Training Log Comparison

I have attempted to catalog a number of the options for training logs. There are a vast number of solutions available, and runners look for many different things. (This article is being recreated, so feedback is valued.)

What to look for in a Training Log

Here's a summary of the attributes of a training log that this evaluation considers. My focus is on running, though I will try to capture some of the features that are of interest to multisport athletes.

• Basic. These are the basic features that I think most runners will be interested in.
  • Sports. How good is the support for other sports such as cycling and swimming, as well as possibly other things such as strength training, yoga, etc.
  • Usability. How easy is the app to use?
  • Devices. What's the support for smart phones, tablets, Windows PCs, and Mac?
  • Export. How easy is it to export and backup your data? This may not seem like a core feature until your chosen solution goes off-line. (Google "code spaces" for why this can be important.)
• Integration. How well does the solution integrate with various devices?
  • Garmin Upload. How easy is it to record a workout on your common device and upload it to the solution?
  • Polar Upload. As above, but for Polar.
  • Suunto Upload. As above, but for Suunto.
  • Workout App. Is there a workout app to record directly? This is typically smart phone based, but could be smart watch, or rarely desktop PC.
• Analytics. Went you have the data, how good are the analytics?
  • Effectiveness. How effective is your training? This could be estimates of V̇O₂max, or other metrics.
  • Recovery. Analysis of the balance between training stress and recovery, or some other measure of recovery such as Training Monotony.
  • Relative strengths. Are you relatively better at long distances or shorter? This can provide insight into possible areas of training focus.
  • Prediction. How fast could you run a given distance?
  • Statistics. This covers all the slicing and dicing of data you might want to do. For instance, how many marathons did you run last year, or what % of time was spent above a given heart rate.
  • Search. Search for workouts by distance, location, elevation change, etc.
• Social. The social side of a training log can be a huge motivator for many people.
  • Privacy. Can you control who sees what from your workouts? You might be okay with sharing your overall statistics, such as distance and time, but not the GPS track.
  • Friends/Followers. Is the model like Facebook where you are symmetric friends, or more like twitter where you follow others?
  • Challenges. Are there challenges, such as "run 100 miles this month"?
  • Segments. Is there a list of best performances for specific parts of a route? This can be a big motivator for some folks.
  • Virtual reality. Is there a shared workout visualization? This is a big area in cycling, and growing for runners.
• Tracking. Can you track things beyond the workouts?
  • Body composition. Tracking body composition in the form of weight and body fat has obvious value given the number of people who are running to maintain body weight.
  • Blood Glucose. For diabetics, being able to track blood glucose and analyze changes against other training metrics is extremely valuable.
  • Injuries. Tracking injuries and recovery is useful both the time and for later analysis.
  • Equipment. Keeping track of equipment, especially shoes to know when they are in need of replacement, or to see how often you use specific equipment.
• Advanced. These features may not be needed by most runners, but they can be critical for some of us.
  • Running power. The running power estimates can be far more valuable than pace alone. While Stryd's running power estimate is not on par with cycling power, it's still a big step forward.
  • Training plans. This can be either established training plans that the solution provides or the ability to create your own training plan. Ideally these will integrate with analytics to understand probable future changes.
  • HRV features. Heart Rate Variability can be during exercise, point in time recovery, or continuous monitoring. It can provide insight into training stress and recovery.
  • Running Sensors. The area of Running Sensors has exploded recently, from Muscle Oxygen Saturation to accelerometer data, there's a lot of new data. Without support from the running log, this data tends to be hard to use.
  • Weather. Automatic import of relevant weather data can help with analysis.
  • Altitude correction. GPS is notoriously bad at altitude, and even barometric tends to have problems, so automated altitude correction can be handy.
  • Footpod. Because a footpod can be more accurate than GPS, a running log should honor the use of that data. Having the training log override the footpod pace/distance with recalculated values from GPS degrades this.
  • Extensibility. The ability to extend the core functionality, either by third parties or by a lone developer allows for a much richer experience.