c25k and Ingress

You might recall that I’m doing the Couch-to-5k (c25k) running program. I’ve completed the first four weeks of the program and in terms of habit-forming it’s been one of the easier ones I’ve attempted in my life. I piggy-backed on my habit of walking the dog around sun-down by turning that into my warmup walk.

But my real secret? I hack portals while I run.

A mere mortal would be content with only the c25k app of their choice running on their phone, telling them when to walk and when to jog. But why stop there when you could collect the XM, get an evening hack to help your Sojourner badge, and maybe do a mission? Not to mention that running is the fastest way to earn kilometers on your Trekker badge.

I’m out of missions near my house that I can complete during a 30 minute c25k session, but I still always fire one up. So long as I keep my fingers off the lock button, the mission will keep my scanner up and running so I can hack any nearby portals. And you better believe I don’t run anywhere without portals.

One of the appeals of Ingress is that it provides a game that gets you moving. It’s a lot easier to walk two more blocks when there’s a portal over there. If you apply the same idea to running, it’s a lot easier to take on that next jog when you know you’ll have fun. Out of breath fun, but still fun.