The best FREE apps.

A few posts ago I promised helpful hints for getting healthy.  Here is more of a review rather than a hint.  When people begin to get serious about getting healthy, training or losing weight they tend to want to log where they have been and plan on where they are going.  Thus I have a list of my favorite FREE websites and applications for doing just that.  I have tried all of these apps, even though I didn't remember doing so on some of them. I was surprised when I went to check out dailymile to find I already had my profile setup and my last logged workout on it was a 13.1 mile run on the treadmill..(What the heck was I thinking)  So one lesson to take away from my experience is once you find an application you like stick with it so you have everything in one place.

BEST CALORIE COUNTING WEBSTIE AND APP

The first is MY FITNESS PAL.com  This is a free site and application which you can use to track your food and calorie intake as well as fitness activities.  The search feature and food database is one of the best I have seen. Further, you can download the app on your Iphone or android and it loads a bar code reader which you can use on food packaging to get all of the data you need.

The site allows you to set a calorie goal and lets you know if you are over or under it for the day.  Further, you can track your weight, follow friends and become active in the community on the site.  Again this is a wonderful site and application if you are into calorie counting.

BEST BEGINNER TRIATHLETE SITE AND BEST FREE TRAINING LOG

If you are more concerned with actual triathlon training then tracking calories the web site www.beginnertriathlete.com is for you.  Like all of these sites, it is free and geared towards those who want to train and compete in triathlons.  It has a very active forum and community.  The forums range from triing for weight loss to a forum especially for Clydes and Athenas. There are also forums for Iron distance races.  No question is too dumb and the people who are active on it make newcomers feel welcome..(unlike the douche bags who populate www.slowtwitch.com).  I found this site about 7 years ago and my data from then is still online..amazingly I am about the same weight as I was 7 years ago.  One of the nice features of the site is the free training log.  It tracks all of your triathlon related data as well as strength training and other activities. You can also track your nutrition and leave comments or notes.  The settings also allow others in the community to look at your blog and leave comments and inspirations.  As far as free training logs are concerned I find this to be the best. You are even able to download data from your garmin or other devices.  If you want to pay for a membership you will have access to a number of training plans from sprint to Iron distance.  The free site has a few training plans available also.  I am starting to log onto this site more often again.  The site does have a free app for your phone.

BEST MAPPING/TRACKING MAP

I downloaded www.mapmyride.com one day when I was out for a ride and forgot my garmin.  The application downloaded to my android and off I went.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a very accurate reading for my speed, distance and elevation as well as the route I rode.  Like all of these applications the one drawback is the battery drain on your phone if you go for a longer ride or run.  However, for a free application it rocks.  I also just checked out their website and they have added a number or items such as nutrion logging, weight tracking, workout records, etc...  One of the features I use a lot on the website is to find new routes near my house. I can see the route on the map as well as elevation gains and the speeds of those who have done the route before.  There is also a brand new feature which allows you to immediately download your workout to Facebook and annoy all of your friends with your bragging about doing a 10 mile bike ride..

Although my favorite application is Mapmyride..a lot of my friends are using www.strava.com.  I am guessing because Strava ran a ton of commercials during the Tour de France and my friends in Colorado are a bunch of lemmings.  Strava does basically the same things as mapmyride.  However, one cool thing it does do is allow you to download your garmin or other gps to their site.  You can still use their app on your phone but this other option works great for those of us who are attached to our garmins..literally.  One crappy thing it does..at least for me..is tell you how you rank on a particular route.  You are 2,556 out of 2,557 people who have done this route.  Like I need confirmation that I am slow. I guess if you are faster then this might be a cool thing to boost your ego.


BEST SIMPLE RUN/BIKE LOG

The www.dailymile.com is a very simple way to log your miles whether they be running, biking or misc. It is very simple to use and very simple to share your workout on facebook.  I think the biggest attraction of Daily Mile is how easy it is to keep track and comment on friend's activities.  Another plus is seeing how many of your friends are actually on Daily Mile.


COOLEST NEW APP I WON'T EVER USE BECAUSE I HATE  IPHONES.

RUN METER  First of all this app costs 4.99 and has additional small costs to add voices to it. It is also only for Iphones.  Basically it is a Strava or Mapmyride type application that you do not need a web site for.  Everything is self contained on the iphone.  What makes it cool..you can program the phone to talk to you on your runs giving you distance, pace, etc.  Further, you can program it to give friends updates of where you are on a course during a race so they have real time access to how you are doing.  Also, if a friend posts a message on facebook the phone will actually tell you what the message is.  This could be either good or bad depending on what kind of friends you have. Right Angela? ANARCHY, ANARCHY, ANARCHY!

 TRAINING UPDATE..As most of yo know I was in Wisconsin over the weekend. I somehow put on 8 pounds in 4 days.  It may have been the fried cheese curds or kringle or fish fry or may just be water weight from the humidity.  Anyway - here are some pics...(Also my daughter got to go to her first Badger game..and actually booed our QB for throwing an interception..even though no one else was.)

Farmer's Market outside Capitol

Ron Dayne!!

Little Chlly