July 26, 2012
My husband and I try very hard to live our lives differently than other people. We believe in discussing issues and problems in a calm manner and that yelling and fighting doesn't solve anything. Despite these fundamental beliefs even the best of intentions can fall apart and we do end up fighting. In my world of definitions, fighting and arguing mean two totally different things. To mean arguing means a healthy exchange of disagreeing ideas with a problem solving undertone with the goal of coming to a mutual understanding and compromise. (This is not to be confused with debate which to me means an argument that doesn't have any real conclusion....think high school debate class or something along those lines.) Fighting is simply lashing out at each other with the intent to force your will upon someone else and with the intent to verbally (or physically if you're that type of person) hurt someone. My husband and I strive to only argue but unfortunately we do, once in a great while, fight. Last night was one of those rare times. And while I'm not one to air my dirty laundry in the great vast world wide unknown this argument was the whole purpose for today's run.
Having fought with my husband I went to bed and tried to sleep. When I was unable to, I got up and cleaned the kitchen (okay, so I clean when I'm angry, doesn't everyone?) by this time it was around 5:30 in the morning and as I was standing at the sink gazing unseeingly out into my mother in law's back yard I realized that the sun was coming up. I know that in the past when frustration has overwhelmed me if I went for a run it would help clear the air around me and help me become more focused. So as I was finishing up the dishes my thoughts turned toward the road and my shoes sitting neatly in their box calling to me, offering me the freedom and bliss and serenity of the pavement. Who was I to resist? Besides, I couldn't sleep anyway! I put down my dish towel and dug out my spandex.
Armed with my trusty iPod armband with my iPod blaring the "Marathon Mix" (Does anyone know how to change the name of a playlist once you have named it? I can't seem to figure it out!) and my Garmin on my wrist I set out. As my feet struck the pavement and my breathing became heavy I couldn't seem to find the peace I was searching for. The air around me was thick and heavy and my limbs felt tired. I kept telling myself if I just kept going I would find the calm I was searching for but it never came. I was a bundle of tension and my body knew it. I wanted to make this a 3 mile run (I am in training, you know) but it just wasn't happening and my body knew it. Despite cheerfully calling "Hello" to the people I saw out on their porches or on their morning walks I wasn't feeling joyful. Running wasn't going to ease the ache in my heart this morning and I knew it.
On my way back home I ran into my teenage cousin. She and a friend of hers were out running too. I was glad to get a hug as I haven't seen her in a while. I was grateful to see her. We had made an effort to gain guardianship over her and and her two sisters when their father died late last year but he had signed guardianship over to the middle daughter's best friend's family and they refused to sign it over to us. Now we don't get to see them very often; it's almost as though they are another family now and I miss them so I was very grateful to see our cousin this morning. I thank God for that small blessing. But it was with a heavy heart that I turned into my driveway after this morning's run. This morning there was no turning around and heading back to do the run again. As I quietly shut the door behind me upon returning I felt my eyes well up with tears. I knew what I had to do; I had to fix things with my husband. Our marriage is so important to me and whatever we fight about cannot be allowed to tear us apart.
Since my husband was sleeping when I came in, I sat down in my chair and fell asleep thinking things over. When I woke up I was disoriented (I thought it was 9:00 in the morning and it was 1:00 in the afternoon!) and things between my husband and I were chilled. As the afternoon wore on things thawed out and we worked things out and I felt better.
The physicals of the run break down like this: I ran 2.31 miles this morning. It took me twenty-seven minutes to do the courthouse run with the loop behind the courthouse included. My average pace was 11:30 and to be honest, I felt like crap. I believe this is because I was feeling like crap in my heart. This was my first early morning run ever. It was rather peaceful out in there in the morning but to be honest I have a much more idyllic idea of what an early morning run should be. My idea of a morning is this: Picture in your mind the perfect temperature for running. My ideal running temperature is slightly cool, cool enough to raise goosebumps when you start out but by the time you are done you are sweating. Now picture a nice clean trail; it's clear of roots and sticks and such. There are no cracks in the pavement, smooth and maybe just slightly curvy. The hills are moderate and there are trees on both sides of the path. Tall enough to block out the world but low enough that you feel safe. It loops around and there are posts marking your mileage as you run along embracing the peace and serenity of God's beautiful earth. Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....sounds like heaven on earth! And now we have to wake up; UGH! Nope, my morning run was along the sidewalks of town. It was quietish and there was little traffic, not many people out but it certainly wasn't as beautiful as what I picture in my mind, LOL!
