Last year at this time, we set forth to make RunKeeper the leading fitness tracking app in the App Store. To achieve this goal, I knew I needed to become a true user of RunKeeper and not just a startup exec developing the product.  To help motivate myself, I decided sign up for an 11K race that was only months away.  I would need to use RunKeeper to significantly improve my running.  At the time I could barely run 2 kilometers (1.25 miles).  In only 5 months I would need to run an 11K (6.8 miles)!!  As many of you know, tracking your fitness activities with RunKeeper makes this much easier.  In August of last year, I successfully completed the 11K.  Such an incredible experience!

This year I’m stepping up my goal.  I’m going to run the same 11K race and also lose 30lbs (13.6 kgs) by August.  That’s right, 30lbs on top of the 15lbs I lost last year!  Here is why.  A side effect of last year’s training was losing 15lbs (6.8 kgs).  I wasn’t paying attention to the weight loss, it just happened as a result of training.  This year I am using our new RunKeeper integration with the WiThings scale and the new RunKeeper FitnessReports to track my weight and body fat along side my training.  Tracking my weight should have the same effect that tracking my running had last year.  By simply stepping on the WiThings scale each morning, I’ll be able to closely monitor my weight-loss and my training with RunKeeper’s FitnessReports.  I’ve set my progress report to show my weight and training progress and they are public here http://runkeeper.com/user/sheeley/reports/progress. As usual you can find my fitness activities here http://runkeeper.com/user/Sheeley/activities.

I encourage you to also set fitness goals for yourself and to take full advantage of all the RunKeeper features and services that we have to offer. Post your goals in the comment section below or simply share your activities and FitnessReports with your friends and social networks. And as always, contact us with any and all suggestions that you might have that will help us improve the entire RunKeeper system and help you achieve your fitness goals.

Wish me luck!

Michael Sheeley
CoFounder/COO RunKeeper

FitnessReports is an optional subscription service that provides you deep insight into your already-available fitness data.  For those of you that want to see how your fitness performance is progressing over time, spot areas for improvement, and see how you stack up against others on your RunKeeper Street Team, FitnessReports may be for you!

Click here to see FitnessReports in action on my user profile.

After several months of development and feedback from the beta crew, this service is now available!  It is priced at $4.99/month USD, but we have temporarily set the annual price to $19.99 USD as a thank you to our early users.  This will allow you to lock in access to the service at a significant discount, and to help shape it by providing us with valuable early feedback.

For the initial release, we are providing 3 different types of reports (Progress Reports, Analysis Reports, and Trends Reports):

Progress Reports - See how each of your fitness data types is trending over time

For example:

- how is your pace improving over time?

- how is your distance improving per activity?

- are you burning more calories per workout each month?

. . . and many more

Analysis Reports – Analyze how you perform against different criteria

For example:

- how is your pace affected by the distance of your activity?

- how does elevation affect your time or your pace?

- does your body weight affect your activity distances?

. . . and many more

Trends Reports – See how your schedule affects your performance

For example:

- do you perform more activities on the weekends or during the week?

- are you faster in the morning or the afternoon?

- do you perform more activities at the beginning of the month, or is it more evenly weighted throughout the month?

. . . and many more

Each of these FitnessReports also allows you to compare yourself to other members of your RunKeeper Street Team.

Many of you have asked for the ability to store more and more of your fitness data (i.e. heart rate data, we’ve heard you loud and clear) on RunKeeper.com.  As the amount and types of data increases, the need to gain actionable intelligence from this data gains greater importance as well.  FitnessReports will help you gain this insight in an easy to understand format.

We hope you like this new service, and get as excited about it as we are.  We have many great improvements in the works, and can’t wait to get your thoughts as we continue to improve it.  We’ve also got a bunch of new app features coming, as well as a long list of planned improvements to the free service on the web.

Stay tuned!  Much more to come.

Jason

Company – FitnessKeeper, Inc.
Position Description  – Marketing Associate (or Intern) & Apprentice to the CEO
Location – Boston, MA, USA

FitnessKeeper, Inc. is the company behind the RunKeeper mobile fitness platform, a system that leverages smartphones to enable runners and other fitness enthusiasts to better achieve their fitness goals.  Our flagship iPhone application has been downloaded more than 1 million times, and was recently named by TIME Magazine as one of the top ten iPhone apps of 2009.

Our engagement with the RunKeeper community through our support forum, our blog, our Facebook fan page, and Twitter (among others), has been a real differentiator for us.  It has enabled us to provide our users with incredible support, it has humanized the brand by engaging directly with our users as people, and it has given us a powerful feedback loop so we can keep a pulse on what the community wants and incorporate that input into our product roadmap as we continue to grow.

