What happens when you give the RunKeeper crew two days to let imaginations run wild? A whole lot of awesome, I tell ya!

Our product team is always five steps ahead in terms of planning awesome updates to the app, but in the process, it seems each developer has some sort of other dream RunKeeper project they’d love work on if given the time. We decided to set two work days aside for engineers (and others throughout the company) to try to bring those to reality.

The community had lots of interesting ideas on what would make it into our first-ever hackathon, and many of the resulting hacks lined up with your hopes! There was a simple start widget for the home and lock screens on Android, much-improved data visualizations for your fitness reports, refreshed technology for GPS tracking, in-app strength training tracking, a pretty new website, and some ridiculously fun and motivating audio cues. And a few other things that are internal and top secret—for now :). 

We’re cranking hard to turn some of these hacks into actual RunKeeper updates and features, so stay tuned! And in the meantime, the pictures and videos below are definitely worth (more than a) thousand words.

Kicking off some collaboration

Jacked Jim gears up for his commercial debut in the RoidKeeper strength training promotional video

This team gave a whole new meaning to the term long hours. (And garnished some awesome prizes in the process)

Makers of the aforementioned awesome audio cues hack demo their goods

A little hack to get some more real-time insights into our community

Working to build the perfect GPS algorithm

And this video really speaks to the need for that widget hack

One of our many rocking trophies

Here’s an eclectic mix of health- and running-related headlines that we came across this week.  

• Work or exercise—which do you choose? This author writes that she picks both, and blocks out a good chunk of her day for walking or hiking meetings. 

• Former Olympian and current sports commentator Summer Sanders is regularly dishing out some running inspiration over on ESPN.com. In her latest post, she breaks down running nutrition into some very simple, common sense principles. Check ‘em out! 

• On the mobile health tracking front, a company called Glooko has brought its diabetes-monitoring app to the U.S. 

• In weird running gear news, this chain-mail footwear is said to feel like barefoot running without the pain, and improves your posture. Thoughts? Will they be replacing your regular shoes any time soon? 

• And if more traditional apparel is your thing, here are some tips on how to bundle up to survive those winter runs. 

So you’ve downloaded RunKeeper for the first time. Excellent move!

Getting into a new fitness routine isn’t easy, so we want to make the experience of firing up our app and logging your first workout as smooth as possible. Here are some resources that should help you get jiggy with it (cue Will Smith song).

BEFORE MOVING
Once you’ve logged in, most of the magic begins with the Start tab (makes sense, right?), which is the button right smack in the middle of the tabs navigation, with our signature running man icon.

Make sure you’re outside in order to take full advantage of our GPS input. (If you must work out indoors, you can manually enter the activity after the fact.)

Select your activity type from a vast list that includes running, cycling, hiking, rowing, and plenty of winter sports.

For some more bells & whistles you can run to an iTunes playlist, choose a route (must have previously created one on RunKeeper.com), or select a workout from a pre-loaded list we have, your desired target pace, or as part of a training plan.

Hit that big green Start Activity Button and get moving!

EN ROUTE
When you’re running, the activity screen will display the time, average pace, and calories burned at the top. At the bottom two buttons will show your total distance run and current pace, with those nifty bars in the middle reflecting that visually. If that pace view doesn’t do it for you, swipe your fingers across the bar display to see your activity map that displays real-time where you’re running, or a list of your split times by mile.

Need a breather? Hit the pause button at the bottom right—just be sure to hit resume when you’re ready to get moving again.

WRAPPING UP 
Once you’ve reached the finish line, hit the red stop button on the bottom left, and on the next screen confirm that you’d like to complete the activity by selecting “Yes I’m Done.”

Now’s the time when you get to brag!  Feel free to add some comments on the workout in the “How did it go?” field. You can also input your heart rate or tag a friend in the workout.

If you’re the sharing type, press the Facebook and Twitter icons on the bottom right to keep your social networks in on the loop (be sure to connect those profiles to your RunKeeper account). Better yet, you can attach a picture to this share, by hitting the camera icon and pulling one from your picture library or taking a new one. (This is an iPhone-only feature at the time, but Android users will also get to take advantage very soon!)

Hit the save button at the top right corner, and you’re done!

How’s that for RunKeeper 101? New RunKeepers, how’s it going so far? What else would you like to know about our app?

Everyone looks at the New Year as a chance to become a better version of themselves, right? Well, we’re no exception, and are proud to announce a new version of the RunKeeper iPhone app with a whole new look and feel!

We’ve cleaned up our code and user interface, scrapping the bold colors and text for a cleaner design that’s easier to read and navigate, and that better showcases your personal fitness story. We hope you’ll find it more approachable and inviting, and a better motivator to keep you working towards (and achieving) your fitness goals!

Over the last year, we’ve worked hard to make RunKeeper a more intelligent and helpful personal trainer in your pocket, through new features like the ability to set a goal and track your progress, train with the insights of running experts, and interact and compete with friends—right in the app. This new design better ties these powerful tools together into one intuitive, friendly, and fun experience. Check out the screens below to see for yourself!

With 3.0, we’ve also added exciting new functionality that should keep you better engaged and connected—right from your phone:

• Enhanced in-app photo features make it easier for you to take pictures before, during, and after workouts and share those with friends on Facebook and Twitter, without having to leave the RunKeeper app.
• You now can enable live activity tracking right from your phone, so friends and family can follow your progress and cheer you on! (must be RunKeeper Elite)

It doesn’t stop there though—we’ve got big plans to continue adding features that better empower people of all fitness levels to get and stay healthy, and have fun in the process. And our new design will make it easier to tie all of these planned improvements together in a great experience for all of you!  And don’t worry Android users, the Android counterpart will be coming soon :)

Happy New Year, RunKeepers, and here’s to an amazing 2013!

