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Time to RUN outside more

April 10, 2017 | 7 years ago

RUN.outside, will soon be (or has probably already been by the time you read this) launched. I wrote it up over the course of a couple weeks (probably a few days total dev time) because it was turning into springtime and I wanted to start running a bit more outside.

I didn't really want to download Runkeeper, Strava, or MapMyRun. A while back I used to use MapMyRun. I did download all of those (now) competitors- to check them out- and I noticed they haven't changed much in the past 3 years. Not much going on with the UI. Still trying to sell you new shoes. Still trying to push social leaderboards and who's fastest at the local park trail. Does anyone care about that stuff? I sure don't.

So I just built my own with a focus on literally, just, tracking runs. And some basic graphs/analysis. The UI is modeled off the Apple Maps app. You don't need to login. The app doesn't store your GPS coordinate data anywhere but locally, on your phone.

I wanted to add import functionality from those other bloated run-tracking apps. I integrated the MapMyRun API only to learn that they somehow don't send the full workout data (of the logged in user), even though its in their documentation. I contacted their support last week but I'm not hopeful- the API was last updated in December 2015 and it appears Under Armour has bigger things to worry about these days. I'll probably add an import feature down the road (if it's possible).

Hopefully people will see the benefits and find RUN useful, but i'm not super worried about monetizing it. There is no IAP in the app currently, and I don't really have plans to add one. We'll see what the numbers say. I do know that the fitness market of the App Store is pretty big, albeit crowded by the thousands of pedometers and fitness trackers already in the store. I'm not trying to break any ground with RUN. Just trying to bring the focus back to the user and simply tracking an outside workout and progress.

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