Show HN: Running, an extremely simple exercise tracking app.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6345110

by shail • 13 years ago

5 22 13 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Running is extremely minimal and hence supports very limited options. I am trying to understand the market from the perspective that "Should such minimal apps exists?"

Kindly check it out and let me know what you think about it? Would you use it? Or I am going completely in the wrong direction.

Feedbacks are welcome on usability, look and feel as well.

Website: http://hmpgr.com/apps/running Invite Code: HN

Thanks a lot for reading.

shail10• 13 years ago

Clickable: http://hmpgr.com/apps/running Invite Code: HN

lcasela4• 13 years ago

What exactly are you doing with the data that I am giving you while using this app?

shail10• 13 years ago

Just plot it for you to see the how regularly you are running.

The apps on hmpgr are all personal apps just like notes app lets you record your notes.

lcasela4• 13 years ago

Nice! I was looking for an app like this.

Thanks. :3

shail10• 13 years ago

Thanks a lot Icasela. Let me know how you like it. I am still developing it and would love to listen about your requirements. Send me mail at: shailesh.narain@hmpgr.com

ulisesrmzroche3• 13 years ago

When are you going to put in squats? I'd start using it then.

shail10• 13 years ago

Soon enough.

ulisesrmzroche3• 13 years ago

Sweet, but what's the deal with going slowly adding basic exercises?

Jemaclus3• 13 years ago

FIrst of all, the app looks fine. It's not super polished or anything, but it's functional and does exactly what it says it does.

My problem with this is that most fitness apps are on mobile -- designed for mobile first -- and since I take my iPhone with me when I run, it not only tracks the fact that I'm running, but how far, how fast, and my exact route. I don't have to think "Hmm, I ran 12.6 miles" and then type it in somewhere else. It already knows that and tracks that for me over time.

A real groundbreaker would be if I had an app that knew I was doing pushups and counted them for me, knew I was doing crunches and counted them for me, knew I was riding my bike and tracked my velocity and route for me.

There are a million apps out there for tracking what exercises I've done today. Other than running and cycling, everything else is done manually. THAT is the real pain point. My phone should be smart enough to KNOW that I'm exercising -- and how. Fix that, and you've got a multi-million dollar app.

shail10• 13 years ago

Hey Jemaclus

I agree with what you said. Its what anyone would expect from an app like this.

Warning: what comes next is very opinionated :) Let me put my perspective and I am aware its a bit different. And its a bit difficult to explain, so hear me out totally.

The point about exercising is all about staying healthy. Its about consistency with which you exercise. Now let me give you an example where an automatic tracking was not helping me. An expense tracking app. Now I am talking about actually improving my expensing habits and start saving for rainy day. There are lots of app which connect to your credit card and automatically know when you spent what and gives you pretty graphs. The problem with that most of the time it happens so automatically that it does not change your behavior. Changing spending habits requires those restrains which you put on yourself everytime you put your hands in the pocket for fetching your card. Thats when I found that really tracking it myself (and not automatically by some third party) is the only way be aware of your expenses.

Same goes with exercising. Thats why this app only supports "yesterday" and "today" button. So its forces to record as soon as you ran. This forces a habit. And I believe in habits.

I know its counter-intuitive and may be its just me. But thats what I am trying to verify :) Thanks for the reply though. Loved it.

Jemaclus3• 13 years ago

So I think my use of the word "automatically" was a bad one. I think I meant "super easy". For instance, when I step out the door, I open my Strava app, and I hit "Start Running", and then I start running. When I'm done, I hit "Finished" and it saves every stat it tracked about my run, and later after some processing, it tells me even more things, like whether this run was better than other runs or whether I ran a new route or whatever. The point being that I don't have to remember anything other than hitting "Start" and "Finish". For an app like yours, I have to go back to my computer or actually type a button in.

I read an article this morning -- I can't remember which one, sorry -- but the author basically suggested that any time you can eliminate typing on a mobile device, you should. If you can make everything tappable in a few seconds on a mobile device, you're golden.

That said, I think this particular activity is in need of new solutions -- not Yet Another Tracker.

Anyway, good luck. Hope this works out for you! Like you said, exercise is all about being healthy, so if this works for you, great! I'm purely offering advice from a business standpoint (as in, I would pay for this product if _____)

lcasela4• 13 years ago

Is there any way of contributing to this?

shail10• 13 years ago

Hi Icasela

I will be releasing a developers kit very soon which will allow you to make such small apps for the Hmpgr platform. I will definitely let you know once I release that.

If you wish to contribute specifically to Running app, then let me know and I will send you required details as soon as I am done with developers kit.

lcasela4• 13 years ago

Cool!

I will be releasing a developers kit very soon which will allow you to make such small apps for the Hmpgr platform.

Will you be sending out an email to everyone who has registered to your site?

AznHisoka• 13 years ago

This already exists in the form of MapMyRun, RunKeeper, MyFitnessPal, etc, etc... I don't see what makes yours so unique.

shail10• 13 years ago

Hi,

The uniqueness is in terms of its simplicity and minimalistic nature. The apps which you mentioned are all great.

Running app is just an execution for the same requirements in the minimalistic sense. I agree it will not appeal to everyone, but I am trying to find out if there are any of us who likes such minimalistic apps.

Show HN: Running, an extremely simple exercise tracking app.

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