Are AI training apps like Runna putting you at risk of injury? I asked a real-life running coach — and Runna itself

Running plans have come a long way. Back in the day, if you weren't working with a coach, you'd just get a training plan from a back issue of Runner's World or your local library's copy of The Complete Book of Running by Jim Fixx, and have at it with nothing more than a stopwatch and a tracksuit for 16 weeks.

Now, we have plans freely accessible online, the best running watches to provide professional-level guidance and pace information, and adaptive AI-tailored plans from the best fitness apps like Runna. Things have certainly changed, and it's no longer just about crossing the finish line. Now it's about posting your time on Strava with a pic of your medal.

However, the adaptive plans have generated some controversy in the running community lately. Runna and apps like it create training plans that adapt ...