Mar 02, 2017

Rowing Apps + SportTracks

Integrating with the Concept2 Rower, PainSled, and Rowsandall

Like runners, cyclists, and triathletes, competitive rowers also utilize fitness tech to maximize their performance both during activities and for post-workout analysis. That's why we're happy to announce that SportTracks now offers multiple rowing data solutions for both stationary machines and on-the-water workouts.

We've partnered with the mobile app PainSled and the Rowsandall website to provide our convenient auto-sync functionality to oar-wielding athletes. When you complete a rowing workout with either of these applications, your data is automatically uploaded to SportTracks.

This is beneficial both for serious rowers and for general users who have access to the popular Concept2 rowing machine. If you go to a gym, it likely has at least one of these machines. Using our partner apps for your rowing sessions will make your workout log, training load, and performance charts all the more detailed and accurate.

Record with PainSled

PainSled is a mobile app that acts as a simple, one-page dashboard for the Concept2 rower, and as a recording device for the workout data. If your Concept2 has the PM5 Performance Monitor, you can connect to PainSled wirelessly because the PM5 supports Bluetooth LE. PainSled also works with PM2, 3, and 4 monitors over USB with the separately available iConnectConcept2 cable.

In addition to providing you with a neatly-organized display of your workout data, PainSled also enables you to easily export TCX, CSV, and JSON files, and of course, auto-sync your workouts directly to SportTracks. PainSled charges an annual $9.99 fee to use the auto-sync feature, but it provides a free month trial so you can test it out. 

The app is available to users of the Apple iPhone and iPod touch, but an Android version is coming soon. In fact, you can sign up to be a beta tester on the PainSled website and likely be up and rowing in a few weeks. 

Go deep with Rowsandall

Think of Rowsandall as being similar to SportTracks, but with all of its analytical tools focused solely on rowing. Like SportTracks, you use third-party mobile apps and devices to record your workout data. Here are the Rowsandall tracking options:

  • PainSled (Apple iOS devices)
  • ErgData and BoatCoach (Android)
  • RowPro and ErgStick (for the Concept2 indoor rower)
  • CrewNerd, Rowing in Motion, and NK SpeedCoach (for on-the-water workouts)

If you want to deeply analyze row-specific data, Rowsandall is an excellent platform to do so. To gain a better understanding of your overall fitness from a variety of sports and activities, SportTracks is the answer. What's nice is that this new integration brings your rowing workouts into SportTracks from a variety of sources.

Row with Power

Just as runners are beginning to use power meters in their training and racing, the same is the case in rowing. The first commercially-available rowing power meter, the NK EmPower Oarlock, hit the market in late 2016.

If you're the type of person who embraces cutting edge sports tech, you'll be happy to know that Rowsandall fully supports power data from the NK EmPower, and that the power data is transferred and fully supported by SportTracks. There are many ways to deeply analyze power data in SportTracks, here are a few:

  • Creating custom charts on the Analysis page
  • Analyzing individual efforts on the workout detail page
  • Listing power stats chronologically on the Workouts page 

Thanks for checking out this post! If you have any thoughts or questions about the use of rowing data in SportTracks, please share them in the Comments section below...

Article written by Sam Mallery, Director of Marketing, Zone Five Software Inc.

Comments

Nice writeup! PainSled also works with PM2-4 monitors over USB if you have the Concept2 iConnect cable.

Thanks for the helpful tip! I added this info to the article.

Are there any plans to sync directly with either ergdata or concept2's logbook?

Hi Victoria,

We don't have plans to integrate with ErgData or the Concept2 Logbook at this time.

When you think of a feature that you would like added to SportTracks, we strongly recommend sharing it on our UserVoice page:

https://sporttracks.uservoice.com

This way other users can see your request, and vote for it if they would like it implemented as well.

Thank you for commenting!

Sam

ErgData has taken some great leaps forward. it now collects all your data: heart rate, pace, power, stroke rate, etc and allows you to export it in .csv, .tcx or .fit format as well as directly syncing to the Concept2 logbook.