The Outsiders 1.7.6: Redesigned Workout Breakdown, Relative Intensity for Runners, and Sharable Workout Cards

Table of Contents

1. Key Highlights
2. Introduction
3. One screen to rule three views: what Breakdown delivers
4. Relative Intensity for runners: what it measures and why it matters
5. How the new sharing tools change what athletes post
6. Body temperature import, goals refresh, and other polish
7. Practical workflows: how to use Breakdown and Relative Intensity in training
8. Limitations: heart rate, lag, and the risk of overreliance
9. How The Outsiders stacks up against established platforms
10. Setup, calibration, and troubleshooting
11. Coaching considerations and team workflows
12. Where to apply caution: event prep and tapering
13. The future of post-workout analysis
14. Final practical checklist for version 1.7.6 users
15. FAQ

Key Highlights

• Version 1.7.6 replaces the old Splits view with a unified Breakdown screen that combines segments, intervals, and splits for deeper post-workout analysis.
• Relative Intensity arrives for runners, measuring effort from heart rate against lactate-threshold heart rate so runs can be compared regardless of terrain or weather.
• New customizable workout cards make sharing cleaner and safer; additional updates include body temperature import from HealthKit-compatible devices, refreshed Personal Goals setup, and bug fixes.

Introduction

Recording workouts no longer satisfies most athletes. They want actionable insight. The Outsiders' latest update shifts the app from a passive logger toward an analytical tool that helps athletes and coaches interpret what actually happened during a session. The headline changes are a single, cohesive Breakdown view that merges manually marked segments, automatically detected intervals, and traditional splits; heart-rate–based Relative Intensity for runners; and highly customizable cards for sharing results on social platforms. Smaller but practical upgrades—body temperature import, a polished goals interface, and resolved graphical glitches—round out an update focused on making each outing more instructive and easier to communicate.

This article examines the new features, explains how they change daily training and long-term planning, and gives concrete examples and troubleshooting tips so athletes can adopt them immediately.

One screen to rule three views: what Breakdown delivers

The previous iteration of The Outsiders separated Splits from other data views. That forced users to jump between screens when they wanted to compare how an interval felt, where a manual segment began and ended, and how split pace stacked up. Breakdown collapses those silos.

What Breakdown shows

• Segments: manually marked sections you create during a workout by double-tapping an Apple Watch or using the Action button on Apple Watch Ultra. Useful for ad hoc efforts such as a bridge sprint, a 1-kilometer effort, or a hill repeat that you did not plan in advance.
• Intervals: automatically detected when you follow a structured workout from Apple’s Workout app. These are ideal for coach-prescribed sessions or preplanned interval sets such as 8×400 meters or tempo blocks.
• Splits: the classic distance-based markers (kilometer or mile splits for running, every few kilometers for cycling) that provide consistent pacing reference.

Why combining them matters Combining segments, intervals, and splits in a single interface changes the way athletes read a workout. Instead of mentally mapping across screens, you can immediately correlate a manually marked effort with the detected interval that contained it and with surrounding split trends. That makes it easier to spot where form or pacing broke down, whether a particular hill inflated heart rate, or which part of a race pace effort produced the best economy.

Real-world scenario Imagine a runner on a hilly 10K who marks two uphill surges with the Action button. Breakdown will show those segments, the preplanned warm-up and intervals detected from the workout, and standard splits. The runner can compare heart rate and pace across the uphill surges and the flat portions, seeing, for instance, that pace slowed by 20 seconds per kilometer uphill while Relative Intensity rose only a small amount—evidence that the heart was less stressed than pace suggested. That insight influences whether the runner needs more strength or aerobic development.

How coaches benefit Coaches reviewing an athlete’s session can now cross-reference coach-planned intervals with athlete-marked segments and actual split performance without toggling between tabs. This saves time in remote coaching workflows and reduces misinterpretation when athletes report how a set felt versus how they executed it.

Relative Intensity for runners: what it measures and why it matters

Relative Intensity (RI) already existed in cycling contexts where power meters provide direct, instantaneous measures of external load. The Outsiders extends a comparable concept to running by using heart rate relative to lactate-threshold heart rate (LTHR).

What Relative Intensity is Relative Intensity expresses effort as a function of your average heart rate during a workout compared to your LTHR. LTHR represents the heart rate at which lactate begins to accumulate faster than the body clears it—roughly the intensity that can be sustained for about 30–60 minutes. By normalizing average heart rate to that threshold, RI indicates how hard a session was relative to an athlete’s physiology rather than to raw pace, which can be skewed by hills, wind, or heat.

