iRunTime

Found here in the appstore

Introduction

Modern stopwatches offer a great array of possibilities. Using them it is easy to get lost in the many buttons and options in the configuration. In the midst of your run It is even easier to lose the overview on the huge amount of information presented. Another limitation is the size and brightness of the average watch display. It requires a good unassisted eye-sight. In dim light it’s even harder, provided you can find the light button.

iRunTime utilizes all of the richness of the iPhone. The readability of the large and bright display pales any watch. The big touchscreen and huge computing power are the base for a fully personalized information and user interface. The fast and accurate GPS provides all information for speed, distance and route tracking. iRuntime is a set of configurable stopwatches where each stopwatch only contains the information you need at the specific part of your run.

For instance the overall time and distance as well as the average speed.

In iRunTime the display of the content is configurable.The gorgeous screen of the iPhone can accommodate sizes large enough to be very easy readable. Besides the size also the format is configurable. In the format you specify things as whether to display 10ths of a second or whether to display distance in meters or kilometers. The format can also contain custom text.

A second example watch contains the information for another part of your run. For instance a countdown timer for an interval training accompanied by a lap timer.

It takes a finger swipe to switch between the watches.

The watches can run at the same time. Each watch is started and stopped individually. In iRunTime the number of watches as well as their content is fully configurable.

Using the stopwatch

After startup iRunTime displays the stopwatch.

 The default factory configuration does show:

• Time elapsed. Hours, minutes and seconds
• Distance covered. In kilometers
• Current speed. In kilometers per hour.
• Current speed in minutes per km.
• Average speed in minutes per km

To the right there are three buttons.

• Menu. Enter the configuration menu.
• Reset. Reset the time and distance covered to 0.
• Start. Start the watch

Tap the start button and the watch starts counting.

The start button has turned into a stop button and the reset button is hidden. Tap the stop button to pause the watch.

Tapping start again will resume the watch.

To switch to another watch swipe the screen. In an up-down direction when the watch is in landscape view, in a left to right direction when the watch is in portrait view. In the factory configuration two watches are active.

Setting the orientation

Every screen in iRuntime adapts to the iPhone’s actual orientation. The current orientation can be locked in the menu.

• Tap the menu button
• Select Lock – orientation

Locking, standby and app switching

In the default settings your iPhone will go to standby mode when it is not touched for 2 minutes of time. iRuntime will always keep running your timers and recording your track, also when you switch to another app or your iPhone goes to standby and the screen is blank. To keep the screen visible prevent the iPhone going to standby

• Tap menu
• Select Lock Standby mode

Note: this will only work as long as iRunTime is the active foreground app. When switching to another app iRuntime will keep running but it will no longer prevent the iPhone entering standby mode.

GPS and route tracking

For measuring distance and speed iRuntime uses the iPhone’s built in GPS to determine your location. The location’s precision highly varies. On the iPhone 4 it can be as precise as 2 meters. Due to variations in atmospheric and environmental conditions an error of several 100’s of meters is possible. The latter leads to unacceptable errors in speed and distance. The default desired accuracy in iRuntime is set to 20m. Change this accuracy while training the GPS

• Tap menu
• Select Map and GPS – Train GPS

Tap the start button to start training.

A sound marks every reception of a position. It's accuracy and the speed reported by GPS are displayed. Move the slider to change the desired accuracy. Choose a level which works within your circumstances.

The GPS is switched on as long there is a running watch which records distance or speed. A watch which only records time will not switch on the GPS. The activity of the GPS is displayed in the status bar.

Map and routes

When the GPS is running the track followed is recorded in a route. All watches share one and the same route. To follow the route in real time on the map while a watch is running .

• Tap menu
• Select Map and GPS – View map

The purple pin indicates the current position. It is updated every time the GPS receives a new position within the desired accuracy.

The route followed so far is displayed in red. It is also updated every time a new position is reported. Tap anywhere on the route to get specific information on the waypoint.

When all watches have stopped a route is saved on your iPhone. Browse and view the routes on date.

• Tap menu
• Select Map and GPS – View routes
• Spin the selectors to select a date

Routes recorded on this date are listed by start time. Select one by tapping. The route summary shows up.

If desired the route can be given a descriptive name.

This name will show up in the route selector.

Select View on Map to display the route on the map. Also here tapping the route pops up information on the waypoint

Several routes can be merged into one. In the details screen the route preceding and following the current route are listed (when present). Tap the route and confirm to merge two routes into one. The later route is always appended to the earlier one.

Routes are deleted in the route selection screen. This is done on the standard iPhone way. Tap the edit button

or strike out the route.

Once deleted a route is gone forever!

Lap timer

When the watch configuration contains a lap timer the running watch displays a lap button.

Tap the button to record a lap. The lap time is inserted on the display. As an extra option it is accompanied by the distance covered in the lap.

The number of laps to display as well as the distance option is set in the watch configuration.

When the watch is stopped the lap button disappears. Tapping reset clears the lap list.

