Running with an iPhone

10 months ago when I started at Wahoo Fitness, I was a Garmin addict. I love long course running and triathlon and after 2 years of training with my trusty Garmin 305, it was going to be tough to pry if off my wrist. This GPS watch had been my partner on too many hill repeats to count (actually 324 or so after checking my Garmin Connect account) and I wasn't ready to give it up.

The problem? I am head of sales and marketing for Wahoo Fitness. I am supposed to be pimping our products! The first 10 times I ran with Chip (our founder), I still had my 305 and I took a lot of crap. I loved riding with my iPhone in our Bike Case but it was tough for me to make the switch on the running side. I soldiered on with my Garmin, leaving the house with the GPS watch on my wrist, iPod Nano clipped on my hat, and sometimes my iPhone in a plastic baggie in my fuel belt (for long runs). My pre-run countdown was now 20 steps long (grab Garmin, charge Nano, wave hand around in the air to get satellite signal…) 

After a month, i made the switch to running with my iPhone. To quote the old adage, "Change is good but transition sucks."  I'll be honest,  it took me three runs to get it right--  the right screen, the right voice prompts, the right settings. BUT, I think back to the first time I ran with my Garmin.  For the first 6 weeks I ran with three fields - time, distance, and instantaneous pace. The pace jumped all over the pace and drove me crazy. It wasn't until a friend (who also had a Garmin) showed me his field settings that I was able to see the right data and use it as an effective training tool.  

Fast forward 9 months. I love running with my iPhone. I use either the Wahoo Fitness App or Runmeter (I had access to the beta with HR - sweet!). I listen to either NPR podcasts or Pandora while I run (love the internet access). I leave the house with one device - nice and simple. And to dispel a myth - the GPS in your iPhone is just as accurate as any GPS watch, sometimes even more accurate!

 If you’re interested, here are my voice prompt settings for the Wahoo Fitness App. Note: I like listening to Sunni - she's my training partner! It's cool listening to her voice over my music.

 

How to set up voice prompts: 

Quick settings --> Trigger settings 

Every 1 mile

- Auto Lap
 

Every 0.5 mile (voice prompt)

- Time: Running W/O (total time)

- Pace: Workout

- Pace: Lap (I want to know if I am running this mile faster/slower than my workout average)
 

Every 0.2 mile (voice prompt)

- Pace: Current (I use a footpod to get this, great for intervals)

That's it! We would love to hear about your experiences running with an iPhone or Android - email us your stories at IAmARunner@WahooFitness.com!