Why RI performs better than pace alone

• Terrain and conditions distort pace. A 5K on a windy day or hilly course hardly compares to a flat, calm course if you measure by pace alone.
• Heart rate reflects internal load: how much strain the cardiovascular system experienced. Normalizing that to LTHR helps compare efforts across dissimilar circumstances.
• Runners without a reliable running power source get a more stable cross-condition comparison using RI.

How LTHR is estimated LTHR can come from lab testing (blood lactate measurements), controlled field tests (commonly a 30-minute maximal effort where the average heart rate over the final 20 minutes serves as LTHR), or from algorithmic estimates based on historical heart-rate and pace data. The Outsiders relies on LTHR values accessible through Apple Health or derived by the user’s training platform; ensuring that value is accurate is essential for RI to be meaningful.

Practical examples

• Two 10K runs, different days: Run A on a flat, cool morning at 4:30/km with an average HR of 160 bpm. Run B on a hot, humid afternoon at 4:40/km with an average HR of 165 bpm. With pace, Run A looks better. With RI normalized to an LTHR of 170 bpm, Run A might score 94% RI while Run B scores 97%—revealing that the afternoon run represented a higher cardiovascular load and may require more recovery.
• Hill training: A hilly tempo session produces slower average pace but equal or lower RI compared with a flat tempo effort. That suggests the session was not as physiologically taxing as the pace implied, useful when planning subsequent training load.

Limitations and caveats Heart rate lags behind effort changes by 15–30 seconds depending on fitness, temperature, and the athlete’s autonomic tone. Hydration, heat, caffeine, and sleep deprivation can elevate heart rate independently of mechanical work. RI still provides a better cross-condition metric than pace alone, but it is not a perfect proxy for metabolic power. Where possible, combining RI with running power (from a footpod or Stryd device) yields the richest picture: power for external work, RI for internal response.

How the new sharing tools change what athletes post

The Outsiders introduces a customizable sharing card builder that lets you choose map styles (light, dark, satellite), background options, transparency, and which stats to show. The result is shareable images that look clean and match modern social feeds.

Design control and brand alignment Athletes who maintain an online presence—coaches, influencers, and motivated amateurs—can now produce consistent visuals without image editors. A coach managing multiple athletes can create feed-ready images with the same template. The option to toggle specific statistics lets athletes emphasize the metrics they value: pace, elevation gain, Relative Intensity, or heart rate zones.

Privacy and safety considerations Maps and shareable workout cards embed location data visually. Posting a map without editing can reveal home addresses, regular training routes, or where an athlete warms up. Best practices when sharing:

• Use the satellite or dark map option to obscure landmarks if needed; a transparent background can reduce readable context.
• Crop or offset the route so the start and end points do not reveal sensitive locations.
• Remove GPS traces entirely when privacy outweighs the value of the visual.

Real-world sharing scenarios

• A trail runner posts a satellite-backed card to highlight a new route and the steep elevation gain, choosing to show only time and Relative Intensity rather than detailed split paces.
• A coach posts a client’s interval session to Instagram stories; the coach blurs the map center to avoid showing the client’s neighborhood.
• A competitive cyclist uses the transparent layout and shows only average power and normalized power to protect route specifics while promoting training outcomes.

Exporting for coaching and analysis The new cards also serve retention and reporting: athletes can quickly share a workout summary with a coach via messaging platforms. Rather than sending raw GPX or hoping the coach interprets a dull export, the card provides a curated snapshot that combines narrative (map and background) with chosen metrics.

Body temperature import, goals refresh, and other polish

Version 1.7.6 includes incremental but meaningful enhancements beyond the headline features.

Body temperature import Compatible devices that sync with Apple Health—rings, wearables, or sensors—can now pass body temperature data into The Outsiders automatically. Why that matters:

• Elevated skin or core temperature elevates cardiovascular strain and perceived exertion, which can skew heart-rate–based metrics. Having temperature alongside HR and pace lets you interpret whether a high heart rate was due to hot conditions or increased intensity.
• Tracking temperature trends across nights or pre-workout readings may reveal illness onset or inadequate recovery, prompting adjustments in training load.

Device examples Devices that commonly export temperature data to Apple Health include smart rings (certain Oura models), dedicated sleep and biometrics wearables, and third-party sensors that write data into HealthKit. Confirm your sensor writes temperature to Apple Health before expecting the Outsiders to receive it.