Having said that, I liked running in the morning. Normally throughout my day I make decisions about how I eat, whether I take a shower early or late with my plan for my run in my mind. Today I didn't have to worry about. I'd already run, I'd had a shower. I could eat whatever I wanted without having to worry about it being too heavy for me to run (I prefer to run on an empty stomach). I was clean and my day was free. I didn't have to worry about fitting a run in. Those things make an early morning run worth it. Now if I could just get myself to do it every morning! Since we are night owls (my husband is a professional poker player and he works at night so I stay up with him) getting up early for a run is not really happening these days. Guess I need to work on that, eh?
All in all, this run was completely dissatisfying. It had more to do with my state of mind than the weather or the physicality of running itself. I learned today that there are some things a run can't solve. Going for a run will give you the space to calm down but you have to put you yourself have to put yourself in a place where you are willing to be open to changing your mind about what you think you are right about.
Happy Running!
KEA
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Some Miles Are Better Than No Miles
7/24/12
My mother in law called this afternoon to say she was going out for Chinese this evening and asked if we wanted to go along. I've been craving Chinese for a long time so I said absolutely yes! It was around 5:00 and we decided that since it's summer and we've been eating late these days that we wouldn't leave until around 7:00. I decided that I had time for a run and since I hadn't been very good about keeping up with my running (stupid heat!!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) that I needed to get out there and get into it again.
As I was gearing up for my run my youngest daughter came into my room. She saw me dressed and geared and asked if she could come along. Now, I love to hang out with my daughter. I love everything about her, her smile, her cheerful voice, her pretty little face and her conversation but I'm finding more and more as I continue my running that my running is becoming more and more "Me Time" and I am very jealous over it. I just don't want to share it. But, she was begging and I hate to hurt her feelings so I said she could go along. After all, she is fast on her scooter and as long as she stays in front of me, I don't have to worry about where she is and whether she is safe as much. This is my only concern with running with kids.....well, that and sometimes they chit chat and when I'm in the zone I don't feel particularly chatty; come on folks, 'fess up, you feel the same way! So I agreed to let her come along.
Things were going well and despite the heat. Then, my daughter began lagging behind and that's unusual for her. Have I mentioned she's really fast on her scooter and normally is in front of me? I was feeling a little exasperated at having to slow down and continually look behind to see where she was. I hit the .88 mile point and my daughter was considerably behind. I turned around and called "Hurry up, Puss" and she said she felt low. That means she felt like her blood sugar was low. My daughter is ten and just three months ago was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We control her blood sugar with insulin. Since summer has kicked in our schedule has been off and we've been eating at weird times and this means that when we go for our run/scooter ride she may or may not have eaten anything. Usually I nag her about eating and we take care of it before we leave. This time I was focused on getting my run in and hadn't really planned on taking her with me so I forgot to ask her if she'd eaten anything. At that point we turned around and headed back home. Her health is much more important than my getting a run in.
Overall this was a terrible run. It was hot and my daughter was not herself and we didn't even complete our run. We only went 1.67 miles; it took us twenty-five minutes and our overall pace was 15:05. This was because the longer we were out, the slower my daughter walked. I tried to get her home as fast as we could but she wouldn't even scooter which didn't make sense to me. It takes more energy to walk than it does to push off and make the scooter go. I also felt pretty crappy by the time we got home although we got the blood sugar issue taken care of and we had a nice dinner with NaNa and all the family.
Incidentally, I have decided that I will not run with the kids again. As I said before, it is rapidly becoming "Me Time" and is something of an escape from the daily humdrum of life. I prefer to be alone with myself and my feet hitting the pavement to the beat of whatever particular song is playing on the iPod. If that makes me selfish, then so be it. Everyone has something they are selfish about and this is mine! I don't think that makes me a bad person and at least I'm honest about it.
Happy Running!
KEA
My mother in law called this afternoon to say she was going out for Chinese this evening and asked if we wanted to go along. I've been craving Chinese for a long time so I said absolutely yes! It was around 5:00 and we decided that since it's summer and we've been eating late these days that we wouldn't leave until around 7:00. I decided that I had time for a run and since I hadn't been very good about keeping up with my running (stupid heat!!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) that I needed to get out there and get into it again.
As I was gearing up for my run my youngest daughter came into my room. She saw me dressed and geared and asked if she could come along. Now, I love to hang out with my daughter. I love everything about her, her smile, her cheerful voice, her pretty little face and her conversation but I'm finding more and more as I continue my running that my running is becoming more and more "Me Time" and I am very jealous over it. I just don't want to share it. But, she was begging and I hate to hurt her feelings so I said she could go along. After all, she is fast on her scooter and as long as she stays in front of me, I don't have to worry about where she is and whether she is safe as much. This is my only concern with running with kids.....well, that and sometimes they chit chat and when I'm in the zone I don't feel particularly chatty; come on folks, 'fess up, you feel the same way! So I agreed to let her come along.
