WorkOutDoors 4+

WorkOutDoors is hands down the best watch running app that I have used! I have run using Garmin for over a decade and really like Garmin. When I purchased my first iPhone I decided to also get an Apple watch. I loved the functionality of the watch, however was unimpressed with the built in Workout app. This led me on a search for a better app. I ended up testing TrainingPeaks, Strava, iSmoothRun, and WorkOutDoors. I didn't like the subscription models for TrainingPeaks or Strava. Multiple searches named iSmooth run as the best Apple running app and in the beginning it looked like it was going to meet my needs. However, as I used the app and started analyzing the data I realized laps were being displayed incorrectly in Apple health and the cadence it reported was simply wrong. I reached out to the developer who never responded. And then ... I found WorkOutDoors. I have never had so much power on my wrist. You can have 4+ screens, you can have 18+ metrics on each screen, the list of metrics you can choose from is in the 100's, you can easily build workouts, you can get alerted (voice and watch) if you are outside a defined zone (like heart rate or pace), you can get key metric alerts (voice and watch) by time and/or distance, you can download maps and routes to your watch and get alerted if you are off your route, you can reviewed detailed information about each run, etc.

This is an exceptional app, especially on the iWatch Ultra! The amount of information that you are able to see while participating in whatever activity you are passionate about is truly invaluable, and it gave me an insight into data that I never really thought about. I will admit, for those who are not experienced with interpreting this type of data can be intimidated and overwhelmed, but that’s what is so fascinating about this app because it actually encouraged me to do more research and learn about what this data means so I am more informed as an athlete while allowing me lead more efficient workouts. That said, the screens are endlessly customizable so the information that you can see is always at visible in a clear and easy to read layout!

I will add that if the developers are reading this I would like a more features that test my v02 max, analyze my recovery periods, and sleep while providing that in maybe a morning notification so I can see how my training is going and where I need to improve. I am not an ultra athlete so I don’t need something like a Garmin, but I did like a lot of those forward looking metrics that provide me with some predictive analysis as opposed having to input that information onto a another app to synthesize that information. Overall, this is a very good app and in love with the functionality.

Where has this been all my life? I was a diehard paying Runkeeper user for 10+ years but watched it steadily stagnate over the past few years (don't even get me started on their buggy Apple Watch app). I tried Strava five different times over the course of several years but kept getting annoyed by the appallingly limited utility it offers serious runners and how insipidly dumb the whole social self-promotion component of it was. Tried the default Apple Watch Activities app, which to its credit, at least worked consistently and wasn't as bug riddled as the other running apps, but kept bumping into customization limitations, especially with the layout of the Watch app screens. Tried Nike Run Club twice and was instantly turned off by the social aspect and the dumb inspirational coaching. Finally found this app through some Reddit and Quora discussions and decided to give it a try. WOW! I'm only about a month into using it, but I'm still blown away by all the customization capabilities. This is clearly an app developed by serious runners for runners, not by the marketing department of a lifestyle brand. I've only begun to scratch the surface of what this app does, and to be fair, it's daunting, but I'll be darned if it isn't exactly what I've been looking for all these years but didn't even know it.