Personal Goals interface The app’s Personal Goals setup has been smoothed to make initial configuration faster and clearer. Athletes setting time-based, distance-based, or intensity-focused goals should find the onboarding less cumbersome, reducing friction for long-term habit tracking.

Bug fixes and stability A long-standing graphical glitch in the Workouts tab has been addressed. Users previously experiencing graphical stuttering or incorrect rendering should see an immediate improvement. These small fixes matter: stability creates confidence in analysis and reduces distraction during routine review.

Availability and rollout The update is rolling out on the App Store. Users should update to version 1.7.6 to access all features. If the App Store doesn’t show the update immediately, patience is necessary—staged rollouts can take hours or a couple of days to appear globally.

Practical workflows: how to use Breakdown and Relative Intensity in training

Athletes and coaches will adopt new tools faster when given concrete, practical workflows. These steps show how to use Breakdown and Relative Intensity for common sessions and planning.

Tempo runs and threshold sessions

• Pre-run: ensure your LTHR is current. If you’ve recently done a 30-minute field test or lab test, update that value in Apple Health or your coach’s platform.
• During run: if you plan tempo sections but intend to adjust on the fly, use the Action button or double-tap to mark the tempo block so Breakdown highlights it as a segment. If you use Apple’s structured workout for the session, the app will detect intervals automatically.
• Post-run: open Breakdown and compare the tempo segment’s average RI to the intended training zone. If RI is higher than prescribed, factor that into recovery decisions; if lower, consider increasing specific intensity or volume next session.

Interval sets with varied terrain

• When intervals are structured but the course includes climbs and descents, use Breakdown to examine each interval’s split and segment overlap. See whether power or pace dropped on descents while RI stayed stable, indicating good aerobic control.
• For track repeats, viewing intervals across sessions helps detect consistent improvement or fatigue accumulation over weeks.

Long runs and marathon pacing

• Use RI to guide pacing efforts across different long runs. A long run intended to be easy should consistently show low RI relative to LTHR. If RI drifts upward across weeks, that signals rising cumulative fatigue and the need to back off.
• For marathon-specific long runs, compare RI of pace-focused segments on different courses to decide whether the planned race pace will be sustainable under race-day conditions.

Recovery days and auto-regulation

• Monitor RI on aerobic recovery runs. If an easy run reads unexpectedly high RI, consider converting the next session to cross-training or additional rest.
• Track RI trends week-to-week as an objective recovery gauge in addition to subjective metrics like sleep quality and soreness.

Example: coach-athlete remote review A coach receives a shared card emphasizing time, elevation, and RI. They open Breakdown to see that an athlete consistently ran the second half of tempo intervals at 5% higher RI than the first half. The coach prescribes more targeted lactate-threshold redirects: shorter, repeatable intervals with active recovery to sharpen the athlete’s tolerance, and includes a test the following month to adjust LTHR if necessary.

Limitations: heart rate, lag, and the risk of overreliance

Adopting new metrics requires understanding their constraints.

Heart-rate lag and transient efforts Heart rate responds more slowly than mechanical output. Short, intense surges such as short hill sprints will underrepresent effort if RI or average HR is the primary metric. For workouts dominated by brief all-out efforts, power (for cycling) or accelerometry/power metrics (for running) deliver better granularity.

Cardiac drift, heat, and non-training factors Sustained efforts in heat will show rising HR at constant pace (cardiac drift). That raises RI without indicating greater mechanical output. Users should interpret RI with environmental context—temperature data from the new import feature helps here.

Device accuracy Wrist-based HR sensors perform well for steady-state efforts but can be less accurate during rapid cadence changes or high-impact intervals. A chest strap remains the gold standard for heart-rate accuracy. If RI drives your training decisions, use the most reliable HR sensor you have.

The danger of single-metric obsession Treat RI as a complementary metric. Decisions should integrate pace, power (when available), heart rate, subjective exertion (RPE), sleep and recovery data, and context such as route or competition plans. Relying solely on RI risks missing mechanical deterioration, form issues, or sudden performance declines that power or pace would reveal.

How The Outsiders stacks up against established platforms

The training-app ecosystem includes Strava, TrainingPeaks, Garmin Connect, Stryd’s app, Runalyze, and Xert. Each serves different users: social sharing, structured training, power metrics, or deep analytics. The Outsiders positions itself between simple logging and heavyweight analytics.

