Keep Track of Your Runs with Buddy Runner Android App

Keep track of all your runs with BuddyRunner, an Android app that helps you time and track you exercise. Is it the right running app for Ron?

Revision3 Internet Television Ron Richards: Keep tracking your fitness today on AppJudgment. Welcome to AppJudgment Revision3's mobile phone application review show. My name is Ron Richards, and despite my round exterior, you may be surprised to find out that I'm an avid runner. Nothing better than grabbing my iPod going for run in the park around the shoots of San Francisco, I think there must be some sort of app to help me with my running plans. So I did a quick search and found Buddy Runner. That's important probably for me to explain what I'm looking for in a running app. Keeping track of my runs, how long I'm out running, how far I ran, how fast, how many calories that's all types of data I'm looking for. In addition, I'd to have access to maps, so I can see where I'm running too. Does Buddy Runner have everything I need? Let's find out. Upon launching the app it barks at you that GPS is required ouch. We are all concerned about battery life and one of the ways I get a full day charge out of my phone is by turning off GPS and I get what they want GPS to be turned on is as this needed for the maps, and I'm sure that it using it to calculate distance, so fine I'll turn GPS on. Once GPS is turned on and the app launches, we see the workout screen which is simple to the point. Just tap Start when you start running and you could see it keep tracking your time, distance and your pace which is a nice set of number I wanted to see when I'm out running. Tapping on the map shows you just that a map. Of course it uses Google Maps and you can switch between Map View or Satellite View but that's it. I looked and looked but never found any sort of functionality that help me to plan my run. I couldn't bought a course or anything. All Buddy Runner does with the map; they show you where you're going, where you've gone, this is pretty disappointing for me. I use runningmap.com to plot my running courses and it's been a great tool for when I'm traveling, on vacation or on business, it help me to plot and run in a strange city. I would love to have this sort of functionality on my phone sadly it doesn't look like Buddy Runner does, but back to the run. Once you finished running you tap stop and your run is logged in your history with all the stuffs related to it, it's also instantly send to Buddy Runner website. I was super disappointed by the lack of running route map planning but if there's anything that could bring me around, it's integration with Buddy Runner website. By setting up an account, linking the app to it, you'll get all your running data automatically sent. Here, you can analyze and calculate all this data to your heart's content. If you're an avid runner or fitness junky then you'll probably love this aspect of the application. When it comes to the app itself though I'm still left with wanting more sure it's got the details stuffs and metrics for my runs, keeping track of how far I have run and my pace, as well as keeping an archive of past runs. It's me to how it sends the data to the website and the map is nice to see where I run to. I don't really like the idea of running with my phone but I'd be okay with it if the GPS requirement wasn't a killer. Not only does the GPS make the phone gets super hot, it kills my battery in a snap. The real sticking point for me though is the running route, planning tools or lack there of them. I want a proper map, plot my course, see the distance and take that with me on my run. If I can view that and then I deal with the GPS being on and the battery drain. So because that I got to say don't download. As a casual runner who's not really into analyzing every run I take, this app doesn't really do it for me to enough to justify the download. Am I totally wrong, are you devoted Buddy Runner user, head over to our forums at revision3.com/appjudgment to tell everyone about your running experiences, or you can e-mail me at appjudgment@revision3.com to recommend other running apps so that I can checkout. Don't forget to hit us up on Twitter at twitter.com/appjudgment and FaceBook at Facebook.com/appjudgment. I'm Ron Richards this is AppJudgment and I really need to run more often I think. See more great shows at Revision3.com