Until now, all of this customer support and user interaction has come directly from me.  As the size of our company and user community grow, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for me to continue to handle all of these communications directly.  I need help!

We would love to bring on an additional resource in this area, but it is critical that the transition is seamless and that quality is not sacrificed in the process.  We are looking to bring in someone to serve as an ‘apprentice to the CEO’ in the marketing/customer support function, who will take on increasing responsibilities over time and ultimately lead this function for the company.

This is one of the most critical roles in the company.  If done right, it could do wonders as far as scaling this function in the same image as it was created, and really taking the user support function and RunKeeper in general to the next level.  If done wrong, it could have dire consequences, as we will essentially be screwing up one of the things that makes RunKeeper most special.

We are open to either an intern (maybe a college senior who will graduate in May?) or a more experienced hire.  Most importantly, this person needs to be a culture fit with the company, a personality fit with the team, and a natural as far as customer support and user engagement.  Even better if you are a RunKeeper user already.

Interested candidates should write me directly at jason.jacobs(at)fitnesskeeper.com. No rules on what to submit, but including an explanation of what is appealing to you about the company and why you are a good match for the role would be a good start.  YouTube videos or other creative submissions are also encouraged, although not required.

Looking forward to receiving your responses!

Jason (FitnessKeeper CEO & Founder)

In addition to surpassing our millionth download this weekend (!!!!), we are pleased to announce that we have completed integration with Withings, the Internet connected Body Scale, which is the first Wi-Fi body scale that is connected to the Internet.  This scale has been generating quite a bit of excitement, as it enables you to track your daily weigh-ins so you can measure how your weight fluctuates over time.  And now you can store each of these weigh-ins directly to your RunKeeper profile just by stepping on the scale!

Why is this Important?

It is important for two reasons.  One, weight is one of the key inputs to our calories burned formula, which means your calories burned when using RunKeeper will be more accurate since it is easier to keep your weight up-to-date.  Two, now you will be able to track how your weight is trending over time.  And once we launch FitnessReports (coming soon), you will also be able to see how this data correlates with other metrics like weekly running distances, pace per mile/km, etc.

Why else is this Important?

It is also important because it is the first non-iPhone device that we are integrating with.  Over time, you can expect that RunKeeper will not only continue to improve the iPhone app(s), but will expand to other smartphone platforms and integrate with other devices (like the Withings scale) that provide frictionless ways to store the fitness data that you most care about.

Where can I get one?

You can purchase the Withings scale here.  Once you get it, follow the Withings setup instructions that come with the scale, log into your RunKeeper account, and go to http://runkeeper.com/my/settings/bodyMeasurements.   After that, enter your Withings email and password and hit submit.  If there is more than one user set up for your Withings account, select the user in the light box that shows up.

Can I still track this data without a Withings scale?

Yes, you can also enter this data manually at the same link, http://runkeeper.com/my/settings/bodyMeasurements

Try it out, and let us know what you think!  Looking forward to showing you everything that comes next.  It is going to be a busy next few weeks

Jason

What a crazy year it has been!  I can’t believe how much RunKeeper has changed and evolved, and I want to personally thank each one of you for coming along with us for the ride!

Who would have thought that this little bootstrapped company that entered 2009 would be entering 2010 as a funded 4-person company with a great team of employees/investors/advisors, an award-winning product, an incredible community, and a clear direction and roadmap that should lead to a breakout 2010!

We’ve been thrilled and honored by some of our recent accolades:
-    Time Magazine named us top ten iPhone app of 2009
-    CNET named us one of ten favorite iPhone apps of 2009
-    Lifehacker included us on their Best of 2009 list
-    Named Best Location-Based Mobile App in Mashable’s Open Web Awards

We’ll be over a million downloads soon, and we’re also almost ready to roll out Fitness Reports, our first optional premium service (in private beta now, more info on this soon).   We have some exciting announcements coming as far as other devices as well, both smartphones and otherwise.  And of course, we’ve got more improvements to the iPhone app(s) in the works!

There is a lot that lies ahead of us, but as the year closes I find myself looking back and reflecting a bit as to how we got to this point.  It all comes back to one amazing thing, and that is the power of the RunKeeper community (that’s you!).  Without you, we wouldn’t have feedback streaming in on where to take the product next.  We wouldn’t have a viral marketing army out evangelizing RunKeeper to the world.  And we wouldn’t have the Pro downloads that have given us the short-term resources to build out the rest of the product roadmap faster.

