Favorite Running Apps and Fitness RPG

Since summer has decided to come like 2 months early to Mississippi (it’s been in the mid 80s.  You tell me that’s not summer.  Go ahead.  I dare ya.), this week I switched to a Monday, Wednesday, Friday running schedule, as I’m never up early enough on a weekend to get in my third run of the week before the temperatures become prohibitive.  That switch has gone pretty well other than the fact that a bug flew down my throat on Monday (EWWWWWWW) and the fact that I discovered I’ve been overestimating my distance by a quarter mile.  I mapped it when we moved in 6 years ago, and I just misremembered which stretch was what.

The discovery came about because I started using the MapMyRun app to track how far I was actually going and at what pace.  I’m enough of a scientist to like having real data instead of just looking at the clock on the kitchen stove right before I walk out the door and when I walk back in panting half an hour later.  Of course, it turns out I’ve been underestimating the distance my coworker and I put in during our walk breaks at work, so probably it evened out in terms of actual mileage.

Then yesterday, adorable Alice McElwee told me about the Couch 2 5K app.  Of course I’d heard about the C25k program.  I know lots of folks who’ve done it.  But the app allows you to listen to your own playlist and just interrupts briefly to say “Run now.”  “Walk now.”  “You’re half way.”  Etc.  I tried it out this morning for the first time–inserting myself at the end of Week 4 of the program, which seems to be about where I am, endurance-wise with what I’ve already been doing.  Other than a brief hiccup with it not starting the right playlist when I pressed play from inside the app, I really liked it.  It added a 5 minute warm up and cool down to what I was already doing, and worked out quite well other than having me run up the biggest hill on the route.

I decided that when I finish the C25K program, I’m going to reward myself with Zombies, RUN!  If you have been hanging out online, you’re BOUND to have at least heard of this app.  All I knew about it was that it somehow simulated you being chased by zombies to encourage you to run.  But OH, it is so much more than that!  Last night I watched the video for it.  It’s a super-immersive GAME.  A fitness RPG, if you will.  It ALSO works with your existing playlist and the radio person and warnings and stuff will interrupt when the zombies are getting too close.  While you’re out, you automatically collect supplies and stuff, and when you get BACK, you distribute them on your base. I frigging LOVE this concept, and I hope it takes off such that we see a lot more of these fitness RPGs.  Fitness games for gamer geeks and the WoW crowd.  LOVE IT.  Immerse me in a story and I will sure as hell be more likely to run to find out what happens.