Fit in my 40s: Its not Grand Theft Auto thrilling. But VR running is incredible | Zoe Williams

There might be a 5k for beginners starting in 15 minutes, and when you join it you can see all these avatars running with you

Zwift began as a virtual cycling idea: video graphics programmer and amateur triathlete Jon Mayfield invented it after the birth of his first child, his PR told me, when he found himself very time poor. Training on an exercise bike is famously boring, so Mayfield added a gaming element, connected all the time-poor cyclist fathers across the world on the internet, and lo one in India could race another in Australia up a virtual Alpine mountain. And pretty soon, Zwift cyclists were logging a million miles a day, which makes me wonder what the time-poor new mothers thought of it.

The running version is very new, requires less tech (you dont need a bespoke static bike) but is not without its complications. You need a Bluetooth footpod (I had a Stryd, which costs just over 220, although cheaper options are available), and a not inconsiderable IQ to figure out how to attach it to your trainers. Obviously, you need to be on a treadmill. You download the app on to your phone, though an iPad is better for the virtual scenery. To set it up, you need to teach it your pace by doing some test running. All told, its probably the hardest Ive had to concentrate since I did my A-levels, but you only have to do it once.

Im not a fan of computer-generated scenery. It doesnt lift my spirits. If I see a mountain, Im only thinking of the incline and the pain. Fake snow doesnt help. Ideally, Id choose a road that was flat and featureless, something like the A3.

But I am a fan of the virtual running club: once youre set up, your screen will show a number of runs, starting at regular intervals there might be a 5k for beginners starting in 15 minutes, and when you join it you can see all these avatars running alongside you.

Look, its not Grand Theft Auto thrilling. You dont get to shoot anyone. Youre not there to chat. But there is something incredible about the concept; these are actual people, usually in a different country most of the ones I ran with were in the US and there you are, on your run, surveying the pixels, trying to keep up with each other.

Its not a perfect platform for beginners at the moment; only keen runners seem to engage with something so wonky, and theyre using it to push themselves, so theyd ideally like to be doing 20km, and without delay. There just arent as many slow-coach runs going on at any one time, and joining an intermediate when youre not one is a mugs game that will leave you feeling sheepish. Plus, I would never choose a treadmill over the outdoors, and Id take the fresh air over the company.

What its amazing for is the introverted runner, the person who wants a little bit of camaraderie but without the challenge of real-world interaction, where you have to smile and make rueful faces. Actually, maybe thats everybody: its awful having to smile when youre exerting yourself. This could be massive.

What I learned

There is a world of virtual reality running out there, from Zwift to the RunSocial app, to watching a YouTube video of a running route while youre at the gym.

Original Article : HERE ; This post was curated & posted using : RealSpecific

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Fit in my 40s: Its not Grand Theft Auto thrilling. But VR running is incredible | Zoe Williams was originally posted by Monthly Mashed 3