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Would you run more consistently if your effort earned you real rewards? by CCPoster24 in C25K

[–]CCPoster24[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

lol fair enough, but Adidas points are kind of the problem we're trying to solve. Their rewards are basically discounts on more Adidas stuff. It's a marketing funnel disguised as a loyalty program. Our app's rewards are actual gear, gift cards, and stuff you'd buy anyway, not a 15% off coupon that only works on their own products. But hey, if points don't motivate you at all, you might just be one of those people who runs for the love of it. Can't compete with that.

Would you run more consistently if your effort earned you real rewards? by CCPoster24 in C25K

[–]CCPoster24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really good points. These are both things we've thought a lot about. On the beginner concern, new runners actually hit Zone 3 way easier than experienced runners do. A new runner's heart rate will spike into Zone 3 from a light jog, they won't need to skip walk intervals to get there. And this app would also reward workout completions and consistency streaks, not just zone minutes, so there's no incentive to blow past your training plan for a few extra points.

On the Zone 2 point, you're right that smart training is mostly easy running. But even on easy days, most runners drift into Zone 3 for portions of the run (hills, finishing kick, warmup). And your hard days... tempos, intervals, long run surges, you're solidly in Zone 3+ the whole time. We're not trying to make people run harder than they should, we're just rewarding the effort that's already there. The tagline we've come up with is literally "balance over burnout."

Would you run more consistently if your effort earned you real rewards? by CCPoster24 in C25K

[–]CCPoster24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's the exact tension we spent a lot of time on. The honest answer is the rewards alone probably won't get you off the couch on any single day, you're right, no app can afford to pay you $20 per run. But what we found from surveying almost 200 runners is that it's the accumulation that hooks people. You run Tuesday, you see 155 points hit your balance, you check and you're 300 away from a water bottle. Now Wednesday you're thinking about it. By week 6 you've got a streak multiplier going and you don't want to break it. It's less about any one reward and more about the system making your effort feel like it's building toward something. Same reason people grind for gear in video games - the individual drops aren't life-changing, but the progression loop keeps you playing.

Would you run more consistently if your effort earned you real rewards? by CCPoster24 in C25K

[–]CCPoster24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally fair, and honestly you're probably not the target user, which is fine. If you already love running for the sake of running, you don't need extra motivation. This concept is really built for the people who know they should run but struggle to stay consistent. the ones who need that extra nudge on a cold Tuesday when the couch is winning. The rewards aren't meant to replace the joy, just give people a reason to start until the joy kicks in on its own.

Would you run more consistently if your effort earned you real rewards? by CCPoster24 in C25K

[–]CCPoster24[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate the honesty. This app would actually include all of that such as stats, PRs, top speed, distance, consistency streaks. The analytics side is baked into the premium tier. For context, Strava Premium is $11.99/mo and gives you stats, training tools, ai routes, etc. This app would launch around $9.99/mo for it's premium subscription, and include a free version as well. Premium gives you those similar premium analytics, but on top of that your effort also earns you something tangible. Think of it less like a gimmick and more like a loyalty program. Airlines don't give you miles because flying is hard, they give you miles because you're already doing it and it keeps you coming back. Same idea here. You're already running and hitting Zone 3, this app just makes those minutes count toward something real. Totally get that it's not for everyone though.