Strengths

• Tight Apple Watch integration: The Outsiders leverages Apple Watch features—double-tap, Action button, and structured workout detection—better than many cross-platform apps.
• Unified Breakdown: The trio of segments, intervals, and splits in one screen reduces friction and accelerates insight.
• Runner parity with RI: Extending RI to runners narrows the gap between those with and without power meters.

Weaknesses and gaps

• No native running-power calculation equivalent to Stryd’s platform; athletes with Stryd will still rely on Stryd’s ecosystem for the most accurate running-power analysis.
• TrainingPeaks and Xert provide deeper periodization, load modeling, and coaching workflow features. Coaches needing advanced periodization will still use those platforms for long-term planning, using The Outsiders as a detailed daily analysis tool.

Best fit The Outsiders suits athletes who use Apple Watch as their central device, prioritize post-workout insight, and want a polished way to share progress. It fits coaches who prefer a fast, single-screen overview for remote feedback. Athletes who require exhaustive training load modeling or power-specific analysis will combine The Outsiders with specialist apps.

Setup, calibration, and troubleshooting

To maximize the utility of version 1.7.6, follow these steps and tips.

Ensure accurate LTHR

• Perform a field test if you lack lab data: warm up thoroughly, then run 30 minutes at a maximal but steady effort; take the average heart rate from minutes 10–30 as an approximate LTHR. Update the value in the platform feeding Apple Health.
• If you have lab results, make sure those numbers are recorded in Apple Health or the app that The Outsiders reads.

Choose the right heart-rate sensor

• For intervals, sprints, or high-intensity blocks, prefer a chest strap for accuracy. For steady aerobic runs, a modern wrist sensor suffices.
• Verify your Apple Watch firmware and sensor calibration are up to date.

Mark segments reliably

• On non-Ultra Apple Watches, confirm the double-tap gesture is enabled and responsive. Occasionally, tight gloves or wet conditions can prevent a double-tap from registering. The Ultra’s Action button reduces that failure mode.
• If a segment wasn’t recorded, note the approximate timestamps and use the app’s editing tools (if available) to create manual segments afterward.

Structured workouts detection

• The app detects intervals when you follow workouts created in Apple’s Workout app. If you use third-party structured workouts, confirm they were exported or translated to Apple’s format. Some third-party workout files may not trigger automatic detection.

Sharing issues

• If exported cards look low-resolution on certain social platforms, export to a file and verify the platform's image compression settings. Choose the highest export quality if the option exists.
• If privacy is a concern, edit the map before exporting or select a layout that hides the map element.

Body temperature not appearing

• Confirm your temperature device writes data to Apple Health. The Outsiders reads from HealthKit, so the absence usually means the device did not sync correctly.
• Allow time: some devices batch uploads and may not push temperature data in real time.

App performance and graphical glitches

• Update to the latest iOS and watchOS versions. Many rendering issues arise from mismatched OS and app versions.
• If you still see problems in the Workouts tab, reinstalling the app after backing up settings can resolve corrupted caches.

Coaching considerations and team workflows

Remote coaching benefits most from consistent, interpretable metrics and efficient communication. The Outsiders’ updates help but require structure.

Standardize athlete reporting

• Ask athletes to include a shared card after key sessions with consistent fields: session type, RI, average heart rate, perceived exertion, and notable observations (sleep, travel, heat).
• Coaches should request a specific map style or privacy practice.

Use Breakdown for targeted feedback

• When reviewing intervals, open Breakdown and compare intervals side-by-side across sessions. Track whether interval RI is trending up (overreaching) or down (improvement or underload).
• For technical work—form drills, cadence-focused runs—combine Breakdown with split-level cadence and vertical oscillation data if available elsewhere.

Plan tests and recalibrate LTHR

• Schedule a threshold test every 8–12 weeks or after significant training blocks. Use those results to update LTHR and recalibrate RI targets.
• Use temperature and sleep data to contextualize tests; a test taken during acute illness or travel will produce misleading thresholds.

Teach athletes to interpret not just react

• Educate athletes on the limits of RI and the reasons for HR drift. Avoid making day-to-day decisions without considering recovery and context.
• Encourage athletes to log subjective notes with each workout: stress, sleep, nutrition, and travel. These often explain anomalies better than data alone.

Where to apply caution: event prep and tapering

Taper phases and race-day pacing require precise control. RI is a tool, not an absolute.

Taper and race-day monitoring

• Use RI during the final two weeks to ensure high-quality workouts stay below target fatigue levels. A taper goal is to maintain neuromuscular sharpness while allowing RI to drop slightly as recovery accumulates.
• On race morning, environmental factors may push heart rate higher; keep RI context-specific. Race-day pacing should primarily consider perceived exertion, pacing strategy, and power (if available).