And we hope we have given as much as we have received.  We hope you feel like we are providing a valuable service that is improving all the time, that we are responsive when you have issues, and that we truly value your feedback.  It is this feedback that has made RunKeeper what it is today and it is this feedback that will take the product to the next level.  We hope that you enjoy the open and transparent nature that we have tried to build the company with, and that we will continue to build the company with as we grow!

Yes, 2009 was a great year.  And for that we say ‘thank you’.  And we know that this time next year, we will be looking back on what will be an even bigger year!  I can speak for the entire RunKeeper team when I say that we are grateful and humbled, and that we can’t wait to see what 2010 has in store.

Hold on tight everyone, it is time for chapter two!

Jason

We have some quick news we wanted to share with you. . .

RunKeeper Pro 2.0 is Now Live

It’s been almost 1.5 years since we launched the first RunKeeper application.  During that time, we learned a lot about what runners want when it comes to your data.  RunKeeper Pro 2.0 has the same core functionality, but has been fundamentally redesigned so all of the data that you care about most (based on your feedback over many months) is at your fingertips during your activity!

Key changes:

• both current and average pace/speed on the main tracking screen
• improved photo taking
• improved layout and data  access
• swiping between screens
• run stats on the map screen
• easier to access splits and training workout display
• calories burned in-app as well as the website
• new start screen
• easier to define pre-set settings
• easier to toggle between GPS mode and manual activity input

You can get this new application here.

We believe you will find it to be a much more intuitive user experience.  Once you try it, let us know what you think!  In addition to the improved in-app experience, the new design also makes room for significiant additional functionality, which we plan to add to the application in the coming months.  Stay tuned!

12/12/09 Addendum: If you have purchased RunKeeper Pro in the past, this is a free upgrade and you will not be charged again.

LeWeb Recap

We returned tonight from a great few days in Paris at LeWeb.  We had fun in the startup competition (see minute 27:54 for the RunKeeper presentation), and although we didn’t win, we got a great shout-out on the main stage from the judges and got a lot of great visbility and exposure.  Thanks to all of you who gave us the terrific virtual support! It was a fantastic few days in Paris, and we can’t wait to come back next year.

Mashable Update

And finally, just a reminder that there are only 2 more days left of Mashable voting—Saturday and Sunday!  To those that have been doing such a terrific job supporting us with this—THANK YOU!  Cast your final votes for the Open Web Awards here.

That’s all for now!

Jason

Hi Everyone,

We wanted to check in briefly to keep you posted on the latest RunKeeper news. . .

RunKeeper Beta Program

We have had an informal beta program up to this point with a very small group of RunKeeper users who test new releases before they are live, help us shape new features and stomp out bugs.  As we grow and accelerate our development efforts, it feels like a good time to formalize this program.  This means there are a select number of beta slots available to interested users.

Selection criteria:
-    must be a RunKeeper Pro user
-    must have done at least one activity in the last 30 days
-    must have at least 25 activities completed in total using RunKeeper
-    must be eager to test new builds, thorough with your testing, and provide detailed feedback

We expect that there will be far more interest than there are slots available, so don’t be disappointed if you are not initially selected.  We will keep a waiting list and plan to shuffle people through as slots open up.

Interested users should send a note to support@runkeeper.com with ‘beta tester’ in the subject.

Funding

We are proud and excited to inform you that we raised our first round of outside capital—$400K from an incredible group of  investors including LaunchCapital (Boston-based seed fund), Dave Balter (BzzAgent CEO), Don McLagan (former Compete.com CEO), and a handful of other individual investors.  Some press coverage of the funding is here and here.

The reasons for raising were twofold:

1)    As you know, we’ve got a huge product roadmap to get through, and we wanted to accelerate our development efforts and get there faster.
2)    In addition to the money, the investors who are participating are incredibly accomplished and bring lots of relevant skills and knowledge, and we are as excited about the people involved as we are about the cash.

It has been a long haul since I quit my job to start RunKeeper in May 2008, and there is no question we could not have gotten this far without all of you!  Thanks so much for the terrific support, and we are thrilled to continue to evolve RunKeeper together.

LeWeb Startup Competition

The LeWeb Startup Competition is sneaking right up, December 9th and 10th in Paris.  As we mentioned previously, we were one of 16 teams selected to present out of several hundred that applied.  Stay tuned, we expect to have a couple of big product announcements when we are on that stage!  Sufficed to say it may be a good time to get into the beta program (hint, hint).

Mashable OpenWebAwards Voting Reminder

Finally, if you haven’t been voting for us in the Mashable OpenWebAwards, there is still time to do so!  The link is here and you can vote once per day between now and December 13.  If you want a daily reminder, send a note to support@runkeeper.com with ‘daily reminder’ in the subject.

