Running Tracker – Nike+iPod software

Big news in the Nike+ world: Polar and Nike Introduce Heart Rate Training to Millions of Nike+ Runners !

I’m currently thinking about releasing a new version of Running Tracker to integrate the heart rates in the user interface.

Has any of you bought the Polar WearLink device? If so, please send me the XML file of a workout so that I can work on the next version of Running Tracker !

The Nike+iPod is a great device. It sure is. Especially if you have a Microsoft Windows or a Mac OS X operating system.

If you’re using Ubuntu (or any other Linux distribution), you’re stuck ! No iTunes means no possibility to upload your workouts to the Nike+ website.

Fortunately, there are some Nike+ alternatives:

• Plotrun
• Runner+

These websites allow you to upload your workouts (as XML files) and then they generate the corresponding graphs. Very convenient for the Linux users.

The only problems are:

• You get a limited history of your workouts
• You must be connected to the internet

Running Tracker offers several advantages:

• Import your Nike+ workouts directly from your iPod and get the corresponding graphs instantaneously
• Compare your workouts and monitor your progression
• Get some interesting statistics about your runs
• Get some overview graphs about your running activities
• Backup your workouts

To download Running Tracker, just click here.
The installation procedure is described on the wiki.

I just found an interesting thought on the OpenShot Video Editor’s blog:

In the open-source world, Interest = Life

I couldn’t have said this better myself !

See, it’s always a pleasure to get some feedbacks. Not only in times when the Nike+ API is broken but also when everything works smoothly… it provides an extra motivation to work on the project.

You can support Running Tracker in many ways:

• Talk about Running Tracker in your blog, on twitter…
• Translate Running Tracker in your language: it’s a really easy process now that the spreadsheet is shared on Google Docs
  Thanks to rpcsilva, Running Tracker will soon be available in Portuguese!
  There is still some work to do on the Spanish and Greek translations…
• Discuss the next major functionnalities and how they should be implemented
• Visit open-source network websites such as Ohloh and add some comments for Running Tracker

Hopefully this will help raise the visibility of Running Tracker. If we get enough interest, we will surely attract some good contributions, and thus… have a better product!

You may get the following import error when you try to download workouts from the Nike+ website: “The NikePlus answer cannot be read”.

It looks like Nike+ decided to modify the API: the URLs have changed. Thanks Peter for the information.

Running Tracker will be updated soon.

Update: Running Tracker 1.4.1 has been released.

Running Tracker 1.3.0 is currently under heavy development.

Here are some screenshots of the coming features:

• New overview chart

The distance sum, the duration sum and the average speed are displayed on one single chart.

• Possibility to export charts as PNG pictures

• New logo