Training for your first marathon is going to be an enormous challenge, and will require complete dedication. Ideally, when you start you’ll have the best training partners and programs out there to make sure you’re prepared for that challenge. Unless you’re rich or a celebrity sports-personality, however, you’re probably not going to be able to afford that level of training. Fortunately, iPhone’s ever resourceful app developers have created some amazing software that delivers professional training right to your handset. These 10 apps will put you through your paces in preparation for your first marathon, so that when you get to the starting line you’re prepared to go the distance.
- Couch to 5K – Since this will be your first marathon, you’re probably bursting to get out there and start training. This app will make sure that you get through your first training session. A mistake that many new marathon runners make is overdoing the first few training sessions. Couch to 5K is designed to ease you into a routine, with training designed by Active.com trainers. The app is available for $1.99 and comes with a great workout journal to log your progress.
- Fleetly – If competition is what drives you, Fleetly is the perfect training app. You can earn points for completing your workouts, as well as compete against athletes at all levels. Although you will use this free app for your marathon training, Fleetly supports training in every competitive sport you can think of.
- RunKeeper – Successful marathon runners know that pace is important, so make sure you include RunKeeper in your arsenal of training apps. Using GPS and a variety of technologies, this app tracks your pace, heart rate and much more, creating effective logs that help tailor the perfect workout routine to get you in the best shape.
- Nike Training Club – This free app from Nike provides users with access to exclusive workout material from celebrity trainers. Nike Training Club is promoted as “Exclusively for Women,” but these great workouts are ideal for anyone who is training for a marathon. Expect to see lots of familiar faces, as there are also a number of workouts led by celebrity trainers.
- My Fitness Pal, Calorie Counter – All your training may be for naught if you’re not actively keeping an eye on your diet. This free app will keep track of your calorie intake and help you achieve your ideal weight for competing in a marathon.
- FitnessBuilder – Like other fitness apps, Fitness Builder has a multitude of built-in training modules to increase your fitness level. What’s different about this app, however, is the drag and drop feature that allows you to create your own personally-tailored workouts. There are also daily, weekly and intelligent workouts, which have been designed to ensure you receive the best training. The app is linked directly to the Fitness Builder website, where you can also stream videos and fitness news directly to your handset.
- Boot Camp Challenge – Designed by an ex-army drill sergeant, this app will give you the edge that you need over the competition. Despite the name, Boot Camp Challenge is not solely designed for hard-core fitness fanatics. There are training programs for beginners also, which get increasingly harder as your fitness improves. The app is available from the iTunes store for $3.99.
- Kinetic GPS – This app is both simple and incredibly intuitive. With Kinetic GPS you can easily track your speed, distance, altitude and much more with a touch of the screen. The app does have an extensive training program, too, which was developed by a former London marathon runner. For $3.99, this is one app that you will want as your virtual coach.
- Fitocracy – Motivation is something that every athlete needs, and Fitocracy delivers. This is not just a fitness app, it is a game that pushes you to unlock more challenges by completing fitness tasks and quests. Fitocracy is a community-focused app, so you can converse with and compete against other athletes from around the world. This app won’t lighten the load of your wallet, however, as it is free from the iTunes store.
- All-In YOGA – You may be asking what yoga has to do with running a marathon. Well, you will need to keep your muscles supple and flexible if you want to endure the distance. There are over 40 ready-made yoga programs available with the app; however, you can also create your own. Over 3000 poses, which include photos, videos and detailed instructions, coupled with over 30 breathing exercises make this free app a great accessory to your training regimen.
Thank you to Jessica Clark for sharing these ten running apps at: http://www.kenneymyers.com/blog/10-iphone-apps-to-help-you-train-for-your-first-marathon/
Sports Techie, The word marathon has a new meaning in the United States and if you want to define it with a word try using, Boston. It takes a steel resolve to run 26.2 miles and to do it on the hilly course of Boston is another level of dedication to the sport of running no matter what your reasons and motivations are for making it so. Terrorist bombings will not stop events such as the Boston Marathon from being the benchmark for marathon runners.
To run 26.2 miles is an amazing feat for any human no matter their age, race or gender. My Father successfully ran one in Victoria, Canada and was training to qualify for the New York Marathon when he had an aneurysm. Luckily, he was the part of the 50-50 the Doctor said would survive the complicated brain surgery. The technology necessary to achieve this miracle is never forgotten by me and I thank God for this all the time. His knees are now bone on bone because he has very little cartilage left. Daddy no longer runs and is a strong candidate for knee replacement surgery. The reason he has such bad knees was all the miles he ran without the right kind of recovery time between shot or long runs plus all the days of playing hoops on the hot blacktops of Detroit in his Chuck Taylor Converse basketball shoes during the 1950’s. If only he had a virtual coach…
I also have a friend from Whittier College, Mr. Jim Waltman, that ran the Los Angeles Marathon with zero training. Not wise in hindsight because the risk of injury is too high but his intestinal fortitude that day was the stuff the Greeks of old loved when they started the Olympics. Wish smartphones had been around in the 1980’s so we could have recorded this feat and posted the video to YouTube.
The reason I mention these stories is because many of the 10 apps in this blog have the ability to assist you with your marathon training in a safe and highly scientific way. When you combine the Boston Marathon attitude with innovative sports tech such as run training apps, the result is a Sports Techie who will finish what they start and be back to do it again. Some of the apps are free, others have a small cost. Paying as much as $3.99 for a virtual coach is worth it when the price for not having it can be new hip replacement surgery because of improper running mechanics, techniques and equipment.
I have personally used RunKeeper since I began as an iPhone user three years ago, this is my 12th year with carrier AT&T. Although RunKeeper gives me back very little love on Twitter, I am consistent with updating the Sports Techie community about their software because it is excellent for most run training needs. I also am a Nike member and have used their Nike Running app with Nike Plus but have not downloaded the free Nike Training Club application. I did meet Nike celebrity athlete Hope Solo however at the 2012 Global Sports Forum Barcelona but was not staying in a Holiday Inn Express.
We welcome your feedback at any our social media network links below or as a comment on this blog about these apps for iOS or any others you like or dislike. Enjoy for iPhone and fresh running apps.
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