Running: The rise of the GPS tracker

Once upon a time, it was almost regarded as unfashionable, but now it would be fair to say that running has really come into a league of its own. Suddenly, it’s the on-trend way to keep fit and it doesn’t matter if you are a stay-at-home mom or someone training for a triathlon – it’s open to everyone.

One of the reasons that it has soared in popularity is most probably due to the technology that’s now related to it. A couple of decades ago, you just needed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Now, all sorts of gadgets are available and as you may have gathered from the title of today’s post, a GPS tracker is a key to all of this.

Through the course of this post, we will now take a look at just how the GPS tracker has helped to change the face of running and ultimately, entice more people to participate in the sport.

Running with a buddy is no longer a requirement

Unless you were just heading out for a run around the local village, the advice always used to be that you should run with a buddy. This was purely from a safety perspective; after all, if you incurred an injury when you were half a mile into your trail run, there’s a good chance that you might be in the middle of nowhere with absolutely nobody having a clue where you were.

Suffice to say, the GPS tracker has transformed this. While most of us like to run with a buddy, it’s no longer a requirement. By letting someone know the details of your device, they can quickly calculate just where you are if the clock has started to tick. This isn’t just a relief for the runner, but also any loved ones who like to tap into that reassurance.

New routes can be tried at a whim

For this next point, it doesn’t matter whether you have a buddy or not. Some people didn’t like venturing too far out in case they got lost. Considering the fact that you can literally stumble into some of the best runs out there, it would be fair to say that this prompted a huge stumbling block for most aspiring runners.

Through the GPS tracker, this is of course no longer an issue. Not only can others calculate your whereabouts, but you will also be given guidance through a map on how to navigate around the local area.

Statistics have made it more enticing

They might look bland on paper, but as soon as you start putting a few statistics next to your run things start to become a bit more interesting. You can immediately see how many calories you burned, or how far you ran. Instead of just “thinking” that you did better than yesterday, you have everything documented. From a motivational perspective, this is something that can help your plight no-end and really make you develop.