Things were going well and despite the heat. Then, my daughter began lagging behind and that's unusual for her. Have I mentioned she's really fast on her scooter and normally is in front of me? I was feeling a little exasperated at having to slow down and continually look behind to see where she was. I hit the .88 mile point and my daughter was considerably behind. I turned around and called "Hurry up, Puss" and she said she felt low. That means she felt like her blood sugar was low. My daughter is ten and just three months ago was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We control her blood sugar with insulin. Since summer has kicked in our schedule has been off and we've been eating at weird times and this means that when we go for our run/scooter ride she may or may not have eaten anything. Usually I nag her about eating and we take care of it before we leave. This time I was focused on getting my run in and hadn't really planned on taking her with me so I forgot to ask her if she'd eaten anything. At that point we turned around and headed back home. Her health is much more important than my getting a run in.
Overall this was a terrible run. It was hot and my daughter was not herself and we didn't even complete our run. We only went 1.67 miles; it took us twenty-five minutes and our overall pace was 15:05. This was because the longer we were out, the slower my daughter walked. I tried to get her home as fast as we could but she wouldn't even scooter which didn't make sense to me. It takes more energy to walk than it does to push off and make the scooter go. I also felt pretty crappy by the time we got home although we got the blood sugar issue taken care of and we had a nice dinner with NaNa and all the family.
Incidentally, I have decided that I will not run with the kids again. As I said before, it is rapidly becoming "Me Time" and is something of an escape from the daily humdrum of life. I prefer to be alone with myself and my feet hitting the pavement to the beat of whatever particular song is playing on the iPod. If that makes me selfish, then so be it. Everyone has something they are selfish about and this is mine! I don't think that makes me a bad person and at least I'm honest about it.
Happy Running!
KEA
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Poppy and Grammy, Running the 5k!
July 20, 2012
Poppy sitting again today and we had her overnight. I have in the past said that when we have Poppy over it's impossible for me to run. Well, I have been proven wrong. My youngest daughter nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged for me to let her take Poppy on a walk. I refused because A) Poppy is only four months old and my daughter is only ten and B) It's hotter than blazes out there and I didn't think it was a good idea for the baby to be out in it. It's probably not a good idea for my daughter to be out in it either come to think of it! Anyway, so my husband decided to take the boys on a bike ride. I stepped outside and noticed that it had cooled off considerably and decided to indulge my daughter and go ahead and take Poppy out to see how she liked riding in the stroller.
We initially had some technical difficulties. Poppy is still small and the stroller we have is an umbrella stroller and the straps weren't quite tight enough. However, Poppy seemed fine and she even seemed to like it. So we set off on the courthouse run only we started out walking. We got distracted by the neighbors across the street. Mrs. J. hadn't seen Poppy so we popped in and visited for a bit. She thoroughly enjoyed holding the baby and we had a nice visit. Then we set off, me pushing the stroller, my daughter riding her scooter. It wasn't long before I was feeling the itch and so I started to jog a little. Poppy seemed to enjoy the ride so before you know it we were off and running. Okay....so maybe we weren't running....but we were going and I was beginning to work up a sweat.
We made it to the courthouse at a slow jog/walk with a bouncy step and turned around. About this time Poppy decided she wasn't quite as happy in the stroller as she had been when we started out. She began to get fussy so I picked up the pace despite my feet hurting. I wasn't wearing my running shoes and the shoes I was wearing were rubbing a blister on my right pinky toe. Those shoes were NOT made for running! OUCH! But, Poppy wasn't happy so run we must so we could stop at the snow cone place where they have benches so we could take her out and give her a bottle. The pace was quicker but not fast enough because by the time we made it to the snow cone shop Poppy was in full roar. :-( We took her out and held her. I tried to give her a bottle but she didn't want it. She had just had enough of the stroller! (Incidentally, with our crying baby we scared off a group of teenagers who had been sitting around goofing off and cussing at the snow cone shop, LOL!) Since my daughter was on her scooter I ended up holding Poppy and pushing the stroller for just under a half a mile home. It was rather difficult but Poppy was happy to be out of the stroller and in Grammy's arms!
This was an unplanned two mile "run" and despite having no idea what my pace was or even how long it took, all in all I am quite pleased with it. My daughter and I spent some quality time with each and with my granddaughter. We had a lot of fun and I think for the most part, Poppy enjoyed it too. We will have to find a way to make her more comfortable in the stroller and maybe next time we won't go so far. Pushing a stroller with one hand and holding a baby with the other isn't quite comfortable! Nor was running in the wrong shoes! OUCH! However, getting out in the cool evening and running with my kids was wonderful!
Happy Running!
