Running is often thought of as a simple sport that needs nothing more than a good pair of shoes and the open road. While running purists cling to this vision, most runners have upped the ante and gone high-tech with their training, from apps and articles to social media communities. With the rise of smartphones these training support tools are never far from the runner.
As runners get closer to the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, knowing how many miles they’ve run helps assure runners they are prepared, but can also help make sure they don’t overdo it. There are a number of applications available to help athletes track their marathon training and their fitness goals in general, including:
Endomondo –a fitness tracker that lets a user track distance, time, achievements and goals. It logs the data and syncs with a free website to analyze results and compare with friends. The other unique thing about Endomondo is that it is available on BlackBerry devices, in addition to Android and the iPhone. BlackBerry fitness apps are few and far between.
Run Keeper – similar to Endomondo, RunKeeper uses GPS to track your fitness activities, including distance, time, pace, calories, heart rate, and path traveled on a map. It also provides audio cues, customized interval workouts, and manual entry for workouts on the treadmill. Run Keeper is available for Android devices and the iPhone.
Runners also turn to online articles for training support. Sites like Runner’s World provide the latest and greatest in running news, gear, injury prevention and more. Robust sites give runners a place to turn when they’re looking to adjust their training, learn new techniques and hear recommendations from experts.
In addition to applications and articles, a sense of community is important to most runners. Runners in the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon have a number of support opportunities, from in person opportunities like the Prevea Training Runs or Pints and Pointers to online support groups in the form of social media.
“Our Facebook page, Twitter account and blog have all become places where people can ask questions and share their story,” said Sean Ryan, race director for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. “If one person asks a question, you can bet that a bunch of others wanted to ask. By engaging in these social forums we are not only supporting our runners, but really supporting the running community as a whole.”
Runners can find links to all of the marathon’s social media accounts on the home page of www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com. Bottom line, don’t be fooled by the seemingly simplistic sport of running; It’s gone high-tech, from Garmin’s and iPods to apps and social media.
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The twelfth annual Cellcom Green Bay Marathon will take place on May 13-15, 2011. Over the past 11 years, the race has generated over $410,000 in proceeds for local charities. The Cellcom Green Bay Marathon seeks to create community spirit through a world-class marathon for people of all athletic abilities. For more information visit www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com.