Avoid race-day overcalibration

• Do not change your LTHR in the immediate lead-up to a race. Make threshold changes only after controlled testing or lab work. Last-minute adjustments lead to inconsistent targets.

The future of post-workout analysis

The Outsiders’ shift toward a more interpretive post-session view reflects a broader market expectation: athletes expect actionable insight, not just summaries. Integrations that align internal load (HR, temperature, HRV) with external load (pace, power, grade) create decision-ready outputs. Expect future updates to expand cross-references—such as automatic notes when RI spikes, or suggested recovery adjustments based on body temperature trends.

Interoperability will matter. Athletes who use multiple devices and platforms will benefit when apps prioritize readable exports and standardized metrics. The Outsiders’ focus on Apple Watch and HealthKit positions it well for users entrenched in the Apple ecosystem.

Final practical checklist for version 1.7.6 users

• Update to The Outsiders 1.7.6 from the App Store.
• Verify your LTHR is current in Apple Health or your training platform. If you lack lab values, complete a 30-minute threshold field test and update your settings.
• If you rely on heart rate for RI decisions, consider a chest strap for interval days.
• Practice segment marking (double-tap or Action button) on a test session to ensure the gesture works reliably for you.
• Explore the new sharing card options, and apply privacy edits before posting route images publicly.
• Link temperature-capable devices to Apple Health to enrich post-workout context.
• Use Breakdown to compare intervals, segments, and splits in a single view and log subjective notes alongside data.

FAQ

Q: How is Relative Intensity calculated for running?
A: Relative Intensity for running is calculated from average heart rate during a workout relative to your lactate-threshold heart rate (LTHR). The metric expresses internal effort rather than external pace, allowing comparisons across different terrains and conditions. Accurate LTHR calibration is required for meaningful RI values.

Q: How do I set or update my LTHR?
A: LTHR can come from lab testing or field testing. A common field method is a 30-minute maximal run where the average heart rate of the final 20 minutes approximates LTHR. Enter that value in whichever platform populates Apple Health; ensure The Outsiders reads that value. Repeat tests every 8–12 weeks or after major training blocks.

Q: Can I use Relative Intensity without a chest strap?
A: Yes. Wrist-based heart rate sensors on Apple Watch provide RI, especially for steady-state efforts. For interval-heavy sessions or sprint work, a chest strap increases HR accuracy and gives more reliable RI readings.

Q: What should I do if the double-tap or Action button doesn't register a segment?
A: Test the gesture in a short session to confirm responsiveness. On the standard Apple Watch, ensure double-tap is enabled and not hindered by gloves or wet conditions. The Ultra’s Action button is more reliable in adverse conditions. If a segment is missed, check whether the app allows manual segment creation; otherwise, note the approximate times for coach review.

Q: Will my posted workout card reveal my home location?
A: If the card includes an unmoved map with start/end points near your home, it can. Edit the map before exporting, choose layouts that obscure precise locations, or remove the map entirely when privacy is a concern.

Q: What devices can provide body temperature data to The Outsiders?
A: Devices that write temperature data to Apple Health—such as certain smart rings, sleep sensors, or third-party wearables—can sync temperature into The Outsiders. Confirm your device writes to HealthKit and that The Outsiders has permission to read those values.

Q: How does The Outsiders compare to Stryd or TrainingPeaks?
A: The Outsiders focuses on post-workout analysis and Apple Watch integration, offering a refined Breakdown view and runner RI. Stryd supplies running-power metrics and its own ecosystem for power-based pacing and analysis. TrainingPeaks provides detailed periodization, load modeling, and coaching workflows. Many athletes will use The Outsiders alongside one of these platforms for complementary strengths.

Q: When should I rely on Relative Intensity versus pace or power?
A: Use RI when you need to compare internal effort across sessions affected by external conditions—heat, hills, wind. Use pace and power when you need to track mechanical work or pacing targets that depend on speed. Combine metrics for the most robust decision-making.

Q: What troubleshooting steps help if temperature data does not appear?
A: Confirm your temperature device syncs to Apple Health. Ensure The Outsiders has permission to access HealthKit data. Allow a short time for data transfer and check the device’s app for sync errors.

Q: Where can I download the update?
A: The update is available on the App Store. If it doesn’t appear immediately, wait a few hours; staged rollouts can stagger availability by region.