KEA
Poppy sitting again today and we had her overnight. I have in the past said that when we have Poppy over it's impossible for me to run. Well, I have been proven wrong. My youngest daughter nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged and nagged for me to let her take Poppy on a walk. I refused because A) Poppy is only four months old and my daughter is only ten and B) It's hotter than blazes out there and I didn't think it was a good idea for the baby to be out in it. It's probably not a good idea for my daughter to be out in it either come to think of it! Anyway, so my husband decided to take the boys on a bike ride. I stepped outside and noticed that it had cooled off considerably and decided to indulge my daughter and go ahead and take Poppy out to see how she liked riding in the stroller.
We initially had some technical difficulties. Poppy is still small and the stroller we have is an umbrella stroller and the straps weren't quite tight enough. However, Poppy seemed fine and she even seemed to like it. So we set off on the courthouse run only we started out walking. We got distracted by the neighbors across the street. Mrs. J. hadn't seen Poppy so we popped in and visited for a bit. She thoroughly enjoyed holding the baby and we had a nice visit. Then we set off, me pushing the stroller, my daughter riding her scooter. It wasn't long before I was feeling the itch and so I started to jog a little. Poppy seemed to enjoy the ride so before you know it we were off and running. Okay....so maybe we weren't running....but we were going and I was beginning to work up a sweat.
We made it to the courthouse at a slow jog/walk with a bouncy step and turned around. About this time Poppy decided she wasn't quite as happy in the stroller as she had been when we started out. She began to get fussy so I picked up the pace despite my feet hurting. I wasn't wearing my running shoes and the shoes I was wearing were rubbing a blister on my right pinky toe. Those shoes were NOT made for running! OUCH! But, Poppy wasn't happy so run we must so we could stop at the snow cone place where they have benches so we could take her out and give her a bottle. The pace was quicker but not fast enough because by the time we made it to the snow cone shop Poppy was in full roar. :-( We took her out and held her. I tried to give her a bottle but she didn't want it. She had just had enough of the stroller! (Incidentally, with our crying baby we scared off a group of teenagers who had been sitting around goofing off and cussing at the snow cone shop, LOL!) Since my daughter was on her scooter I ended up holding Poppy and pushing the stroller for just under a half a mile home. It was rather difficult but Poppy was happy to be out of the stroller and in Grammy's arms!
This was an unplanned two mile "run" and despite having no idea what my pace was or even how long it took, all in all I am quite pleased with it. My daughter and I spent some quality time with each and with my granddaughter. We had a lot of fun and I think for the most part, Poppy enjoyed it too. We will have to find a way to make her more comfortable in the stroller and maybe next time we won't go so far. Pushing a stroller with one hand and holding a baby with the other isn't quite comfortable! Nor was running in the wrong shoes! OUCH! However, getting out in the cool evening and running with my kids was wonderful!
Happy Running!
KEA
Friday, July 20, 2012
Let Them Know You're Worth It, Dust It Off and Jerk It!
July 19, 2012
Earlier this week I was in a blue funk and decided I was going to take this week off from running. I was feeling terribly negative about everything - the kids were constantly fighting, it's been so hot out that I just couldn't motivate myself to run outside and the treadmill bores me, blah, blah, blah. I've been eating quit a bit too which hasn't been the norm so I was just a big bundle of negativity wrapped up in a bad attitude. So what did I do about it? I pulled on my big girl panties (and my spandex) and got on the treadmill.
My intention for this run was to run four miles at 5 mph with the treadmill incline set @ 2.0 but as we all know the best of intentions can go to the wayside. In my case it was all due to a certain song on my iPod. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but there are songs that for whatever reason just hit me and make me want to move. The one particular song that always makes me turn up the speed on the road or on the treadmill is "Jerk It" by Thunderheist. I'd never heard of Thunderheist before but I have discovered this cheesy show on SyFy called Lost Girl and it has opened up a whole new world of music to my iPod....well, that is, when I can find the songs on iTunes! Anyway, "Jerk It" was on one of the episodes and it had just that particular beat and speed that really hit me that I can groove to. So....after I'd pulled on my Big Girl Spandex and strapped on my iPod armband the first song on "Marathon Mix" (which my husband says I can't call a Marathon Mix because I've never run a marathon....pfffffffffffffft) was "I Will Survive" by Gloria Steinman which I thought was highly appropriate for the situation. I settled into my run comfortable singing along because this run wasn't about stressing myself out (this run was about motivating myself to get up off my lazy, grumpy butt and run) when all of a sudden BAM like a freight train of bass and groove here comes Thunderheist. What's a girl to do? Well, I had no choice but to kick up the speed and run it out. I had already run a little over half and mile and once I kick it up I refuse to let myself slow down until I've run at least one mile at the faster pace. And that's what I did. As a matter of fact, I ran a little over a mile at that pace. GO ME!
