Running Apps to Keep You On Track For Winter

The winter months are the hardest to get yourself motivated when it comes to running. The thought of battling against inclement weather while participating in a challenging run can be a daunting prospect. The choice between the couch and a roaring fire versus tackling the harsh weather outside is a tough one (for some, me included).

Setting regular personal performance goals can help to motivate you during the cold months. There are a whole host of  apps available that can help with specific targets and of course suggest a route for you to conquer.

With that in mind here is an overview of a couple of the handiest apps currently available via either the Apple Store or Google Play.

Couch to 5K from active.com is ideal for anyone starting off or indeed anyone who might have had a break and needs to go back to basics and build up their stamina again. As the name suggests it trains you how to prepare for runs up to 5K. There are 5 different audio channels to choose from, each with its own motivational coach that guides you through your workout. It tracks your pace, distance, and route so you can closely monitor your progress over time.

RunKeeper many will be familiar with and it’s also free. It can track everything from a brisk walk to a jog, a sprint and of course a steady run. Handy on screen stats let you check if your stamina and speed are improving. An added extra of Runkeeper is the ability to store your stats on their cloud so that you can always access them even without using the app.

Running today versus running say twenty years ago has changed dramatically. Mobile technology and running apps are now almost an essential part of a runner’s kit.

Convenience is now key and running apps like Couch to 5K and RunKeeper take a lot of work out of the challenge to improve nutrition, record running routes and tracking your  performance in the long term.