One of my favorite ways to workout is to run.
Although I have a treadmill for inclement weather, I prefer to get outside.
I enjoy breathing fresh air, feeling the sunshine and looking at new scenery. I typically run for anywhere between four to six miles several days per week. In the last months, I started having difficulty getting motivated. I was bored with my run. There are only so many paths I can take and I’ve run them countless times. I noticed that my times were much slower and I was often tempted to either cut the run short or skip it altogether. It was becoming more and more difficult to convince myself to head out in the morning. When I complained to a buddy of mine, he suggested that I download a running app onto my smartphone. The app was free, and it’s proven invaluable. I started by providing my age, height and weight. It then started tracking the distance and speed of my runs. I get alerts when I’ve achieved a personal best. I can set goals for each day or even the whole month. Plus, during the run, I get updates on my progress. A voice breaks into the music and informs me of my current pace, average overall speed and distance covered. It also provides the number of calories burned on the run. At first, this information was a little discouraging. I was much slower than I’d thought. However, I was encouraged to run faster and longer. The app has given me a reason to work hard and improve.