After Thunderheist ruined my perfect plan of easing myself back into a nice and easy run by forcing me to run a mile at the faster pace I was feeling it a little and not in a good way. I hadn't run for a couple of days and for some reason the arch in my left foot started hurting. That was very weird. My left knee started hurting again too. That was not good, especially since I had stretched thoroughly before I ran. So I slowed it down and finished my run by putting in another mile at 5 mph with the exception of maybe the last three minutes of the run. By that point I had decided I'd had enough of this particular run and just wanted to be finished so I kicked it back up to the 5.6 mph and got through it as quick as I could. I finished off with a thorough stretch and was glad to be back at it, even if it was on the treadmill.
As for the details, it took me 35 minutes to run 3.107 miles. My overall pace was 11:19 and this was run on the treadmill with the incline set at 2.0 for the whole run. I started out running 5.0 mph for the first .66 miles then kicked it up to 5.6 mph for a little over a mile. I then slowed it back down to the 5.0 mph. When I was at about 2.7 miles I wanted to be done so much that I kicked it back up to 5.6 mph to get done as quick as possible. Somewhere along in there I had kicked it up to 5.4 as well but not for very long so it's almost not worth mentioning.
All in all I'm satisfied with this run even though it started out as one thing and morphed into something completely different. I guess that's what I needed really. Incidentally, after this run I am finding my attitude has been adjusted slightly and I'm a little more chill and can handle what I thought I couldn't before. Glad I found the motivation to get this done.
Happy Running!
KEA
Earlier this week I was in a blue funk and decided I was going to take this week off from running. I was feeling terribly negative about everything - the kids were constantly fighting, it's been so hot out that I just couldn't motivate myself to run outside and the treadmill bores me, blah, blah, blah. I've been eating quit a bit too which hasn't been the norm so I was just a big bundle of negativity wrapped up in a bad attitude. So what did I do about it? I pulled on my big girl panties (and my spandex) and got on the treadmill.
My intention for this run was to run four miles at 5 mph with the treadmill incline set @ 2.0 but as we all know the best of intentions can go to the wayside. In my case it was all due to a certain song on my iPod. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but there are songs that for whatever reason just hit me and make me want to move. The one particular song that always makes me turn up the speed on the road or on the treadmill is "Jerk It" by Thunderheist. I'd never heard of Thunderheist before but I have discovered this cheesy show on SyFy called Lost Girl and it has opened up a whole new world of music to my iPod....well, that is, when I can find the songs on iTunes! Anyway, "Jerk It" was on one of the episodes and it had just that particular beat and speed that really hit me that I can groove to. So....after I'd pulled on my Big Girl Spandex and strapped on my iPod armband the first song on "Marathon Mix" (which my husband says I can't call a Marathon Mix because I've never run a marathon....pfffffffffffffft) was "I Will Survive" by Gloria Steinman which I thought was highly appropriate for the situation. I settled into my run comfortable singing along because this run wasn't about stressing myself out (this run was about motivating myself to get up off my lazy, grumpy butt and run) when all of a sudden BAM like a freight train of bass and groove here comes Thunderheist. What's a girl to do? Well, I had no choice but to kick up the speed and run it out. I had already run a little over half and mile and once I kick it up I refuse to let myself slow down until I've run at least one mile at the faster pace. And that's what I did. As a matter of fact, I ran a little over a mile at that pace. GO ME!
After Thunderheist ruined my perfect plan of easing myself back into a nice and easy run by forcing me to run a mile at the faster pace I was feeling it a little and not in a good way. I hadn't run for a couple of days and for some reason the arch in my left foot started hurting. That was very weird. My left knee started hurting again too. That was not good, especially since I had stretched thoroughly before I ran. So I slowed it down and finished my run by putting in another mile at 5 mph with the exception of maybe the last three minutes of the run. By that point I had decided I'd had enough of this particular run and just wanted to be finished so I kicked it back up to the 5.6 mph and got through it as quick as I could. I finished off with a thorough stretch and was glad to be back at it, even if it was on the treadmill.
As for the details, it took me 35 minutes to run 3.107 miles. My overall pace was 11:19 and this was run on the treadmill with the incline set at 2.0 for the whole run. I started out running 5.0 mph for the first .66 miles then kicked it up to 5.6 mph for a little over a mile. I then slowed it back down to the 5.0 mph. When I was at about 2.7 miles I wanted to be done so much that I kicked it back up to 5.6 mph to get done as quick as possible. Somewhere along in there I had kicked it up to 5.4 as well but not for very long so it's almost not worth mentioning.
All in all I'm satisfied with this run even though it started out as one thing and morphed into something completely different. I guess that's what I needed really. Incidentally, after this run I am finding my attitude has been adjusted slightly and I'm a little more chill and can handle what I thought I couldn't before. Glad I found the motivation to get this done.
