CIM (California International Marathon) was my first marathon to run with my phone. I’ve done shorter races, but always feared that with longer ones like a marathon my phone would die or I’d break it! But, it worked at CIM and worked so well that I’m planning on doing it again. So, here are my tips!
- Check the weather. If your race is super humid or worse, raining, you may want to decide against the idea. But if you’re stubborn (like me), go for the ziplock approach. A plastic baggie will help protect your phone from the rain and your sweat.
- Stash carefully. Plan on attire that supports your phone. For me that meant running in my Inspire Tights and Rise & Run Bra (with a headphone loop) that kept my phone packed away while keeping my cord untangled. Find an outfit that works for you and test it out before race day.
Airplane mode. The last thing you want during a race is added distraction. My phone syncs with my Garmin so I knew I didn’t want any notifications coming through. Airplane mode is the perfect solution!
- Plan your playlist. For me, running with my phone meant that I could use a playlist from Spotify which gave me so many more options. Once you’ve created your playlist, download it to your phone. Extra tip: Put your Spotify playlist on a loop so it replays from the beginning when it’s done. That way you won’t have to touch it during the race!
Conserve battery. Another reason why downloading your playlist works is because it reduces the need to stream, which helps with battery life. Put your phone on low battery mode too, and exit out of any apps you won’t need while running.
- Forget it’s there. Forget that your phone is stashed away to avoid temptations like an Uber to the finish….kidding, sort of. But in all seriousness, forgetting my phone was there until finish line phones was perfect.
Finish line photos. This was easily the best part of having my phone! I loved being able to snap shots at the finish line without having to wait for bag check.
Do you run with your phone? Any tips I missed?
Originally published at medium.com