Interval training

iRuntime offers several ways to do an interval training; either based on a timespan or on a distance. In an interval training high stages alternate with low stages. In a high stage you build up power, the low stage is recovery time. iRuntime plays the script to guide you through the training.

A countdown timer displays the time or distance to go in the stage. In red for a high intesity stage, in green for a low intensity stage. The progress bar shows your progress by highlighting the current stage. The progress bar is also be used to switch to a different stage by hand. Tap the intended stage to resume training there.

Set the stages in the watch configuration. Besides alternating a fixed high and a low stage iRuntime offers pyramid training and custom scheme’s.

Configuring the watch

Every stopwatch is fully configurable. To configure

• Tap menu
• Select configure watch

A watch has several overall properties

• A name
• A switch whether to display the name
• A switch determining the watches visibility. (This can only be set in the watch library)
• The color of the watch sidebar.

To change the sidebar color tap the colored button and compose a new color with the sliders.

The upper three sliders set the amount of red, green and blue in the watch color. The fourth slider determines the alpha value. A smaller alpha value results in transparanet colors. Sometimes this leads to the border of another watch shining through.

A watch consists of parts. Every piece of information you want to display has it’s own part. The screen lists the parts used in this specific watch. Rearranging and removing parts is done on the standard iPhone way.

• Tap edit

Drag the parts by the move icon to a desired order. Delete a part by tapping the delete icon.

To add a new part to the list tap the last item in the list “Add new part”. A list of available parts shows up.

Selecting one adds a new part with default values.

Change the detail setting of a part by tapping the part.

Part properties

A part is described by a couple of properties. Several of these properties are shared by different part types.

Size

The size of a part describes the font size used and thus the amount of screen space the part will take. Set the part size by moving the slider.

As a preview an 0 of the selected size is shown.

Format

The format describes how the part’s information is presented. A format describes what shows up on the screen, the precision of the information as well as any legend. Choose a format from the list of default formats. Or create your own format string. A format string contains numbered placeholders, these are enclosed by curly braces ({}). A placeholder looks like {0} or {1}. All other text in a format is literally displayed. A full format string looks like “I have walked {2} kilometers and {3} meters”. Placeholders can contain more detailed format specifiers. Like “I have walked {2:##0} kilometers and {3:000} meters”. Using this format displays “I have walked 12 kilometers and 007 meters” on the watch.

Most used format specifiers:

• # : present a numeric digit, when the digit is 0 present nothing
• 0 : present a numeric digit. When the digit is 0 present an 0.
• . : place of decimal digit.

A note for the technically interested: these formats are .NET format strings, a link to full overview is found below for each property.

Time span

Placeholders in a time span

• 0 The number of hours
• 1 The number of minutes
• 2 The number of seconds
• 3 The number of 10ths of a second

All numbers are integers. A full overview of format possibilities.

Distance span

Placeholders in a distance span

• 0 The number of kilometers
• 1 The number of meters
• 2 The integer number of kilometers (i.e. 42 in a distance of 42.135 km)
• 3 The remaining number of meters (1.e. 135 in a distance of 42.135 km)

Placeholder 0 is a double, the other are integers. A full overview on formatting these here.

Speed

A speed is expressed in kilometers (Or mile) per hour or minutes per kilometer (mile). In the latter case the speed is displayed as a timespan.

Placeholders in speed

• 0 Speed in km/h
• 1 The integer number of kilometers in the speed (i.e. 12 in 12.34)
• 2 The remaining number of meters in the speed (i.e 34 in 12.34)

Placeholder 0 is a double, the other are integers. A full overview on formatting possibilities here.

Clock

The clock part presents current time and date. The clock part has only one placeholder, which holds both date and time. The amount of presentation possibilities is huge. The default formats contain some good examples. Look here for a full overview .

Stopwatch part

Stopwatch properties

• Format
• Size

Lap timer part

Lap timer properties

• Repeat count. This is the maximum number of laps which is displayed. When set to loop the list grows without limit leading to lap times eventually scrolling of the screen.
• Format of the lap time
• Distance format. When the lap button is tapped the lap time is shown together with the distance covered in the lap. Leave the format blank if you do not want to display the lap’s distance.
• Size

Distance part

Distance properties

• Format
• Size

Speed part

This watch contains three speed parts

Speed properties

• Display the current speed, the maximum speed, the average speed or the trajectspeed.
• Unit. Display the speed in kilometers per hour or in minutes per kilometer
• Format
• Size

The current speed as reported by the GPS has a tendency to fluctuate. The amount of fluctuation depends on location, atmospheric condition and the actual speed itself. To dampen this fluctuation speed can also be calculated over a traject. Over the last 50 meters usually leads to a more pleasant display when running.

Tap speedtraject to measure speed over a traject. Doing so shows a distance selector

Race progress part

In a race part you follow the progress of a race. A countdown timer shows the distance to go. Any number of expected end times, based on the progress over a given number of last meters, is presented.