Happy Running!
KEA
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Go, go Gadget Garmin!
7/17/12
Was that thunder I just heard? Great....that means another day I have to hit the treadmill. Well, let's just wait and see if it clears up and I can run outside. Until then, let's talk about gadgets, running gadgets; more specifically, let's talk about my Garmin. I love my Garmin. I REALLY love my Garmin. I want to share with you how I made the decision to buy the Garmin, which Garmin I bought, why I chose it and what I get out of it.
When I started running outside I started looking for a way to keep track of how far I've run. I began my search at WalMart and since I'm on a tight budget I began looking for the most inexpensive way to keep track. When I first started running outside I started at the high school track, not on the street. My husband told me that four times around the track was one mile but I wanted to know exactly how far it was. I know it sounds strange but when I was running on the track I had a preference for the fourth lane. I know, that's silly but it just felt comfortable and I liked it there so that's the one I ran in. So, when my husband told that four times around the track was one mile I became a little concerned because I had chosen the fourth lane and the sign on the track fence said "Runners please run in the fifth and sixth lanes." I began to think about the lanes and how it is a shorter distance in the inside lanes and then I began to think what if when my husband says four times around the track is one mile he means four times around the track in lane five or six? I began to question just how much distance I was covering. So off I went to WalMart to find a way to keep track. I ended up with a $10 pedometer. It was easy to set up and easy to use.....well, except for that stride thing. Yup, I had to figure out my stride and that's what determined how far I had traveled. So I set about trying to figure out my stride. The directions said to run ten steps, measure it, divide by a set number. Okay, I did the math. My stride turned out to be rather large which seemed strange because I'm a small woman....5' 1 1/2" and to have a stride that large (can't remember the number but it was suspiciously big, like 36 or something like that) just didn't make sense. But I went with it. So I was running with the pedometer on my shorts and cranking out big numbers and it just didn't make sense. So I went about trying to figure out my stride again. This time the numbers were super small. Nothing was adding up so I gave up on the pedometer. What I really wanted was something that told me mileage, speed and time.
I began asking my friends on thedailymile.com. They all had some sort of devices that they wore because they were posting times, pace, and some even had their routes mapped and posted! How cool is that? Well, not really cool because if you're a woman and you run alone you never know what kind of crazy person is out there who might see that information and well, you get the drift. Anyway, I've digressed, but the point is they had devices that told the information I wanted to know!!!! YAY! There was hope! Thus was my introduction to the Garmin.
I began my search by typing Garmin into a search engine. Then I began researching the different types. I settled on the Garmin Forerunner 110; I will refer to it as the 110 from here on out to avoid typing "Garmin Forerunner 110" a bazillion times. I chose the 110 because I didn't need something with a ton of bells and whistles. All I wanted was to know how far I'd gone, what my pace was and how long it took me to do it. The 110 gives me this information plus a little more if I want it. I also wanted something that was pink....okay, so I'm a cheesy girly girl, so sue me, LOL! The 110 is grey with a pink stripe. It's not pretty, but it's got pink in it....it works for me, LOL! Also as I mentioned previously, I'm a small woman. I needed something that wasn't bulky and heavy and didn't weigh down my wrist. While the 110 is a little big, it isn't uncomfortable and it doesn't weigh my wrist down. It's like wearing a watch only it's slightly bigger.
Setting up the 110 was easy. I pushed a button and it asked me a couple questions (male, female, age, weight, height, activity class). All I had to do was charge it and it was ready to go! As a matter of fact, when it came, the instructions said to charge it for a long time but it really didn't take but maybe half and hour before it was fully charged and ready to use. I don't know if that's normal or not but I was pleased. I had no problems linking it up and charging it.
As for the features, the 110 came with a heart monitor which I myself do not use. If I get a 110 for my husband I will give it to him because he is more concerned with his heart rate than I am with mine. The monitor straps across your chest and links with your Garmin device. The 110 monitors distance, pace, and time. It has an alarm on it (which I never use) and it also has a feature called "Autolap." This feature automatically marks a lap at a specific distance. For instance, when I was running the track, I always counted my lap just on the lower top corner. If I had used this feature of the 110 I could've told it to automatically mark my lap at that distance. I have not used this function on the 110 though. The 110 (and I assume with any other Garmin product) you can upload your data to the Garmin Training Center. I keep track of all my workouts this way. It's super easy to do and it keeps everything right there where you can take a look at it all quickly and efficiently. My 110 also uploads to the website where I chat and connect with all my runner friends. That too is super easy to do.
