Fred Truman

Design & Code Creative

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Serendipity for the Semi-Competitive Runner

December 8, 2010

As a final project for Kristen Taylor’s communitp class we were asked to build upon a piece of work from our portfolio and weave a nuanced and defensible community strategy component into the project – then present the idea in front of a panel of intimidating thought leaders. I’ve chosen to continue my examination of one of the few communities I am genuinely engaged in and cater some of its potential to my liking. The solution I’ve arrived at is decidedly mobile and has a proposed future as either an augmentation to the existing RunKeeper service or as an API fed 3rd party application.

Before I get into the details of the app I’d like to provide you with some of my personal background. I used to be a competitive runner in high school. I ran cross country in the fall and the mile, half mile and 4 x 800m relay in the spring. Although I used to think that it made me too skinny (not a problem anymore unfortunately) I loved it. From the first time I ran, it became an obsession that influenced my life in so many ways. I loved running because it removed all the variables from competition – no refs, no cheating, no excuses – if I’m faster than you there’s nothing you can say to discount my victory. It’s a purists’ dream.

After my high school glory days were over, I still ran. I also took up a lot of other outdoor activities that all have their upsides, but nothing has ever replaced that competitive void that exists in its place. To this day I still run, but not as much, and probably because I’ve been afraid that I would be disappointed in my performances I’ve just never decided to enter any races. More often than not, I wake up every morning and I run the same three laps around Fort Greene Park and except for the occasional crackhead squirrel darting to defend his acorns, I’m usually bored. To be honest, this is fine. My goal isn’t to have the time of my life, but whenever I get up and go for my quick run I always feel better and have so much more energy for my entire day.

Enter RunKeeper. This mobile app and service allows me to track my runs and routes via my phones built-in GPS capabilities. I can plot my maps, track the calories I’m burning, and even sign up for fitness classes in my neighborhood – which I never do. The most unique and simple feature is that it hooks up with my existing social networks and it even gives me a listing of other users in my neighborhood – a combined roster called my “Street Team”. I thought “great!” but unfortunately none of my Facebook friend’s use the site (they actually mocked me when I was unknowingly publishing my morning run stats) and because I never sign up for fitness classes or run races in my area, I’m not meeting anyone in my neighborhood. My whole experience on RunKeeper is a lonely one-man show. Just as it was before RunKeeper.

I could convince my real friends to join, but that just seems naggy. So I began thinking “how in the hell could I share a running experience with all these people I see running in my neighborhood who might even be on my ‘Street Team’??” Like the site Assisted Serendipity I could monitor my “Street Team” and whenever they were out for a run I could gear up and try to chase them down so we could run together… this just seems creepy and probably why most people are skeeved-out by publishing their real-time locations.

Then I thought “what if I could just do my usual runs and compete with my ‘Street Team’ even if they’re not physically there with me?” This seemed like a completely non-creepy way of interacting with the strangers that were all around me. What if someone could leave an activity somewhere along their route and then let anyone who comes across it challenge them to beat their best time? I could in theory be doing my same boring 3 laps around the park and when I got close enough to the giant set of stairs I could stumble upon a challenge to run up and down the stairs ten times and see if I could make it onto a leader board of the top ten times. Wouldn’t that be fun! Just like Grand Theft Auto, but I wouldn’t have the cops coming to waste me, and when I was done with the challenge I could just resume running on my regular route.

all contents ©2009-2010 Fred Truman