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Why You Should Consider an A.I. Running Coach
New technology tracks performance and provides cues to help you improve mid-run
I was zoning out halfway through a long run when I heard a tinny voice in my ear: “Your cadence is low,” it said. “Step faster!” It was almost alarming, until I remembered I had switched out my AirPods for a pair of Soul Electronics earbuds with built-in A.I. coaching technology. As a seven-time marathoner, I usually rely on coaches or friends to help me pick up the pace or adjust my form when I’m bored or burned out; these headphones promised that same feedback while running solo.
Companies are starting to use artificial intelligence in fitness gear, with proprietary algorithms tracking performance and providing performance-boosting insights not just in an app post-workout, but while you’re exercising. And the timing couldn’t be better.
With stay-at-home and social distancing measures in place, there’s been a surge in runners on the streets — some of whom may be picking up a former habit, and some of whom may not have laced up a pair of running shoes since clocking the mile in high school PE class. But while treadmill studios remain shuttered, run clubs are prohibited from meeting, and even the idea of running with your more experienced friend is frowned upon, there’s no IRL way for runners to get targeted advice to help them improve.
“If you want to get better at running or make it feel easier, wearables with A.I. can point out things you would never notice on your own,” says Matthew Meyer, a certified trainer and running coach at Mile High Run Club in New York. “They make in-depth analysis possible when we don’t have the option of getting professional eyes on us. It’s almost like having a coach running with you.”
“This kind of wearable tech is democratizing high-tech physiological and biomechanical data.”
While the Soul Electronics Run Free Pro Bio earbuds ($149.99, soulelectronics.com) uses sensors in the earbuds to compile biometric data like how long you’re in the air, how symmetrical your gait is, and the amount of force you hit and push off the ground with, the Nurvv Run Smart Insoles ($299.95, nurvv.com) are packed with…
