I am 32 years old graduated high school in 1997.  My only regreat is that i didnt run track sooner.  I tried out my sinor year for track.  I had never ran it before and had never really ran before. I didnt do great but I did manage to get third in regionals.  If i had started when i was a freshman i may have went all the way :S.   My track events where 400m, 800m, 1 Mile Relay, Two Mile Relay.  My best 400m time was 52 seconds, 800m 2:00m.  After graduating High School I worked as a construction worker for around 5 years.  I finialy got tired of it and joined the national guard.  I quite running probally a year after high school, really didnt see the point anymore figured my racing days where over.  I had to do alot of running going through Basic and AIT but after that I quite agin.  Spent the next 8 years just running once a year for the PT test untill, I also gained 40 lbs :S.  My last PT test was about 5 months ago.  I was only 30 seconds away from failing my run and it just about killed me to get that.  I decided to get back into running and see how fast I could get.  In the last 5 months I have managed to knock 3 minutes off my mile, 4 miutes off my two mile, and almost 10 minutes off my three mile.  Now that winter is here its freezing outside jsut going to try to keep what i have and start knocking time off agin when it warms up.

 Visit me on Garmin Connect

Training Logs Using Garmin

I  spent much of the summer runner hilly roads and trails I was using the garmin 405 to keep track of my progress and to help build my times each week.  now that winter is here I find myself having to run indoors more due to weather conditions.  Unfortunitly GPS dont work indoors so I am running out tomarrow and picking up a foot pod.  hopefully it will be more accurate then a treadmill time and distance:)

So far the garmin watch has helped me monitor and record everything I do with minimal effort.  I simply create my workouts selected the days on the calander using the connect software and transfer them to my watch.  Then all I need to do is do the workout for that day.  When I walk in the house it automaticly transmits the data to my computer wirelessly.  How easy is that.

Below is and example of one of the most recent outdoor one mile I ran.  Was about 20 degrees and cloudy and I think I was alittle over dressed but I still managed to get a good time at least for me.

 As fare as accuracy you might ask?  I ran two miles on a high school track and the watch using GPS was right on the money.  I ran a 5k back in the fall and my finish time was within 1 second of the time I accutally recived.  I have tested it on countless areas that have been messured and the most its ever been of is about 10 feet over a three mile distance.  Cant say I know how accurate the Foot Pod is because i dont have one yet.  But Ill be sure to update this blog when I do get it and have been able to test it.  Some runners find the pace to be off but I have never had that issue.  I use the pace while doing races and it has always been dead on for me.

I don't know how many runners are using a gps watch to help keep track of the times but for me its been a blessing.  one thing I find hard to do when your training alone is to get a good accurate time  while your running.  Its even harder to get split times unless your running a track then you have to remember all that crap.  The thing I love about using the garmin is that it also has a heart rate monitor with it.  Unfortunitly I have not been using it since the cold weather moved in however, I do use it through the summer.  This watch has been the single most important pieace to my training this summer.  I would have probally quit along time ago if I had not gotten it.  The only problem I have now is no foot pod :( so not tracking when it comes to indoor activities.  After tomarrow that will change :)

I am probally not as experianced at running as anyone on this site but I do know one thing if you dont log it then you want know if you have improved and thats something you have to know.  If you use a stop watch to log it you may be off alittle at times or even forget your split times over a long distance.  This is probally one of the best investments a runner could make exspecillay if you don't have a coach and no one else to train with.

You can cheack it out for yourself at http://garmin.com/connect I am not linked to garmin in any way besides a user of just one product so im not trying to sell there items on here.  Just showing a really good tool for logging you run data.  I am sure most of you already have some type of GPS watch and all of you will probally agree.  For those of you that don't you should really look into it.

So I went out and bought my foot pod today since this is my off day I decided to test it on something unconventional.  Got everything synced up with my watch went down stairs fired of WII Fit and set it on the Long run, then the Island run.  I new this would probally not be accurate due to the fact im running in place however I did see something I liked.  The pace was way off but the cadence was right on the money.  So even doing the wii fit there is still a few numbers you can build on :).  Next week I plan on testing the pod on a three mile rout, basketball, and treadmill.  Just have to see what the results are.  I have not calbrated the unit yet so the readings will be strait from the store.  After next week I will calibrate and run further tests.

So I managed to get two tests in today. One was a three mile treadmill run and the other was about a 40 minute game of basketball.  They both look extreamly promising.  The tread mill felt about right avraging around a 7:33 pace over three miles.  I cant really say on the basgetball untill I can get home and upload the data to my computer.  So fare I am happy with the results and its not even calibrated yet. Hopefully sometime this week ill be able to try a road test so I can actually verify it. Ill keep you updated.

Well have not had a chance to get out on a mapped out track and test to pod however, I did run a rout in which I mapped with my GPS.  The foot pod out of the box is just about the same as the gps.  The 1 mile mark was within a few feet of what my gps said the 1 mile mark was.  This was on hilly trail and not a flat track.  I belive i could put my trust in the readings from the foot pod.  When i get a chance to make it to a track I'll post the results.