Training for the London Marathon – which activity tracker should I use?

This is Molly’s Marathon Training Story…

Training for the London Marathon is a lot of things. Tough, gruelling, rewarding, lonely, energising, inspiring and in the space of a few months you go through just about every emotion. From the highs of a successful 20 mile run pre-tapering or the lows of injuries and hitting a wall – marathon training has it all.

Don’t get me wrong, I ran before training for London. However the biggest difference between casual running and training for a purpose, for such a huge event, is plainly obvious. It’s this need and desire to track how you’re doing, to make sure you’re following some sort of training regime. Without this you’re simply guessing. Guessing the distance covered, hoping you’re consuming the correct amount of food to provide you with sufficient energy. That’s where the Kinetik Activity Tracker (AT100) comes in.

5 weeks to go, aiming for the 30km mark and feeling gobsmacked at how many calories are burned during the long runs.

Whereas so many activity trackers out there set you back a small fortune, the AT100 comes at a fraction of the price whilst providing you with all the vital stats. It even tracks your sleep if you want it to! For me, tracking my activity gave me motivation. It was about being a healthy level of competitive with myself. Nothing is more discouraging than seeing the 0 displayed when you didn’t get around to a scheduled run one day.

How to use the AT100

-Simply pair the device with the Kinetik Health App (powered by Caros) -One-button use allows you to click between the time, calories burned, steps taken and kilometres covered -Each day your results are collected and stored in the App -To recharge, the device’s screen separates from the wristband to become a USB which can be charged in any USB port

I personally choose to wear the Activity Tracker for the sole purpose of running. Once the Marathon is over it will be the perfect daily tracker to make sure I’m getting in my 10,000 steps a day.

Here I have worn the Activity Tracker specifically for some of my short runs to track the distance and gauge how many calories I was burning

Now it’s less than a week until race day and I can only imagine what’s to unfold Sunday 22^nd April. I’m sure nothing will come close to the feeling of crossing a finish line alongside tens of thousands of others who have put themselves through such a physically, emotionally and mentally challenging endurance test for the sake of causes close to their hearts. Wish me luck!

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Read more about the cause Molly is running for

My 5 biggest pre-marathon tips:

1. Stay hydrated but don’t go mad glugging water before and during the race – small sips are key
2. Make sure your trainers of choice are well worn in – avoid horrid new blisters
3. Choose your refuelling product beforehand and practice consuming it in training– I’m opting for jelly babies to refuel every now and then from 12 miles or so onwards
4. Carefully plan cheering points and meet up points with family and friends
5. Don’t let nerves stop you from soaking up the atmosphere – the day itself will be a lifetime landmark so enjoy it!

Header image:
© Pamela Uyttendaele – stock.adobe.com