So you want to run. And you also want to hatch your eggs along the way. Should you then play Pokémon GO while running?
As a runner and a player of Pokémon GO, believe me I tried doing so several times. And for the most part, there are only two outcomes:
1. You catch Pokémon, but your pace suck
While you’re gradually picking up your pace, your phone suddenly vibrates. When you checked it out, it’s that rare Pokémon you’ve been longing to catch. Wouldn’t you slow down and concentrate to catch that Pokémon?
2. Your pace is good, but you didn’t catch any Pokémon
You kept a good pace. You ignored all the buzzes from your phone. You didn’t even check for Pokéstops. And when you get to your break and check your phone, you didn’t even add any distance for your eggs as somewhere along the way, you tapped something and the app went into the background. Or you simply ran out of batteries.
I presented two probabilities, and they’re both on either end of the spectrum, and these always happen when I try to combine Pokémon GO and running. So to answer my question, “can Pokémon GO and running go together?” My answer would be both a no and yes.
Why Not?
As much as we’d love to be able to multitask, the truth is if we want to do something well we have to focus our attention to it. If you want to get a good run, you should focus on your running and avoid distractions that may even cause you injury. Even if you say that you don’t run as fast as Kenyans, the risk to injury is still there. On the other hand, if you want to catch Pokémon, walk but don’t run. And make sure to be extremely conscious of your surroundings as other distracted people may in turn bump you.
Why Yes?
Of course we can argue that we really can do both, but the catch is, it won’t be as good for either activity. You may be catching Pokémon along the way, but your pace will suffer. If you don’t really need to seriously catch Pokémon and your goal is simply to cover distance regardless of pace, then maybe you can do both. Keep in mind though that you still have to be constantly aware of your surroundings while doing both.
In the end, it’s up to you to decide if you trust yourself enough to take the risk of doing both playing Pokémon GO and running. Running by itself, especially on open roads, already present a great risk and adding distraction could make the risk greater. If you really want to do both, maybe you should consider carefully your location.
As for me, I decided that if I would run with a certain target in mind, as difficult as it may be, but I’d skip playing Pokémon GO until I’m finished. But if I want to hatch my eggs (this statement sounds funny), I’d do a combination of running and walking, checking my phone only when I’m on my walk break, or call a walk break when I feel my phone is buzzing (when I then slow down, find a safe spot to stay, and catch that Pokémon).
Whichever path you decided to take, always remember to put your safety first. Pokémon GO encourages us to get out and explore our surroundings, but not at the cost of our health. You may always return to the world of augmented reality, but you can’t always fix an injury. Stay safe folks!
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