On Wednesday, June 11, Garmin announced an application programming interface partnership with runcoach. But what does that actually mean for you and how do you take advantage?
You may have been enjoying your runcoach schedule and recording your workouts directly into the log. However, if you use a device to track your actual pace and distance while running, such as a Garmin device, runcoach has made it very simple to load these runs directly into your account.
Sign into runcoach, click on “Training” and select the “Sync Devices” button. You’ll be prompted to enter your Garmin Connect username and password. Your accounts will sync up and begin to communicate when you provide input, allowing you to save time and protect accuracy by loading your actual information into your runcoach log when you upload your Garmin data.
Note: Even if your Garmin device is set to your time zone, your Garmin Connect account might not be. Garmin Connect defaults everyone to Greenwich Mean Time. GMT is 4-7 hours ahead of most of our members so if you do an evening run it might show up on the following day.
Before your initial sync, we recommend checking this setting on the Garmin Connect site. Log on and then go to your Display Preferences: http://connect.garmin.com/settings
Our system works best for you when the information it receives is as accurate as possible. While a convenience for our users, connectivity such as the partnership with Garmin also helps runcoach work more effectively and craft your individual plan even more specifically.
Clicking on the Sync Devices button on your training schedule will also reveal that you can sync your runcoach device with Nike+, RunKeeper, and Fitbit. No matter which of these devices or systems you use to record your activity, runcoach is recognized by these organizations as a tool many of their customers are using to good advantage, just as runcoach understands that our users are enthusiastic customers of these companies and rely on these devices and their data on a daily basis.
Do you need to use one of these devices to make your runcoach schedule serve your needs? No, but as a technology company ourselves, we hope to grow alongside the increasing capability of devices that help our athletes get the most out of their running, and we look forward to similar future developments and progress. Enjoy syncing with Garmin and more importantly, enjoy the runs that create all that data!