothing I find it to be an excellent method of making sure I am getting enough movement in my life... perhaps you will feel the same. It costs nothing to try it out!
I've known Strava for five or six years now and it's known as trusted app. I've seen many athletes using it and it's considered very good.
I've been using Map My Run for a short period and then I shifted my attention to Endomondo and have been using it for years.
Strava is a good choice!
Agree with you. The same for me.
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I'm glad to hear that.
Very interesting. I have tried to use the "Map My ..." family of products in the past and they have a tendency to not be very useful or accurate. I was using Google for a while because you could save your walks to Drive, but then they closed down that application. My wife just uses her Fitbit now and I use Actifit when we go out for walks. If I get more into running I might check out this app though.
Never heard of this app and actually may give it a test run lol. I seriously need to start doing some exercise again and now that it is cooler I will do something. I always end up finding something else to do so will target at least 3 to 4 times a week. Ok maybe 3 first.
it really is a strong motivator. Some people just get out there and run or walk but unless you are pushing yourself to do more than you did last time it is really unlikely to see gains. Plus treadmills are boring
Never heard of this app, sounds good.
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Looks like a very nice app however I rock with runtopia to map my journeys as you earn coins from it too same as sweatcoin and actifit however strava looks very good so i may give it a try 😃
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Hahahaha, well, in my country one can't simply run freely with a smartphone because you can be robbed. Well, you can but is risky, you know. Anyways, it sound like a very useful app indeed.
Hey @gooddream
Great review of Strava. I have been using Strava for years and it has always been reliable and accurate.
I did start using a Garmin forerunner for a while and that was decent but the battery died on me and also never lived up to the advertised 8 HR run time. The most I got out of it was 6.5 hrs riding La Marmotte.
Strava is really simple to use and effective. It's really easy to hook up with friends and start comparing times. Have you used the segments yet? These are created by the users and are timed distances at different locations. If you are close to a segment it will warn you. The amount of times our group would be cruising along then suddenly one of the gang starts sprinting off at a huge pace. 'Ah, he's doing a segment!' Fun.
I have been lucky enough to use Strava in France, Thailand, Bahrain, Romania and the UK and it's been solid. It does advertise the premium version but not at inopportune times. Actually, I have a few friends using the premium version and they say it's great value for money.
I have started to use Strava in my cycling posts on steemit as a good way of proving the ride. Also, use it in conjunction with Relive.cc and it will give you a professional profile video of the course you have just ridden in real time. So cool.
Keep on getting out an recording your activity. In fact, you have inspired me to go for a run.
Cheers
Gaz
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I consider it the best app of this kind. I've tried also Runtastic and Endomondo. I use Strava also because I have a lot of friends that use it too and we can "follow" each others.
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Get your business card design on steemit
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