Rai vs. Spreadsheet vs. Strava: What's the Difference?
Rai, running spreadsheets, and Strava can all be part of training, but they solve different problems.
The main difference is simple: a spreadsheet organizes a plan; Strava logs and helps analyze your activities; Rai creates and adapts a training plan based on your context and your execution.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Rai | Running spreadsheet | Strava |
|---|---|---|---|
| Log activities | Yes | Not the focus | Yes |
| Track workouts | Yes | Yes, manually | Yes |
| Build a training plan | Yes | Yes | May offer training features, but it's not the main focus |
| Personalize the plan | Yes | Depends on the spreadsheet/coach | Limited compared to Rai's approach |
| Adapt the plan based on execution | Yes | Usually not | Not the main focus |
| Analyze activities | Yes | Depends on the tool | Yes |
| Training data integrations | Yes | Depends | Yes |
| Chat for guidance | Yes | No | Not the main focus |
| Community/social | Not the main focus | No | Yes |
Rai: for runners who want a plan that follows their training
Rai was built for runners who don't just want to log what they've already done. It starts from your goal and your starting point and structures a plan.
Then, as you complete workouts, the available data and your feedback help shape what comes next. The idea is to turn planning → execution → feedback → adaptation into a continuous cycle.
Spreadsheet: for runners who want a defined structure
A spreadsheet can be an excellent way to organize training. It can lay out:
- Which workouts to do
- On which days
- Volume
- Intensity
- Progression
- Race preparation
Strava: for runners who want to log, analyze, and share
Strava is a platform mainly built for logging and tracking athletic activities, analyzing performance, and connecting runners and other athletes. That makes Strava a complementary tool to training — having Strava doesn't mean choosing between Strava and Rai.
You can use Strava to log and track your activities and Rai to structure and adapt your training.
- Activity logging
- History
- Analysis
- Segments
- Exploration
- Community
- Sharing
Rai + Strava
The two tools can work together. You can log your workouts on Strava and, once connected, make that data available to Rai. Rai uses the information available about your execution to guide your training.
Strava logs. Rai plans and adapts.
When does a spreadsheet make more sense?
- You already know your goal
- The plan fit your level
- Your routine is fairly predictable
- You can follow and interpret the workouts
- There's a way to revise the plan when needed
When does Rai make more sense?
- You want an individualized plan
- You're starting out and don't know where to begin
- You want to train for a specific distance
- You need to fit running around a variable routine
- You want to see how your execution shapes what comes next
- You'd rather chat with a coach than interpret a spreadsheet on your own
Rai doesn't have to replace everything
You don't need to pick a single tool for your entire journey. You can use Strava to log and share, Garmin or another device to track your workouts, Rai to structure and adapt your training — and even a spreadsheet when it fits your goal.
What matters is understanding which problem each tool solves.
In one sentence
Spreadsheet organizes. Strava logs. Rai plans and adapts.
If you want training that follows what actually happens week after week, check out Rai.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Rai better than Strava?
- They're not exactly the same thing. Strava is mainly a logging, analysis, and community platform. Rai focuses on planning and adapting running training.
- Does Rai replace a spreadsheet?
- Rai can replace the need for a fixed spreadsheet for runners who prefer a plan that follows their execution and can be adjusted over time.
- Can I use Rai and Strava together?
- Yes. When the integration is available and connected, activity data can be used by Rai to follow your training.
- Does Strava build my training plan?
- Strava offers training-related features, but its main focus is logging, analyzing, and connecting athletes. Rai's approach is specifically to build and adapt an individualized running plan.
- Do I need Strava to use Rai?
- No. You can start without Strava. Integrations only increase the data available for tracking and analysis.
- Are spreadsheets bad?
- No. A good spreadsheet can work very well. The issue is that a fixed spreadsheet has limits when a runner's reality changes and the plan isn't revised.
- Does Rai replace a coach?
- No. Rai is a digital training tool. In situations that require professional evaluation, it doesn't replace doctors, physical therapists, or fitness professionals.