Now that I'm back into the staying fit game I thought I would document how I'm staying motivated. It is compressed of four different things that I'm doing.
Nike+ GPS Watch
My beautiful wife just got me the Nike+ GPS watch which I think will boost my confidence and consistency. In the past I have been using my phone, but I really had a lot of weird software issues with it. I really wanted an independent device that was easily accessible during my run and this watch got really good reviews. It was a hard decision between Nike and Garmin, but since the Nike has a non-GPS feature (running indoor or on treadmill) it wins :-), especially since both sync with Endomondo (more on that later).
Nikeplus.com
There Nikeplus.com website is great so far. There are a lot of negative reviews about it but those are most about the flash site that has recently been replaced by HTML5. I have found it very easy to navigate so far and uploads are a breeze.
Endomondo.com
I have been using endomondo for about 2 years now. There phone application used to be great, however since 8.0 there has been so many issues with my phone and the GPS. Even with the application woohs I still really liked there website. Mostly for the social feature as a lot of people at work are using it. Also they just started syncing with Nike+, so I can still use it with the watch to stay social.
EarndIt.com
Earned It is an interesting website. You sync your workout website (both endomondo and nike+ are supported) and it gives you points for working out. After you build up points you can cash them in for giftcards to workout type places. There are restrictions on what will give you points. For example: manual inputed runs in endomondo don't count, however if you have a GPS based workout it does count. For Nike+ it looks like both GPS based and foot sensor based get points. I just hit 300 points and got $20 off a purchase at endomondo's online store. Got a cool running shirt. It really didn't take much time to get up to 300. You can also use your points to help out people in need, which is what I'll be striving for next. During my runs I'll be thinking, "for the children in Kenya", ha.
Summary
Some people use websites, others use a friend's encouragement. When it comes down to it, only you can get up off the sofa and go for a run. These things help, but you are the one steering the boat. Enjoy!