I know the picture isn't very clear; I'm not a good photographer but it will suffice to tell you what's what. The zeros at the top are the mileage. When you hit one mile the 110 beeps to tell you that you have reached this monumental achievement. ;-) It also beeps for each mile you run. The middle zeros, the biggest ones, show your time as in how long you have been running. The bottom numbers, the ones that on my Garmin in the picture say 14:17 show your pace. On the right side of the 110, there are two buttons, the top one is the light button. This button also turns the 110 on and off. The bottom button is the menu button; you push this button before you go for your run and the 110 will begin locating satellites. Put it outside and give it a minute. It can take a little bit to find them but let it do it's thing. I can't remember what else this button does and I am too lazy right this second to get up and look. The top button on the left is the start/stop button. This is the button you push to start the device's tracking, etc. I have never used the bottom left button. I believe it is the lap button. I will have to play with that button some time.
Some notes, when charging and uploading, make sure the device is completely connected to the charger. There are several little "holes" on the back that must be lined up exactly with the prongs of the charger. If they aren't lined up and put in correctly the device won't charge or upload. Also, if you are in the middle of your run and you have to stop for some reason, you can push the start/stop button and the device will stop recording your data. You simply push the button again and it takes up where you left off. This works even if the device has powered down to Power Save mode. (I found that out the other day!)
I guess the last thing to talk about is price. Well, let me tell you, this baby ain't cheap but it was as far as I am aware, the least expensive of the Garmins I looked at. I think I paid $176 for mine but I've seen them for as much as $317. I bought mine off of Amazon.com and I don't remember the name of the store. It was the cheapest I could find it and that is with the heart monitor; they are a tad less expensive if you find it without the heart monitor. Despite having not used the heart monitor, I wanted it. I think I thought it was in the device itself and not something that had to be attached to your chest. At any rate, I wanted that feature so I paid for it. So as I said, the 110 isn't cheap and I'm on a budget so I had to do my choosing wisely.
All in all, I am very pleased with my 110. I have had absolutely no problems with it at all. Well, let me restate that...I did have one problem with it, but it was completely user error! After one run I plugged it into the computer to upload my data. Somehow the device got turned off and I couldn't figure out how to turn it back on. It took some doing but I finally figure it out and got it turned back on (hold down the light button) I would definitely recommend the Garmin Forerunner 110 if you want a device that's less expensive but still gives basic information. It suits my needs and quite frankly, I love mine.
Happy Running!
KEA
Was that thunder I just heard? Great....that means another day I have to hit the treadmill. Well, let's just wait and see if it clears up and I can run outside. Until then, let's talk about gadgets, running gadgets; more specifically, let's talk about my Garmin. I love my Garmin. I REALLY love my Garmin. I want to share with you how I made the decision to buy the Garmin, which Garmin I bought, why I chose it and what I get out of it.
When I started running outside I started looking for a way to keep track of how far I've run. I began my search at WalMart and since I'm on a tight budget I began looking for the most inexpensive way to keep track. When I first started running outside I started at the high school track, not on the street. My husband told me that four times around the track was one mile but I wanted to know exactly how far it was. I know it sounds strange but when I was running on the track I had a preference for the fourth lane. I know, that's silly but it just felt comfortable and I liked it there so that's the one I ran in. So, when my husband told that four times around the track was one mile I became a little concerned because I had chosen the fourth lane and the sign on the track fence said "Runners please run in the fifth and sixth lanes." I began to think about the lanes and how it is a shorter distance in the inside lanes and then I began to think what if when my husband says four times around the track is one mile he means four times around the track in lane five or six? I began to question just how much distance I was covering. So off I went to WalMart to find a way to keep track. I ended up with a $10 pedometer. It was easy to set up and easy to use.....well, except for that stride thing. Yup, I had to figure out my stride and that's what determined how far I had traveled. So I set about trying to figure out my stride. The directions said to run ten steps, measure it, divide by a set number. Okay, I did the math. My stride turned out to be rather large which seemed strange because I'm a small woman....5' 1 1/2" and to have a stride that large (can't remember the number but it was suspiciously big, like 36 or something like that) just didn't make sense. But I went with it. So I was running with the pedometer on my shorts and cranking out big numbers and it just didn't make sense. So I went about trying to figure out my stride again. This time the numbers were super small. Nothing was adding up so I gave up on the pedometer. What I really wanted was something that told me mileage, speed and time.
I began asking my friends on thedailymile.com. They all had some sort of devices that they wore because they were posting times, pace, and some even had their routes mapped and posted! How cool is that? Well, not really cool because if you're a woman and you run alone you never know what kind of crazy person is out there who might see that information and well, you get the drift. Anyway, I've digressed, but the point is they had devices that told the information I wanted to know!!!! YAY! There was hope! Thus was my introduction to the Garmin.
