When Should I Run? OutSider App Review

Around here, our weather changes as often as … the weather. OK, maybe that analogy won’t work because it’s not an analogy, but if you live in the mid-Atlantic region, you know what I mean. In the winter, our high temperatures may vary by 20 degrees on a given day. In the summer, we generally bounce from the mid-to upper-80s to the lower- to mid-90s, but that’s only part of the story. If the humidity is low, a 90 degree day can feel nice, but if the humidity is high, even early morning temperatures in the low 70s can feel oppressive.

Our unpredictable weather makes planning my weekly workouts a real guessing game–when should I run? when should I opt for an air conditioned spinning class? when am I mostly likely to survive a track workout? That’s why I was so excited to hear about a new free app by the people behind the Weather Channel®. I know I’m not the only runner who obsesses about the weather, so I figured others would be interested in an OutSider app review (right now it’s only available for  the iPhone).

(Source: OutSider on the iTunes App Store)

OutSider is marketed as a way to see how the weather impacts your performance, but the feature that I am most interested in is what they call the “Run Weather Index.”

OutSider uses a patent-pending process that uses biometeorological factors (such as air quality, humidity, temperature, wind, precipitation, cloud cover and rain) to determine – and even forecast – your optimal run conditions.

I love that the RWI is based on so many different factors, and that you can customize your RWI profile if you are more or less impacted by air quality, humidity, temperature, etc. 

The Run Planner screen shows 48-hour and 10-day RWI forecasts to make it easier to decide when to run. You can plan runs in the app, and if you give it access to your calendar, it will create calendar events for your runs. 

The app also has tracking, routing, and analytic features, but I am not as interested in those capabilities. I already use my  Garmin for detailed running data, my Jawbone UP to track my steps, and my Milestone Pod to track my shoe mileage! 

I’ve already downloaded OutSider and used it to figure out my workout schedule this week. (It indicated that Wednesday would have the best weather for an early morning run, unless I could beat the rain on Monday.)

[Tweet “A look at the new OutSider App for #running weather data”]

Do you check the weather forecast before you plan your runs?

How many ways do you track and log your workouts?