I bought a smartwatch to become a better runner. It just gave me more questions.
Am I actually getting faster? Is this training load safe? When should I race? My watch tracked everything but answered nothing. So I built the tool I was looking for.
Hi, I'm Max
A year ago, I laced up my first pair of real running shoes. Within weeks, I was hooked. I bought a Garmin, started logging every run, and fell in love with the data: splits, heart rate, cadence, HRV, sleep scores. Hundreds of numbers flowing in every single day.
But here's the thing nobody tells you: having data and understanding data are two completely different things. I'd stare at my Garmin Connect dashboard and ask simple questions. "Am I getting fitter or just more tired?" "Is it safe to add mileage this week?" "When will I be ready to race?" Silence.
So I did what any frustrated software developer would do. I exported my CSV files, opened a spreadsheet, and started applying the sports science I'd been reading about. The Banister model for fitness and fatigue. ACWR for injury risk. Daniels-Gilbert formula for race predictions. The same frameworks Olympic coaches have relied on since the 1970s.
The difference was immediate. For the first time, I could see my fitness trajectory. I caught a dangerous training spike before it became an injury. I timed my first race when my TSB said I was peaking. The numbers weren't just numbers anymore. They were decisions.
That spreadsheet became a dashboard. The dashboard became Runima. Because if these metrics could transform a beginner's training, they could help anyone who takes running seriously.
I looked at every tool out there. None of them did what I needed.
Garmin Connect shows you what happened. Strava shows you who's watching. TrainingPeaks charges you $120/year. None of them answer the question that matters: what should I do next?
| Feature | Runima | Garmin Connect | Strava | TrainingPeaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activity Logging | ||||
| Progression Analysis | Basic | Premium | ||
| CTL/ATL/TSB (Fitness/Fatigue/Form) | Basic | Premium | ||
| Injury Risk (ACWR) | ||||
| HRV + Sleep Recovery Analysis | Separate | |||
| Daily Readiness Score | Premium devices | |||
| VO₂max Race Strategy Planner | Basic | |||
| Transparent Methodology | ||||
| Price | Free | Free | $80/yr | $120/yr |
| Ease of Use | Simple | Simple | Simple | Complex |
I didn't invent anything. I applied what already works.
Every metric in Runima comes from peer-reviewed research. These are the same models Olympic coaches, sports scientists, and professional teams have relied on for decades. I just made them accessible — every formula documented, every threshold cited, no black boxes.
Banister Training Load Model
Est. 1975CTL/ATL/TSB — The gold standard for tracking fitness, fatigue, and form. Developed by Dr. Eric Banister and used by Olympic coaches to time peak performance for competition.
CTL: Your 42-day fitness trend (chronic training load)
ATL: Your 7-day fatigue level (acute training load)
TSB: Your form on any given day (CTL minus ATL)
Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio
Research-BackedACWR — The metric that changed how I train. When your recent load spikes above your long-term average, injury risk climbs. This is how professional rugby, cricket, and football teams protect their athletes.
Safe zone: 0.8 – 1.3 (the sweet spot)
Caution: 1.3 – 1.5 (back off a little)
High risk: > 1.5 (injury waiting to happen)
Daniels' Running Formula
Jack DanielsEvidence-based training paces — Dr. Jack Daniels' formula converts your VO₂max into the exact paces you should be running for each workout type. No guessing. No ego-pacing.
Five zones: Easy, Marathon, Threshold, Interval, Repetition
Each zone targets a specific physiological adaptation backed by decades of research.
Heart Rate Variability Analysis
Clinical GradeHRV readiness scoring — Your nervous system's honest assessment of recovery. High HRV means you're recovered and ready for intensity. Low HRV means your body is still processing yesterday's effort.
Z-scored against your personal baseline, not a population average.
Combined with sleep quality and resting HR for a composite readiness score.
A first-year runner shouldn't improve this fast. But the data doesn't lie.
These are my actual results. Not cherry-picked. Not fabricated. Just what happens when you stop guessing and start making decisions based on real metrics.
VO₂max
+6Steady fitness progression tracked through weekly trends.
Marathon Pace
−40s40 seconds per km faster through structured training.
Training Injuries
−2ACWR monitoring caught overtraining before it happened.
Resting Heart Rate
−16Clear cardiovascular adaptation and improved fitness.
If you take running seriously, this was built for you.
Runima isn't for everyone. It's for runners who want to understand their training, not just log it. Whether you're chasing a PR or just trying to stay healthy, the analytics are the same.
Marathon Runners
Training for your first or fastest 26.2. You need to build endurance without breaking down — and know exactly when you'll be ready to race.
Competitive Runners
Chasing PRs, Boston qualifiers, or podium finishes. Every second matters, and you want the same metrics your competitors' coaches use.
Data-Driven Athletes
You already export to Excel. You already calculate TSS manually. You just need a tool that does it better, faster, and doesn't hide the formulas.
Injury-Prone Runners
Tired of stress fractures and forced rest. ACWR monitoring catches the training spike 7-14 days before you feel the damage.
Comeback Athletes
Coming back from injury or time off. You need smart load management to rebuild safely — not a generic 'couch to 5K' plan.
Smartwatch Users
You already own the hardware. You already have the data. You just need something that actually does something useful with it.
Why "Runima"?
The name is a small piece of Spanish wordplay. Two words sit inside it: build your core and keep your spirits up while you do it. That's the whole idea behind Runima.
ánima — soul, core
Your aerobic engine, your base, the foundation everything else is built on. Runima is here to help you grow it — patiently, on the strength of real data.
¡ánimo! — cheer up!
The word you'll hear shouted from the crowd at any marathon in the Spanish-speaking world. Encouragement, mid-effort, exactly when you need it most.
This started as a personal project.
It doesn't have to stay that way.
Runima is in early access. The features are real, the analytics are live, and it's completely free. But it's also just the beginning.
Every early user helps shape what comes next. If you've ever thought "I wish this tool existed" — it does now. And your feedback will make it better.
Free. No credit card. Import your data in 2 minutes.