How you can track your marathon and crossfit activities

As an athlete you have a lot of possibilities to track your progress. I recommend to track everything you do as it will keep you alert and make yourself push harder in each workout, because it will bug you to put a number into the system that is lower than the workout before. When you keep track, you will also start planning and having a plan is bringing you to your goal. A goal without a plan is just a wish, always remember that.

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Beyond the whiteboard

What is in it for me ?

Beyond the whiteboard is a very comprehensive software that I have been using to lock all of my workouts for roughly a year now. It gives you the possibility to lock everything you can possibly think of in various modifications and variations. You can lock your runs, lifts, agility drills, box jumps, rope skipping. There several options to build your workouts by among them are

21 - 15 - 9 Complex

Rounds for time

Death by

Total time

Total reps

Maximum weight

... and many more

The software itself is widely used by crossfit gyms, some make it even mandatory to sign up / include it in their sign up fee, so that trainers can put a program together for you. The yearly fee for beyond the whiteboard is 50$.

What are the pros ?

The pros are that you can log everything you can think of and compare yourself with the entire community. Especially that the program shows you how good your results are compared to all results logged gives you a good insight into how good your results really are. Very enticing and rewarding to make progress through the ranks and be in the top 5 percent of people for a particular type of workout. Runners also have the possibility to check their progress on a particular distance of running, which most of the running apps are not really good at. If you want to check all your results just for your 5k runs in Garmin Connect or Nike+ it is awkward to filter the data out. In beyond the white board you just go to "5k run" and see all the 5k runs you have done in preparation for your marathon in one window and how your performance improved/stagnated/ fell.

What are the cons ?

I personally think the price is fair, but if you follow my blog you will know that a) I do not hesitate to spend money on my fitness and b) I work out quite a lot, so you might not agree with me. There are more cost efficient (read free) options to achieve similar results. Also at first the software is overwhelming with its all in one approach. It takes some time to figure out how everything works, but once you figured it, which took me roughly a month unguided, you will be fine. The level of fitness of the community logging their results into beyond the whiteboard is very high.Not for beginners or people who are overweight and just starting out. Also the workouts which are presented as most prominent on the site (Fran for example) are fairly complex and even dangerous for someone who is not ready for them. On top of that the app itself does not give you any recommendations on how to progress best through the workouts and how to scale, what to build on first, second etc. You will find this information either in the journal or on the beyond the whiteboard blog, but also those materials are more geared towards crossfit gym owners training others, rather than the athletes themselves.

As a runner you will also miss out on some vital data like your pace, heart rate and gps /elevation data which beyond the whiteboard does not track. It is good to lock your finishing time, but not for going into the nitty gritty details of long or interval runs to go deep on working on your weaknesses.

The software also had some technical problems last year, when they went through the growing pains of updating it. I found that some of the feedback was a bit harsh and can understand that people not familiar with software updates lost some patience. The team did a great job at handling that difficult time, but again not for people who want fast results and just start out.

For all you show offs out there this it might be disappointing, that the software has no social media sharing functions.

Conclusion

The best overall solution I have used so far with a professional interface and possibilities to compete virtually with the entire crossfit community. If you are being serious of crossfit or getting your overall fitness levels up a bit and you are not afraid of technology, this is the place to go.

Garmin Connect

What is in it for me ?

Garmin Connect is a free software for trakcing your runs. I personally use it with my Garmin 220 which i got for christmas in 2014 from my girlfriend. You can track your runs and slice and dice them based on what you put in. I can not comment on how good the software is with manual imports or non Garmin products, as I have only used it with my watch which comes in around 250$/€ depending on where you get it and which version it is. There is also a community function in there to comment and make friends with other runners. Garmin has a lot of programs to choose from which will help you to achieve your running goals.

What are the pros ?

The interface is very professional and definetly geared towards people who run a lot. With a lot I mean 50k a month plus. You have very detailed data on all on your runs, the intervals, your stride, heart rate (needs additional heart rate monitor to function) and overall miles/km run. The major reason why I upgraded to Garmin is that I started to rund longer than 1.30 hours in training. The equipment and the software do brilliant for me in that area, where Nike+ left me down.

What are the cons ?

The high price to enter, if you want to use it with a watch. Also you can directly feel that the software was engineered (and i use the word engineered and not designed on purpose here) for men who are very serious about running. No fancy buttons, no motivating little birdies and icons, cheers or claps. No fun, so may to speak. Cold, hard facts, for someone whose only interest is to up their best on a 10k, half marathon or marathon. Good if you are in for that, bad if you are not a long distance runner.

Conclusion

The Garmin app in combination with the garmin watch is a serious investment for people who are serious about long distance running. If that is not the target group you belong to go with the Nike+ app to track your runs with the mobile device of your choice.

Nike+ Running App

What is in it for me ?

The Nike+ running App basically delivers the same information as the Garmin connect app which I introduced earlier in this post, but with less detail. You can download it for free to your iphone or android and use your smart device to get out and get going. The design is intuitive and playful and especially beginners will like the social media sharing functions and motivational setup of the running programs with decorated athletes & trainers cheering you thorugh the programs. That's the beauty of being the marketing goliath nike. They know how to create a great user experience.

What are the pros ?

Usability, price and the fun factor. If you are just starting out and want to get out there clocking a few miles even just walking this is for you. I found the navigation to be to the point and there also a lot of people in the nike community you can connect to and compete with who are not all stone cold hardcore long distance runners. Overall it is less intimidating than the Garmin setup.

What are the cons ?

The software lacks details on the runs and the nike+ Gps is depending on your phones gps which can be very unreliable at times. This is not a problem if you run to stay in shape and do not care that much about performance, but can turn to a real pain in the back, when you are out on your long run and 1.30 hours in the battery of your phone dies or the gps signal breaks. Believe you will be disappointed, maybe even in a rage, depending on what kind of person you are, when that happens. Nike+ also did a very good job by tying the data into their online shop. If you are weak, like Nike and shop a lot online, this will distract you and make nikes cash register ring. No risk with this at Garmin.

Conclusion

This is the option for the beginning runner or the weekend runner who is on a mild schedule just to get out there and stay in shape without chasing a personal best.

Stronglift 5x5 App

What is in it for me ?

The stronglift 5x5 app is an easy to use for free app for your mobile device which guides you through the 5x5 Powerlift program including Bench press, Overhead Press, Barbell row, Deadlift and the squat. The squat is the centrepiece of the program which starts out with the empty bar and progresses 2.5 kg to 5kg up each session. A good solid program for people who are beginning to lift and want to get stronger and build some muscle. The app gives you direct access to all the relevant videos which explain the movements used.

What are the pros ?

It is free, easy to use and fun. What I especially like over the 5x5 app in comparison to beyond the whiteboard is that it is your personal coach in a box for lifting. It tells you when to add load or deload and the program is so easy to understand that anyone with a rack and barbell can do it. The results speak for themselves. I gained 8 kg in muscle mass in half a year with 5x5 and developed myself to a 145kg 1x5 Deadlift, 127.5 kg squat 5x5 and 100kg bench press 5x5.

What are the cons ?

Only using this program leaves out working on your core and endurance. Also you will be only competing against yourself rather than an entire community. I have nothing bad to say about the software. Clean, crisp and easy to use.

Conclusion

If you want to get stronger and more muscular and track your progress get this. This is one of few things where I can say it is a real no brainer, if you want to achieve your first serious strength results.