Race progress properties

• Distance of the full race
• Format to present the distance
• Size
• Expected times

Tapping expected times lead to a new screen showing time expectations

Tap an expectation to set the details

Time expectation properties

• Format
• Distance. The average speed over this distance is used to calculate the expected time. When that distance has not been covered yet, the distance covered so far is used.
• Update frequency. How often is the expected time recalculated ?
• Size

Interval training part

The interval part assist you in doing interval training. Such a training is based on alternating high and low stage of time or distance. The high stage trains to build op power, the low stages give time to recover. iRunTime guides you with visual and acoustic alerts while training. The progress bar gives, beside providing overall information on the training progress, the opportunity to switch to another part in the training by tapping the intended part.

A basic interval training is a repeating alternation of the same high and low stage.

Interval properties

• Format of the interval timespan or distance
• Size
• Base. The duration of the stages is either based on a timespan or distance covered
• High stage. A time span or a distance
• Low stage. A time span or a distance
• Repeat. The number of times to repeat the stages. When set to loop the interval is repeated over and over again, until the watch is stopped
• Size progress bar. A larger bar is easier to tap

Pyramid interval training

A pyramid is another form of interval training. Here the duration (or length) of the high stage is increased in every step until it reaches the top. After that the duration (or length) is decreased on every step.

Pyramid properties

• Format of the stage timespan or distance
• Size
• Base. The duration of the stages is based on a timespan or a distance covered
• Start.  Timespan or distance of the first stage
• Top. Timespan or distance of the top stage
• Step size. Timespan or distance of increment
• Low. Timespan or distance of the low stage alternating the (varying) high parts.
• Size progress bar.

Custom interval training

A custom interval training is based on stages of which intensity, timespan and distance are all custom set.

Custom scheme properties

• Format of the stage timespan or distance
• Size
• Base. The duration of the stages is based on a timespan or on a distance covered.
• Stages
• Size progress bar.

Tapping stages shows the stages of the scheme.

Tap a (new) stage to set distance/size and intensity

Clock part

The clock part is also updated when the stopwatch is stopped

Clock properties

• Format
• Size

Metronome part

In Chi-running practice keeping the right pace is very important. The metronome part provides visual and acoustic feedback to keep your pace. By tapping the flashing light the metronome is silenced; the light keeps flashing. After tapping it again playing resumes.

Metronome properties

• Bpm. The number of beats per minute. On every beep a note is played.
• Beats. The metronome plays a high note and flashes red on every first beat. On every other beat the metronome plays a low note and flashes green. The setting loop stands for 0 beats, all low.  That is ta-ta-ta…. A beat of 1 results in only high beats, that is ti-ti-ti.. 2 beats results in ti-ta-ti-ta-ti-ta.., 3 beats in ti-ta-ta-ti-ta-ta… And so on.
• Size. This is the size of the flashing light

Note1: When iRunTime switches to the background the metronome keeps playing. However its rhythm is not guaranteed to stay regular.

Note2: The metronome flashlight also serves as a great safety light when running in the dark.

Separator part

A separator part has no functionality. It only serves to customize the layout of a watch

Separator property

• Size

Reset to factory settings

iRuntime comes with a set of preconfigured watches. To restore these

• Tap menu
• Tap Reset to factory settings
• Confirm

All changes to the watches and all new watches created will be lost !

Watch library

iRuntime has a library of watches. To access that

• Tap menu
• Tap Watch library

The watches are further customized from here. Sorting watches and delete existing ones on the default iPhone way by tapping Edit. The sort order in the list determines the order of the watches when swiping in the stopwatch.

Tap a watch to change it’s settings. This is done exactly in the same as configuring the current watch except for the visible switch being enabled. Only watches marked as visible do show up in the stopwatch. This way there is a large array of watches in stock while you are only confronted with only the ones needed for the training occasion.

Sounds and alerts

To provide additional feedback extra alerts are configurable.

• Tap menu
• Tap sounds and alerts

Vibrate on action

When set the following action result in the iPhone vibrating

• Tapping the start-stop button
• Tapping the lap timer
• In an interval training switch from a low to a high stage or vice versa

Countdown

Counting down in an interval training or in a race progress additional sounds and visual alerts can be set. The frequency of these alerts is set here

• Countdown time interval. The amount of time between two alerts.
• Countdown distance interval. The distance covered between two alerts

Alerts available

• Play countdown sound. In a high interval a number of high tones is sounded. In a low interval a number of low tones. The number of tones is determined by the number of intervals to go till countdown completion. With a countdown time interval of one minute that makes four pings for four minutes to go, three for three minutes, tow for two minutes, etc. With a countdown interval of 3 minutes that is 4 pings at 12 minutes to go, 3 at 9 minutes, 2 at 6, etc. The maximum number of pings is  4.
• Flash countdown. The countdown display of time or distance flashes when the interval is completed.

Units

GPS and iRuntime work internally in meters. All stopwatch information can be displayed in several other units as well

• Kilometers
• Miles
• Nautical miles
• Metric miles (1500 meter)

The configuration of the watches is always done in meters.

• Tap menu
• Tap Units