Trying something unique. SprintAR - a Mixed Reality app for sprint, soccer, football or basketball training. Here's a quick overview video:
It's worth listing some of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach:
Three Unique Advantages
- Chase your ghost: this is something no other medium (not even VR) can do. It feels amazing to chase a life-size, 3D, recorded version of your previous best time. The ghost feels like 'you' because it moves uncannily like you. It's a real out-of-body experience. It's extremely competitive and motivating but also not intimidating (because it's 'you').
- Zero setup and pack down: again, something no other medium can do. Training cones appear magically in their correct formation and at their correct spacing. You don't have to set them up, or pack them away again, or keep diagrams of different formations to remind you how to do them.
- Interactive checkpoints: also something no other medium can do. An interactive blue circle guides you from cone to cone, and enforces you step into it.
Side Benefits
- Automatic time recording: times are recorded without needing to start/stop a stopwatch. Also a leaderboard of best times are maintained.
- Beep test: the app can manage the entire beep test (multi-stage fitness test, MSFT, PACER): all audio, all timings, interactive warnings, all measurements etc.
Some Disadvantages
- VR headsets are heavy: despite huge improvement in recent years, VR headsets are still about 15x heavier than regular running glasses (500 grams vs 30 grams). Personally, I find it fine. But your mileage may vary.
- VR headsets are expensive: there's no doubt you're paying more for a unique experience. But the good news is, VR headsets are tied to your face! You're much less likely to damage or drop them than phones you carry in your hand, or something strapped to your foot.
- VR headsets are sweaty: this is less of a problem for short sprint training than for the many popular VR Fitness apps out there, but still not ideal. I recommend using an Open Facial Interface:
On balance, I feel the good outweighs the bad. But try it for yourself and let me know!
You can download the app here:
