Happy March everyone. After a long break from blogging, I’m back with a plan to give you at least one post per week. This week’s post is for all my running friends out there or people who are trying to become more active but don’t know where to start. How can you stay motivated? Where can you find people to run with? What is the best way to track workouts?
I want to start answering those questions with this list of my favorite running tools that have shaped my running habits in one way or another.
- Dailymile.com – this site for logging your workouts is like Facebook for runners. It’s easy to find a website to track your runs, but not one the powerful social aspects that dailymile brings to the table. You can become friends with people from all over the world and see their workouts in your feed. Narrow down the feed to see only local people or keep it open to everyone and live vicariously through a marathoner posting pictures from a race halfway across the globe. The incredible part about dailymile is the level of support that other runners provide, whether they know me personally or not. Whenever I post runs, I get motivating and inspiring comments from both friends and strangers. Runners of all levels coming together on one site really makes me believe in the strength of the running community.
- Fit Milwaukee – every runner can use the support of a group to motivate them. Fit Milwaukee is a group that was formed with one simple goal – to get Milwaukee into shape. Using social networking on Twitter and Facebook to spread the word, the group has started a blog, planned numerous fitness activities, and launched a weight loss challenge. All for free. If you’re not in Milwaukee, seek out groups like this in your own city or form your own!
- Garmin Forerunner – my ultra-geeky but oh-so-important GPS watch. From the moment I step out the door, it has satellites watching over my run and giving me real-time updates on my pace and distance. Nothing is more comforting on a run than 99.999999% accuracy on that 8-miler you just finished. How did I ever run without one of these?
- Runner’s World – when I need the advice of running experts or training plans for my next big race, I turn to my trusty Runner’s World magazine or website. I can always find helpful articles on training, nutrition, injuries, motivation, gear and more.
You can’t go wrong with using one of all of these tools to jump start your running plans. I love that each one uses technology in one way or another to aid runners.
What about you? What tools do you use most often and why?
Image credit: rcsaxon