And be sure to take a look at the video below for a more behind-the-scenes look at the making of 3.0!

Looking to get prepared for tomorrow’s supposed Mayan Calendar Apocalypse? We’ve got the perfect solution. Download Zombies, Run!, the newest partner app to connect with RunKeeper. 

It’s an action-packed game that offers simulated missions for you to collect essential supplies and save your township amid a Zombie apocalypse. Those looking for a high-speed workout can elect to do a Zombie chase, and pick up the pace to run for their (virtual) lives. The app also offers insightful online reports on Zombies you have outrun and calories burned and colorful narratives on the missions you’ve completed. 

It’s a week out from Christmas, but we’ve got a little gift for you all: a RunKeeper integration with the brand new mobile app from WeightTraining! 

WeightTraining allows you to follow scheduled workout plans, view workout summaries, search a database of more than 2,000 exercises, track fitness data, and earn badges for workouts over time.

It joins the ranks of other mobile strength training tools like GAIN Fitness and Stronger, and more than 100 other health-focused apps, devices (like the new Gear4 Renew Sleep Clock), and services that integrate with RunKeeper!

One hundred is a pretty momentous number, so we wanted to pause and reflect on this awesome, booming community of RunKeeper partners.

We understand that activity tracking is just one piece of being the personal trainer in your pocket, and we envision a world where you can tie disparate sources of your health data into one accesible place. In summer 2011 we launched our Health Graph API to begin our pursuit of that. 

In addition to the integration with strength training apps, you can now see the connection between your RunKeeper activity and your weight via partners like TactioWeight Pro, Withings Health Companion, and Weighty; what you’re eating, with nutrition trackers like LoseIt and ShapeUp Club; and how you’re sleeping at night thanks to Zeo and Sleep Cycle. 

We also like to help RunKeepers find what motivates them most to work out, so we’ve enlisted rewards programs like GymPact and Earndit, and fitness games like Nexercise, Fitocracy, and Notch. And corporate wellness programs like Limeade, RedBrick Health, and soon Virgin HealthMiles can give employees credit for workouts they track through RunKeeper.

We’re really excited that our vision is getting early validation from these 100-plus partner apps and the RunKeepers that are using them, but we’re just in the early innings of what we see as a big game. We hope that that we can keep integrating these more deeply with RunKeeper ato create a better, smarter, and and more insightful machine that helps you get healthier. So stay tuned, because things are just heating up around here! 

Almost four years ago to the day, early RunKeeper user Richard Yaker tried to take his iPhone with him surfing so he could track his action. The result? The waterproof arm band didn’t hold up so well, and as you can see, the iPhone sunk to the bottom of the bay in Venice Beach, and stayed there.

At least we captured his activity leading up to the fateful trip in the ocean. 

What about you? What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve done with our app? How did that turn out for you? 

Who doesn’t get a little nostalgic as the year draws to a close? Here at RunKeeper, we’ve been reflecting on all the ways our company has grown over the past years. The social side of fitness tracking is something that’s been especially front of mind lately, so we thought we’d take a look at how the company and product have evolved on that front. We hope you enjoy the timeline we created! 

These RunKeeper users had quite the lyrical flair when it came to communicating their feelings—love, frustration, or other—for that RunKeeper voice. Take a look. 

An adoring Haiku:

Every five minutes
You speak in sweeter tones than
Zooey Deschanel

- Bryan Campbell

A cheerful jingle:

Oh Runkeeper voice, that lives in my phone,
you gently encourage me when I’m in my anaerobic zone.
You say to run steady, you say to run slow,
but when you say run fast, I say “oh no!”
You know all my routes, you know all my miles,
You store my activities in your virtual files.
You never complain when I take a short rest,
You stay there beside me when I am not at my best.
At the end of that LONG run, when I feel tired and defeated,
it always good to hear those words, “activity completed”

- Tony Muse

Short and sweet:

Whenever we first met my heart would flutter.
Soon after she developed a s…stutter
When the music played she would often mutter
But now she is cured and takes good care of me
My friend, my pal, the Runkeeper lady.

- Hassan Gibril

This user went with the constructive criticism approach:

Your voice is annoying, You always say I’m behind
When I hear your voice, I cringe and go faster
Just so I won’t have to hear you anymore
I guess in that sense you’ve helped me
So thank you for being annoying
But still I wish there were other voices
So I can pick which voice to push me

- Ethelyn Mejia

And this one a love song:

As I was training,
I was introduced to Audio Clue Lady.
while my energy level was draining.

She knew what to say.
With such an angelic voice!
At times I got mad at her.
Hey!  She gave me no choice.

She knew when to push.
When to back off.
Every half mile I could expect her again.
Other runners might scoff.

And then one day it hit me.
I couldn’t hear her on a run.
I accidentally clicked audio clues “off.
I hope she doesn’t come after me with a gun!

She helped me through a marathon.
She’s pushed me through pain.
I strap her to my right arm,
it’s as if she is my second brain.

The next thing I know,
over three years have passed.
Nearly 1000 miles together.
Many said our relationship wouldn’t last!

But I can honestly say,
She is more than just a “cue”.
I hope my wife doesn’t force me to make a choice,
I don’t know what I would do!

- Randy Scheel