I know how far, just tell me how fast.

June 7, 2012 8:12 AM

Recommendations for an Android run-tracking app? Complication: no data plan, no GPS.

The above the fold basically says it all. I have a new model smartphone but no data plan, which means the GPS doesn't really work at all. I map all my runs in advance with Google Earth, so I have a pretty good estimate of how far I run, so I'm really mostly just looking for a timer app, where I can input the distance, press start, and then press stop when I'm done my run and have it keep a log of all my runs, allowing me to see my total distance per month, my average pace for various distances, etc. Any other features are just gravy.

It's pretty likely that I will get a data plan at some point in the future, so an app that can do all this stuff in non-GPS mode, but also has a GPS mode would really be perfect. I'm willing to shell out a few bucks to get the right thing.

posted by 256 to sports, hobbies, & recreation (7 answers total)

Run Keeper will let you put in runs manually. It seems to be the standard run tracking app for Android, although I've had it with data on my phone the whole time so I'm not sure how nicely it will play without data.

If you're mapping your runs anyway and already know the distance you could just use a stopwatch and notepad app combination.
posted by theichibun at 8:30 AM on June 7, 2012

Not directly an app suggestion, but thought about the GPS... if your phone has a GPS chip, then it should work regardless of whether data is on. It just might take a very long time to acquire your location when you start up without using cell towers as a quick-start. Also, you might not be able to acquire a location at all while inside. It could be worth experimenting to go outside where there aren't too many tall buildings around you and turn on a mapping app for 10 minutes or so and see it it can find you.
posted by the jam at 8:33 AM on June 7, 2012

GPS should work fine without data. I know this, because I have used phones as chartplotters in the Gulf of Mexico outside of cell signal range.

If your GPS isn't working, it's the phone, not the lack of data plan.
posted by zjacreman at 8:55 AM on June 7, 2012

The MapMyFitness (MapMyRun, MapMyRide, etc.) will allow you to log a workout without having to record it real-time at all.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 9:13 AM on June 7, 2012

Use runstar and run it in treadmill mode. It can play music, track total time, give little warning bells at timed intervals during the run. When you eventually get data plan it can upload entire history to dailymile, runkeeper.com or facebook.
posted by TestamentToGrace at 9:28 AM on June 7, 2012

The running tracker built into Noom Fitness Coach has a pedometer setting. From a few minutes' poking around in the app, it looks like it'll behave just like it does for the GPS, just without plotting a map: it'll track your time and pace, speak them to you if you're running with earphones, draw fancy graphs, and store your runs in its log.

It has a load of other features that you haven't mentioned here (tracking other excercises, sharing stats on various social media, and a bunch of stuff about nutrition/weight loss) but there's no reason you can't just ignore the ones you don't want.
posted by metaBugs at 11:25 AM on June 7, 2012

I use runkeeper on my android phone without a data plan. The GPS works fine and runkeeper simply loads up the data next time I connect to wifi.
posted by Okapi at 1:30 PM on June 7, 2012