besIn my quest for half marathon glory, I consulted the family members I had who’d all completed half and full marathons, hoping to find some magical golden nugget of knowledge to make this process easier. What I was met with were a bunch of, “Go your own pace”-s and “Find what works for you.” There’s just one problem with that; how can I find what works for me if I don’t know what works at all? These were the questions I now had for the ultimate problem solver: the internet.
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I must have downloaded dozens of fitness apps to help keep my half marathon goals mobile with me. I found that if I saved something on my computer, I was more likely to make excuses as to why I couldn’t do a harder workout. I didn’t want to do something wrong and hurt myself (read: I am lazy and enjoyed watching TLC on the elliptical). However, when push came to shove and my marathon count down clock instilled loads of guilt within my bones, I knew I needed to find a groove to fall into.
Through trials, tribulations, and some tears (not my proudest moment, but in my defense it was a really hard circuit) I’ve complied a list of all the apps I found most helpful and accessible. Not only do they help you set goals, they help you set realistic goals. I felt like I was working towards something instead of just going through the motions of kidding myself about an impossible goal. And remember, no matter where you start, all goals take time. Don’t give up because something feels difficult, work for it until it’s easy-peasy.
This was a great app for my rest days. Daily Yoga gives you easy to follow along yoga moves, spanning from every level of difficulty. It kept my muscles flexible when I was off, but still gave them time to relax and grow.
Runtastic was one of my favorite fitness apps from Day One, long before thoughts of half marathons danced in my head. It’s a real sign of its quality that I’ve been using it for so long. Aside from being a GPS tracker, it also measures your calories burned, top speeds, elevation losses and gains, and does your splits for you. It isn’t exclusively for running though; it also has settings that account for activities such as CrossFit and kayaking.
You don’t have to own the shoes to use this app! The My Asics app provides a game plan for all your running oriented needs. Plug in either the event you’re training for or the goal you want to achieve, and a few more statistics, and it creates a schedule. It starts out slow with mile pacing and then takes you through different phases of training. One of the best parts? It also emails you a reminder on the day of your planned runs to let you know what you have ahead of you!
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Helping evolve your running over time, Couch to 10k is the ultimate interval training app. Giving voice commands on when to run and when to walk, it’s the perfect way to make your run feel less daunting and effectively blast away fat. As you go deeper into the program, the running and walking intervals get longer.
Nike Training Club allows you to pick how hard you want your workout for that day, your workout time frame, and what you want it to target. It then gives you an overview of the circuit and what each move entails. Some circuits are weightless while some require equipment, but all will kick your butt.
Not only does Fitness Buddy give you all of your progress on one page, but it breaks down the logistics of nearly every exercise you could ever do. Want to learn how to lift properly? Need to create programs for specific muscle groups? This app has you covered!
While this fitness app doesn’t necessarily work out your body, it’s good for the soul. Charity Miles is a philanthropic pedometer. For every mile you run or bike, the app will donate 25 cents to one of the charities they sponsor (you get to chose). The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Wounded Warrior Foundation, and She’s the First are just a few that this app supports. It may even push you to finish that extra mile, for charity!
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What fitness apps are you obsessed with?