It will not be the first time it has been said that I am in touch with my inner adolescent. This week, my teen and her friends introduced me to Pokémon Go. I have dim memories of Pokémon cards littering the floor and getting stuck in couch cushions from her siblings. I thought I had this. Wrong! This is MUCH better.
Never one for card games, this appeals to my ‘movement with a purpose’ motto. Although the lack of game directions is particularly vexing to my brain, I figured it was an opportunity to lean on my intuitive side. For anyone who has not yet started to play, I recommend checking out some basic tutorials like you can find here, and here online, to help you get the most out of early game decisions.
Catching the Pokémon in my yard was easy and fun but what to do with this game? I had a scheduled interval run planned and a HITT (high intensity interval training) session to complete for the day.
My mom multi-tasking mode engaged and I started Map My Run and Pokémon Go simultaneously. One of my teen friends told me it was ‘cheating’ to run and play Pokémon. To that I say, haters gonna hate dude- you should start running. Here’s what happened.
About 10 mins. into the run, I started getting vibrations of nearby Pokémon. Hunting down the first 1 or 2 was quick- they were standing on the roadside. After having to stop to catch them I did a few burpees, high knee jumps or push ups off my HITT program then sprinted to keep my run times in line. I would just start to tire when another Pokémon would magically appear! A few times, a Pokémon would require me to deviate from my planned route into a neighborhood. Running up to a house where there was an Oddish in the front yard, I hesitated. Do I ring the doorbell and try to explain my urgent need to stand in their yard with my smart phone?? While deliberations circled my brain and my heart rate fell, I heard a man clear his throat. The next door neighbor was sipping his coffee with a bemused look on his face. “Pokémon in the yard right?” he queried. Mutely I nodded. He took a long drag of his coffee then said, “Owner says it’s ok. Go on in. I sit out here every morning now just to see who comes by. You’re a bit older than most”. I thanked Captain Obvious, shrugged and grinned as I caught my prey. In 4 miles I caught a ton of Pokémon. I ran the prescribed intervals, did my HITT training, met some cool people and laughed out loud during my run like I haven’t since I tried the Zombies, Run! app.
Adults who run (or walk) errands cover a lot of ground and find themselves in many a parking lot full of targets. This advantage deserves respect. Just saying- the Silo by Walmart, the library and the mall are great spots for Go fans:) I plan to make my to-do list a bit more entertaining and my runs laugh-out-loud fun for awhile. This may require upping my data plan 🙁 I’m thinking team Mystic… How about you?