The iPhone App(s) That Changed My Life

Anyone who has known me for more than a couple of years knows that I used to be a big, fat (well, not literally, although I did get close once!) couch potato. I think I used to joke that I was allergic to exercise- yeah, that sounds like something I’d say. Anyway, about two years ago, I found myself in the unenviable position of having very little going on in my life. My wedding was over (so no more planning), I was marginally (and unhappily, I should add) employed as a sub, and I was taking a couple of online classes to start on my path towards becoming a speech-language pathologist. As you can see, nothing really to commit to too strongly- aside from being a new wife, which I took seriously, but, being a woman of the modern age, could not allow to completely identify me.

My birthday was coming up, and I allowed my husband to talk me into getting an iPhone (he really had to twist my arm, guys ;-)). At first I was just excited about being able to navigate my way around using the Google Maps app and listen to music from Pandora in my car. But then, my husband, the shopaholic (I think he truly adheres to the YOLO philosophy), also convinced me to buy new running shoes. (At this juncture, I am realizing that I am not very good at protesting, so, if you offer to pay for my meal, please know that you probably will end up doing so!). And so, I ambivalently left FootAction, armed with my new lavender and gray Nike LunarFlys, and a serious fear of taking up running.

My supa' fly LunarFlys, 400+ miles later :-).

 You see, up until that point, I don’t think I had ever run more than about 3 minutes straight, because my mother (God bless her) convinced that I had some serious case of asthma growing up, so I never really tried. Not that that was a good excuse, but the reality was that, since I had never tried, I was going to have to start trying now, and I didn’t know what would come of that. I knew that I would start off running embarrassingly slow; I knew that I had never been one with a lot of willpower to push myself to do things that were hard for me; and I knew this was going to be hard. But, as my husband bluntly pointed out, I didn’t have much else going on to distract me.

One of my greatest challenges with running was always that I never had objective feedback to motivate me (except when running on a treadmill, which makes me feel like a hamster on a wheel). Being a goal-oriented person, I needed this. My husband (let’s give him a name now, since I’ll probably be mentioning him often. It’s Israel.) mentioned that the iPhone has fitness apps, and there was probably one for running. Excited to put my new gadget to as many uses as possible, I went to the app store and searched. I came across tens (not hundreds, but tens) of running apps. Most of them were too intimidating, and seemed geared toward “real” runners. I was a little discouraged. Then I came across Footsteps. It tracks your distance like a pedometer, by measuring your (whatdya know?) footsteps. This seemed to somehow inherently take into account the fact that its users might be doing some walking too, so I felt it was perfect for me.

Footsteps: The one that started it all...

So the next morning, off I went with butterflies in my stomach and my new shoes on my feet for my first run around the block. And boy, did my little pal Footsteps help. Being a numbers oriented person (as my wonderful friend, Tara, and I have discussed many times), it was incredibly helpful and motivating to be able to look down and see exactly how far I had gone. No more, “Yay, I made it to lightpost” moments for me! No, now I could look down and say with some certainty, “You just jogged a quarter of a mile. Good job” (internal dialogue is a MUST for beginning runners).  And I’m telling you with 100% honesty, it made all the difference. Footsteps took through my first mile, two mile, and three mile runs, and the only reason I was really able to celebrate those victories was because I could look at my phone and know for sure that they happened. I am not one who is good at “reading the signals that I my body is sending” or what not- no, I need the hard facts. And by giving me that, Footsteps motivated me to keep going.

Eventually I moved on to NikePlus and now Runtastic Pro as I progressed to longer runs. These are also fantastic apps that use GPS to track the distance that you’ve run, and provide data about records and pacing. NikePlus even has encouraging messages from celebrities when you hit a new milestone (including a gem from Tracy Morgan that had me cracking up after my fastest 5k).

NikePlus workout screen.

NikePlus History and Records screen.

But that Footsteps app, man- that’s the one that started it all. It was my validation; it was the bearer of good news every time I accomplished something that I NEVER thought I would be able to do. Yes, I had a lot of time on my hands, and I was lucky in that regard; but, I would never have used it so productively without this one little iPhone app.

Tara and I always have this back-and-forth about how I have a hard time calling myself a runner. I am still SLOW, and I definitely take breaks when life gets in the way, and, for those reasons, I have a hard time saying that I am truly a “runner.” But I have to give myself credit because, despite vacations, school, and the tears-of-frustration-inducing tragedy that is the high-desert weather, I always come back. Right now, I am not running the five and a half miles that I was at my peak. But, I still get out there whenever I can, and, even though I am not at my peak, I still revel in the fact that I can run two or three miles straight, when I could barely run a quarter of a mile when I started (I know, because Footsteps told me!). Life is definitely about the journey, the process- and physical health is part of life. Racing toward some ultimate achievement would only make it so that I would eventually be justified in stopping. Instead, I have only made one commitment to myself: to treat my body well… and, I also wouldn’t mind running a half marathon by the time I turn 30 ;-).

My first 5k: Honda LA Marathon 5k (March 11, 2011). I guess I ate me spinach that morning!

 Here are some tips for beginners that I have gathered along my journey:

1   1. Good music is motivating: I know some people get their rocks off on listening to their breathing- not me. Lady GaGa has a much better beat than my huffing and puffing.

2   2.  Develop a motivating mantra: You can have mine, some variation of which I found on a running forum: Run if you can, walk if you have to, but giving up is not an option.

3   3. Walk if you have to: Just as the mantra says. The important thing is that you start running again as soon as you feel able to.

4   4. Make running a friend (that annoys you sometimes): I like to think that I am hanging out with my friend, Run. Regardless of how demanding or inconsiderate of my feelings Run may be, I made a commitment to hang out with her for 30 minutes, so I’m going to.

     5.   Make it enjoyable: If it sucks, you won’t do it. So go at a pace that allows you to enjoy the scenery, even if that means walking a little. A run-walk three times a week is better than a hardcore run once in your life.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll check these apps out if you’re part of the smart phone world, want to start running, or are already a runner. If you already use any of these apps, let me know about your experiences with them. And, also, fill me in on any other great fitness apps, because I am always on the hunt J. Aaaaaand, let me know if you have any more tips for beginners. Thanks again!

-Melissa

SONG OF THE DAY: "Ouija Board" by Morrissey. Mainly because it's stuck in my head since Israel has been listening to Bona Drag non-stop. It is pretty catchy, for a Morrissey song (it's no Smiths, though!).

Oh Morrissey, you handsome devil.