Track My Run

When you ask yourself "How do I track my run?" what answers do you come up with? The truth is, tracking your run is quite easy. Staring at a stopwatch while running is not only boring, it's dangerous. No, the best way to track your run is to incorporate music into your workout. Your run will feel less like a run and more like 30 to 45 minutes of enjoying music you like. Here's the easiest and most fun way to track your run. By the way, make sure you check with a doctor first to make sure you're healthy enough to start a 30 to 45 minute running regimen or you won't be tracking your run.

What you need:

• MP3 player
• MP3 player athletic holder
• USB connective gear to load songs and make playlists
• Laptop or PC
• Notebook and pen

1. Your MP3 player. This thing is your savior. Be honest, running without music is incredibly boring. Even if you're in nature, it helps to have a soundtrack, so get a decent MP3 player. Use the connective USB cord to attach it to your computer. Follow the instructions to drag music over to the MP3 player. Simple right? Well you're not done yet.
2. Making a playlist. Playing random songs while you run is the quickest way to loose track of your run, so you're going to create a time specific playlist. If you're running for 45 minutes, choose a set number of tracks that inspire you to get off your butt and move. Here's the trick though. Make sure the total playtime for those tracks are as close to 45 minutes as possible. That way you won't have to worry about hearing a repeat song during the run.
3. Your initial run. Figure out how far you're going to run in the time you've allotted yourself. Find a track and get going. Make sure to keep track of how far you go during that time frame. Jot it down in your notebook. Be it the number of laps you pull off or what have you, keep a detailed record of how far you can get.
4. Improvement. This is the easy part. Make sure you push yourself. If you find that you're hitting the three mile mark in your allotted time easily, try to push for three and a half miles the next run. You'll notice your capacity for running extended time periods will skyrocket.
5. Updating your playlist. Make sure you change out the songs periodically to keep from getting bored. If you decide to extend your run, you'll need to add more songs.