That’s all of the news for now!

Jason

As most of you know, Apple does not allow 3rd party applications to run in the background.  This means if you exit RunKeeper for any reason, including answering the phone, we are required to pause.  But, what you may not know is that after you answer the phone, you can immediately hit the home button, re-open RunKeeper, and resume tracking while you are talking!

In other words, RunKeeper can not run in the background, but your phone call can.  I hope that is helpful!

Jason

The below is an email we received yesterday from RunKeeper user Kevin Robins, that we are reprinting with Kevin’s permisson:

Jason,

I just wanted to take the time while I’m resting my legs to say a very big thank you!

I was a heavy smoker for twenty years (despite only being 32) and never exercised or played sports until a year ago this week (25^th November) when I stopped smoking and ran around the block for the first time. I found very quickly a real passion for running but suffered a lot of injury and problems in the first few months, probably from so many years of sitting on the couch and very nearly gave up. That was when I found Runkeeper… and I don’t really know how to explain just how much of an impact it has had motivationally, but it’s been HUGE!!! I’ve gone from 8 miles a week in January to between 40 and 50 miles a week now (a total of 1,460 miles with Runkeeper!!). There’s been a lot of pain along the way, but something about trying to beat my last time, and last week’s total, and last month’s total that has meant I’ve been out running in all weather, with blisters on blisters on top of blisters… and I can’t remember the last time I was able to walk down the stairs properly.

I guess I don’t have to tell you every last little thing I like about RK since you built it, but the latest addition of Average Pace is my favourite! When I’m talking people into using RK PRO I tell them that as a tool for the job at 5.99 it’s perfect, but as a companion for running it’s priceless. I’ve had the odd glitch but never disappointed, in fact I had to use a 2G iPhone for a few months after my 3G one got wet (it records the time and a few points, so you can edit reasonably to keep the records straight).

Question I keep asking myself though, and I do have a lot of time to think in between the mile markers, is whether I enjoy running and use RK to track runs, or whether I enjoy using RK and run to give it something to track.

Anyway, I know I’m clearly a bit crazy, but I decided back in January that I was going to mark my 1^st year anniversary of stopping smoking by running the Florence Marathon and that is exactly what I’ll be doing next Sunday! My target time is 3 hours 15 minutes. A hard target for my first, but I don’t do things half heartedly and that’s what I’ve been training all year for.

So, I just wanted to say thank you, for all the effort you’ve put into the developments over the last year, rest assured that each and every update and feature has been appreciated!

http://runkeeper.com/user/KRO348

Oh, and I think I invented a new strange use for RK:

“GPS painting”, or at least “leaving a picture or message in your GPS trail”. I tried running up and down a bit to spell “I love RK” in the middle of a run… but it didn’t work very well, edited version below I’m sure gives you the idea… blimey, looking at it now, this is just an example of how over-training and dehydration can affect the brain…

For all of you that nominated us for Best Location Based Mobile App in Mashable’s Open Web Awards over the last few weeks, we have some exciting news. . . we were one of the top 5 in the category and made it to the finals!  This is an amazing honor, and even more amazing given how many great location based mobile apps there are, and the caliber of the other finalists (Foursquare, Google Maps, etc.).

Even making it this far is an amazing feat for this tiny company from Boston.  And it is also a real testament to all of you!  We’re on a mission to prove that, with a great product and a strong community, a small company can act REALLY big!

So, it’s great that we made it this far, but now, we NEED to go all the way.  The voting for the finals opened up today, and remains open until December 13th.  Each person is allowed to vote once per category each and every day between now and then!

So, take this post as a call to action.  Together, let’s show the world what the RK community can do!  Us against the titans, and we’ll win—I can visualize it so clearly!  It won’t be easy, but I just know it can be done.

In order to vote:

1) Go to this website: http://mashable.com/owa/votes/category/23?c=23

2) Sign in with Twitter or Facebook Connect by hitting one of those buttons at the top

3) Select ‘Best Location Based Mobile App’ in the ‘For’ section, select ‘RunKeeper’ in the ‘I vote for’ section, and hit ‘Submit’

You can do so once per day between now and December 13th at midnight.

For those that want a daily reminder from the RunKeeper team to vote between now and the deadline, email us at support(at)runkeeper.com and we’ll add you to the list.

We’ll see how this goes!  I am confident we can do this if we rally around it together, and I am ecstatic about the powerful message it will send the world when we are successful.

We’ll keep you posted on how this goes, and THANK YOU!

Jason