Tag Archives: Garmin

July Recap: MCM Training Begins

JulyMiles July kicked off my unofficial marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon. I say unofficial because I don’t ever really follow a plan 100% or even 80%. And in the beginning of training I just wing it.  Lately, I’ve had a lot of social/personal commitments that have kept me from doing my normal long runs on Saturday mornings (and a lot of mid week runs). I’ve had to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.  By that I mean, skipping runs or cutting them short or not being able to fit them in at all.  Last weekend, I had a 3 hour window to run in West Virginia. It was 2pm and a downpour outside. Still, I had to get it in. I had to modify my route and break my run up into pieces just to get it done.  I was all sorts of anxious about it driving to the trail in the rain. But when I was done, I was proud that I went outside the comfort zone.  Also, some spectacular that happened on last weeks long run (brace yourself) – I ran Garmin-less for the 2nd half of the run!  What?! I know!  I never run Garmin-less, I feel like days could pass by and I’d still be running if I wasn’t wearing it.  But because of the torrential downpours; I had to return to my car and leave the Garmin behind so it wouldn’t get soaked. And let me tell you – I ran really well without it. I did note when I left and when I returned and luckily my trail had mile markers so afterwards I was able to calculate my pace.  And I used mapmyrun for elevation and exact mileage. Not bad at all being with the Garmin. No stress over pace or heart rate. Now, I won’t be doing that again anytime soon (lets not get carried away). But now I know that I can do it. And perhaps I’ll try to make one long run a month Garmin-less.

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Filed under Goals, Lessons Learned, Races, Training, Uncategorized

The financial costs of running (besides sweat, pain, and tears)….

running man 1The other day someone asked me what activity they could do that wouldn’t involve investing a lot of money. Running! I proceeded to tell them how they only need a decent pair of running shoes and some workout clothes. After I sold them on running as the cheap workout, I realized that I myself have invested money into running over the years. A lot money now that I look back.

1. MP3 Players: Most runners I know run with their iPod, iPhone, or some MP3 player. Music entertains us as we run. I have issues with my iPods getting water damage from my sweat (eweee, gross). I have been through several in the past 6 months and was forced to do my long runs sans music for a few weeks. And you know what – I dug it. You are left alone with your thoughts and you take in your surroundings. And I felt I could control my pace better. I did a few 15-18 milers this way. But when my replacement iPod arrived at my door, I was quickly back to running with Rihanna and Beyonce.

2. GPS watches: As a beginner, I didn’t feel a need to track my mileage. As my training got more intense, I needed to know how much I was running down to the tenth of the mile. I invested in the Nike + sensor that attached to your shoe and iPod. I then bought a Motoactv. And just recently, I purchased my first Garmin. I can’t wait to test it out. Continue reading

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Filed under My favorite things