Confession: I’m not one of those slim gazelle-like runners who ‘just naturally loves to run.’ My usual routine? Trudge through a 5k and reward myself with a Reese’s chocolate bar afterwards. Oh, and I call it ‘cross-training’ when I take the stairs instead of the lift on my way home. Heroic, I know.
I’ve been running on and off for about eight years now, which means I’ve had ample time to convince myself that plodding around the park at the same pace, pretty much every single time, counts as ‘training.’ (Spoiler: it does not!) And this lack of progress was starting to make my weekly run feel tough.
I was heavy and breathless, and when I looked back at my previous record speeds from days gone by, felt convinced I could never run that fast now. Or… could I? I was curious.
Everyone’s clicking on…Related Story
Keen to spice things up ahead of entering a competitive 10k race and break out of my lazy girl cycle, I turned to Runna, a coach and training app, which provides custom plans for various goals and distances, from 5k to ultramarathons.
I vowed to let the app to build some structure into my tired old routine, hoping it would turn my mindset into something a little more productive.
Here’s what happened when I let Runna boss me around for six weeks:
1) The app was smarter than me (rude but fair)
Runna introduced me to things like tempo runs and progressive pacing. Previously, I thought a progressive run meant slowly convincing myself to leave the house (progress, after all!). Turns out, it’s an actual thing.
A progressive run is training that gradually increases your running pace over the course of the workout. Instead of keeping a steady pace, you start easier, then build up to a more comfortable speed, before finishing with a faster, harder effort. It made me feel suspiciously like a ‘real runner’.
Runna also guided me through the various sessions without overwhelming me, which meant that instead of just hitting the road and going at my own natural pace, I now knew why I was doing 5×400m at threshold pace, or finishing with a controlled cooldown. The app added variety to my pace, helping to boost my cardiovascular fitness along the way. Pushing myself to run faster than usual definitely improved my breathlessness.
2) It provides a personal in-ear coach (minus yelling)
Getting real-time cues through my headphones proved surprisingly helpful. Normally, the only voice in my head mid-run is me negotiating whether two miles is enough to burn off my KitKat from lunch and call it a day. Now, I had someone keeping me accountable, while stopping me from sprinting like a maniac every time a stranger overtook me too, when I was supposed to be doing easy runs. It also put an end to coasting through ‘hard’ sessions.
Audible nudges kept me updated on how far was left to complete too, hearing the miles tick down is always soothing. They have a live messenger feature on the app, where in-built human coaches and integrated AI coaches can message you. It’s a reassuring touch, if you want advice, or have any burning questions that need answers.
Credit to Runna’s First to Fast 10K
3) Runna’s gamification actually works
Runna’s streak metrics turned my runs into a weirdly addictive game. Suddenly, not wanting to break the chain was enough motivation to get me out the door. Who knew I’d push out some cold, rainy day runs just to keep a little digital badge alive?
Seeing metrics charted neatly in the app kept me content. Hitting streaks and watching my 1k split (a split being the time it takes to cover each 1km as part of a wider race, with efforts broken into segments that measure pace and consistency) improve, fuelled me to lace up day after day, as I tracked my own performance.
4) I didn’t die on race day (hurrah!)
By race day, I wasn’t panicking about feeling lethargic, because Runna had already drilled it all into me. I knew with certainty that I’d done all the hard work prior to the main event and felt confident I could smash it. Instead of flying out like a caffeinated toddler and crashing by 3k (my former signature move), I held steady and—dare I say—finished strong.
The guided taper plan kept me fresh, my pacing was solid and I still had enough energy to sprint across the finish rather than crawl.
Final Thoughts
Running can sometimes feel like a punishment and with Runna, although it still hurts (I mean, it is still running after all), it’s a lot less painful when you get to race day.
The app breaks down a plan you can follow blindly, knowing full well you’re improving your fitness gradually, whilst being mindful of preventing injuries. If you’re tired of playing ‘guess the workout’ with your legs, why not let an app do all the thinking for you?
At worst, you’ll get a decent 5 or 10k out of it. At best, you might even enjoy yourself and improve your overall bodily sensations when running.
For me, using the Runna app wasn’t just about getting to the start line — it was about upgrading my training and understanding a bit more theory behind the sport. Before, I ran solely to finish, now, I’m trying to beat old PBs!
If your training feels stuck in a rut, or you’d just like some structure with accountability, i would highly recommend giving the Runna app a go. It turned my repetitive routine into something fresh and motivating.
Runna costs £15.99 per month or £99.99 annually for a monthly subscription. The annual plan offers a significant discount, working out to roughly £8.33 per month. The app also offers a free trial, allowing you to test the app before committing to a subscription. You can cancel at any time, meaning you can download it in the run up to an event and cancel afterwards, once you’ve hit the finish line.
Related Stories