Jogging Tech

Image by Lyn Millett via Flickr

Technology Thursday

We all look for motivation to exercise wherever we can find it. I wrote a long post over at my blog the other day about my recent foray into the Couch to 5K running program. There are several things I'm using to keep myself motivated, not least talking about it publicly in places like Twitter, Facebook, my own blog, and now here! But one of the things that is helping a lot is technology.

First, of course, is the music.

I've found a couple of great podcasts that people created just for this particular running program. The one I'm using is Steve Boyett's PodRunner First Day to 5K podcast. He's made a bunch of mixes that provide audio cues to indicate that it's time to switching from running to walking or back again. He also changes the beats per minute as appropriate as an additional hint as to whether to be jogging or walking. It's music that I would probably have never come across otherwise, too, so that's been fun.

Second, is data collection. I installed the NikePod software on my iPhone, bought a sensor for my shoe, and have been collecting the data on each session and having it transmitted to the NikePlus website where I can jot down notes about my runs and see how today's run compared to yesterday's or last week's. One very amusing thing I discovered: If you set a personal best for the mile (as far as the NikePod is concerned), Lance Armstrong's voice will sound in your ear and congratulate you.

Third, community, or social networking. I am posting to my Twitter feed after each session (which also gets piped over to Facebook). This gets me both the occasional atta' girl from friends (essential) and the prospect of public humiliation should I quit. I've also found a few websites and Twitter feeds that are inspiring and informative. The organization that manages the race I signed up for has a big social networking presence. I found a local running group that, if I keep this up, I may join now and then. And Cool Running--which is where the original Couch to 5K program was published, is also on FB and on Twitter.

All of the above is just what I've dug up from my own preliminary efforts and investigation. There's a lot more running technology out there. This article at ReadWriteWeb describes some of the other sensor technology that's available. And a friend of mine told that when it was time to graduate from the NikePod, there are such things as wrist GPS devices for serious precision. Who knew?!

Comments

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