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I haven't said anything because I don't want to jinx it, but I've recently taken up running. I haven't exercised in any way after I moved away from my beloved yoga studio in Bergen two years ago, and even though I've been gaining weight non-stop since then it's been hard to find any motivation. And running? All through school I absolutely hated it; The humiliation of finishing last, suffering through side stitches and shin splints and leg cramps...
The big incentive came through an app. Actually, more of an play built into an app. It's called Zombies, Run! and is a sort of audio play where you're a character, and have to run and gather supplies for a small town in zombie-infested England. Not very interactive while you're running I'm afraid, though it records your speed, route and pace, and you get to play a resources-managing game on the website after you've completed your run. Mostly it offers well-written drama, fascinating characters and some great audio editing. I'm not even a general fan of zombie fiction -- I just enjoy the characters and the universe.
Actually I haven't graduated to the main app yet, I'm currently going through its Couch-to-5K sister app set in the same universe. It's very good, and helps me pace myself. The main thing I like about it is it doesn't make me think "Well I ought to go exercise I guess", instead I think "I need to know what happens next!"; and with episodes clocking in at a little over thirty minutes I usually can find the time to go for a quick run.
Sadly it's just been two weeks and I've already managed to hurt myself, which prompted this entry. I'm both frustrated at not being able to go running today, and not getting to progress the story. I blame using the wrong shoes, and running mostly on asphalt (though my running form is probably not as good as it should be neither). My P.E. teacher used to harp on about the importance of high-quality shoes but silly me thought my sister's second-hand zumba shoes would work for a while. Once my knee heals up I'll go to a proper sports good store and let them recommend me something better.
The big incentive came through an app. Actually, more of an play built into an app. It's called Zombies, Run! and is a sort of audio play where you're a character, and have to run and gather supplies for a small town in zombie-infested England. Not very interactive while you're running I'm afraid, though it records your speed, route and pace, and you get to play a resources-managing game on the website after you've completed your run. Mostly it offers well-written drama, fascinating characters and some great audio editing. I'm not even a general fan of zombie fiction -- I just enjoy the characters and the universe.
Actually I haven't graduated to the main app yet, I'm currently going through its Couch-to-5K sister app set in the same universe. It's very good, and helps me pace myself. The main thing I like about it is it doesn't make me think "Well I ought to go exercise I guess", instead I think "I need to know what happens next!"; and with episodes clocking in at a little over thirty minutes I usually can find the time to go for a quick run.
Sadly it's just been two weeks and I've already managed to hurt myself, which prompted this entry. I'm both frustrated at not being able to go running today, and not getting to progress the story. I blame using the wrong shoes, and running mostly on asphalt (though my running form is probably not as good as it should be neither). My P.E. teacher used to harp on about the importance of high-quality shoes but silly me thought my sister's second-hand zumba shoes would work for a while. Once my knee heals up I'll go to a proper sports good store and let them recommend me something better.
