Garmin Lovin'
Part and parcel of any hobby is the toys. You'd think running is pretty minimalistic, and yet this year I've had to replace just about everything I'm wearing/carrying whenever I go for a run. I knew I'd need a new set of shoes, but I stuck it out with my old pair until after the National Capital Race Weekend so that I wasn't breaking in a new pair when I first started running this year. Then injury drove me to replace my basic clothing: shorts, jog bra and even my socks. After the National Capital Race Weekend, I was determined to work hydration into my training, so I bought a waist-level bottle holder in time for the first long run of the clinic training schedule--after consultation with my new running partner--along with another two pairs of socks, since I wasn't about to start doing laundry more frequently. Shortly after that, I started looking at hats, too (but ended up winning one in a draw Canada Day weekend--and I don't care that the colour clashes with everything else, it was wonderful to have that hat from that training session onwards).
There is a fair amount of technology at work in all the items I've had to pick up in the last couple months. Special fibres in the clothing and hat to wick away sweat, special seams/seamless arrangements to avoid chafing, double-layered socks to minimize friction that cause blisters, specially designed "quick-draw" holder for the water bottle. Not to mention the cushioning and stability elements of my new shoes (Brookes' Axiom 2, if anyone cares to know). But one gadget outdoes all the rest, and replaces the one piece of gear that I've had since before I left high school: my watch.
I love my old Timex Ironman watch, despite the fact that the watchband's been replaced three (or is it four?) times now, and the battery twice (for sure). Besides serving as my morning alarm clock it has clocked my solo runs, using the lap time function once I began doing the return trip in my old workout trail along the canal. But that's all it can do, and nowadays, as with most things, there exists better. The word I started to hear upon joining the clinic was: Garmin.
Using GPS technology, it is now possible to track your runs in terms of distance and speed, as well as just time. Garmin has two series of their Forerunner units capable of doing just that: the 01 series which look like a monitor is strapped to your wrist, and the 05 series which looks like a gigantic watch (at least, on my wrist it does). The later in the series you get, the less the GPS signal gets dropped, and the more features are included.
Well, I wasn't going to get one. I'd done just fine with my Timex until now, and I know how to calculate my speed after a run using something they call "mathematics", and besides, I'd just spent all this money on the essentials of running. So, no, I didn't think I needed an expensive piece of tech like that. Even if signing up for the clinic got me a couple of coupons for use with in-store purchases.
However, shortly after joining the clinic, and training with people who were using their Garmins to monitor and adjust our training paces while we trained, a batch of refurbished Garmin Forerunner 201's went on sale at the Running Room: half price and in perfect working condition, no lemons, guaranteed! And they were being snapped up by folks, just as fast as the stores could get them in stock.
...
So, now I love my Garmin, just like everybody else who owns any of the models. I'm so excited whenever it comes time to use it, so I'm even more motivated to get to every training session (as if I wasn't already motivated to the max from other sources). Getting a reading on my pace enroute is the coolest thing ever, in my ever-so-humble opinion. That little bit of information alone goes a long way towards helping me feel more confident about my running.
There's another level beyond this, where the unit tracks heart rate as well. I'm not yet ready for that step. I'm not sure what I would do with that information at my disposal. Just a notch too far for simple little me right now. But we'll see.
There is a fair amount of technology at work in all the items I've had to pick up in the last couple months. Special fibres in the clothing and hat to wick away sweat, special seams/seamless arrangements to avoid chafing, double-layered socks to minimize friction that cause blisters, specially designed "quick-draw" holder for the water bottle. Not to mention the cushioning and stability elements of my new shoes (Brookes' Axiom 2, if anyone cares to know). But one gadget outdoes all the rest, and replaces the one piece of gear that I've had since before I left high school: my watch.
I love my old Timex Ironman watch, despite the fact that the watchband's been replaced three (or is it four?) times now, and the battery twice (for sure). Besides serving as my morning alarm clock it has clocked my solo runs, using the lap time function once I began doing the return trip in my old workout trail along the canal. But that's all it can do, and nowadays, as with most things, there exists better. The word I started to hear upon joining the clinic was: Garmin.
Using GPS technology, it is now possible to track your runs in terms of distance and speed, as well as just time. Garmin has two series of their Forerunner units capable of doing just that: the 01 series which look like a monitor is strapped to your wrist, and the 05 series which looks like a gigantic watch (at least, on my wrist it does). The later in the series you get, the less the GPS signal gets dropped, and the more features are included.
Well, I wasn't going to get one. I'd done just fine with my Timex until now, and I know how to calculate my speed after a run using something they call "mathematics", and besides, I'd just spent all this money on the essentials of running. So, no, I didn't think I needed an expensive piece of tech like that. Even if signing up for the clinic got me a couple of coupons for use with in-store purchases.
However, shortly after joining the clinic, and training with people who were using their Garmins to monitor and adjust our training paces while we trained, a batch of refurbished Garmin Forerunner 201's went on sale at the Running Room: half price and in perfect working condition, no lemons, guaranteed! And they were being snapped up by folks, just as fast as the stores could get them in stock.
...
So, now I love my Garmin, just like everybody else who owns any of the models. I'm so excited whenever it comes time to use it, so I'm even more motivated to get to every training session (as if I wasn't already motivated to the max from other sources). Getting a reading on my pace enroute is the coolest thing ever, in my ever-so-humble opinion. That little bit of information alone goes a long way towards helping me feel more confident about my running.
There's another level beyond this, where the unit tracks heart rate as well. I'm not yet ready for that step. I'm not sure what I would do with that information at my disposal. Just a notch too far for simple little me right now. But we'll see.