I began my search by typing Garmin into a search engine. Then I began researching the different types. I settled on the Garmin Forerunner 110; I will refer to it as the 110 from here on out to avoid typing "Garmin Forerunner 110" a bazillion times. I chose the 110 because I didn't need something with a ton of bells and whistles. All I wanted was to know how far I'd gone, what my pace was and how long it took me to do it. The 110 gives me this information plus a little more if I want it. I also wanted something that was pink....okay, so I'm a cheesy girly girl, so sue me, LOL! The 110 is grey with a pink stripe. It's not pretty, but it's got pink in it....it works for me, LOL! Also as I mentioned previously, I'm a small woman. I needed something that wasn't bulky and heavy and didn't weigh down my wrist. While the 110 is a little big, it isn't uncomfortable and it doesn't weigh my wrist down. It's like wearing a watch only it's slightly bigger.
 | |
| The Garmin Forerunner 110 |
As for the features, the 110 came with a heart monitor which I myself do not use. If I get a 110 for my husband I will give it to him because he is more concerned with his heart rate than I am with mine. The monitor straps across your chest and links with your Garmin device. The 110 monitors distance, pace, and time. It has an alarm on it (which I never use) and it also has a feature called "Autolap." This feature automatically marks a lap at a specific distance. For instance, when I was running the track, I always counted my lap just on the lower top corner. If I had used this feature of the 110 I could've told it to automatically mark my lap at that distance. I have not used this function on the 110 though. The 110 (and I assume with any other Garmin product) you can upload your data to the Garmin Training Center. I keep track of all my workouts this way. It's super easy to do and it keeps everything right there where you can take a look at it all quickly and efficiently. My 110 also uploads to the website where I chat and connect with all my runner friends. That too is super easy to do.
I know the picture isn't very clear; I'm not a good photographer but it will suffice to tell you what's what. The zeros at the top are the mileage. When you hit one mile the 110 beeps to tell you that you have reached this monumental achievement. ;-) It also beeps for each mile you run. The middle zeros, the biggest ones, show your time as in how long you have been running. The bottom numbers, the ones that on my Garmin in the picture say 14:17 show your pace. On the right side of the 110, there are two buttons, the top one is the light button. This button also turns the 110 on and off. The bottom button is the menu button; you push this button before you go for your run and the 110 will begin locating satellites. Put it outside and give it a minute. It can take a little bit to find them but let it do it's thing. I can't remember what else this button does and I am too lazy right this second to get up and look. The top button on the left is the start/stop button. This is the button you push to start the device's tracking, etc. I have never used the bottom left button. I believe it is the lap button. I will have to play with that button some time.
Some notes, when charging and uploading, make sure the device is completely connected to the charger. There are several little "holes" on the back that must be lined up exactly with the prongs of the charger. If they aren't lined up and put in correctly the device won't charge or upload. Also, if you are in the middle of your run and you have to stop for some reason, you can push the start/stop button and the device will stop recording your data. You simply push the button again and it takes up where you left off. This works even if the device has powered down to Power Save mode. (I found that out the other day!)
I guess the last thing to talk about is price. Well, let me tell you, this baby ain't cheap but it was as far as I am aware, the least expensive of the Garmins I looked at. I think I paid $176 for mine but I've seen them for as much as $317. I bought mine off of Amazon.com and I don't remember the name of the store. It was the cheapest I could find it and that is with the heart monitor; they are a tad less expensive if you find it without the heart monitor. Despite having not used the heart monitor, I wanted it. I think I thought it was in the device itself and not something that had to be attached to your chest. At any rate, I wanted that feature so I paid for it. So as I said, the 110 isn't cheap and I'm on a budget so I had to do my choosing wisely.
All in all, I am very pleased with my 110. I have had absolutely no problems with it at all. Well, let me restate that...I did have one problem with it, but it was completely user error! After one run I plugged it into the computer to upload my data. Somehow the device got turned off and I couldn't figure out how to turn it back on. It took some doing but I finally figure it out and got it turned back on (hold down the light button) I would definitely recommend the Garmin Forerunner 110 if you want a device that's less expensive but still gives basic information. It suits my needs and quite frankly, I love mine.
Happy Running!
KEA
Oh, yes, I did!
7/14/12
Today's run was a run purely to relieve frustration. I started the day with the idea of working on a project that has needed to be completed almost since we moved in to this house. When we moved into this house the walls were covered in wall paper and I got all of it taken down and all but two rooms painted. I decided today to start painting the small room upstairs. We are trying to decide whether to keep it as a guest room or to use it as my youngest daughter's room and us take her room. It's all up in the air but I need to get the room painted regardless of what we decide to do. So I decided to do that today. It was a mess from the start. I had moved all my painting supplies down to the basement and I couldn't find all my painting tools. I decided to make due with what I could find but it made the job much harder; everything I had was inadequate. Also much to my disgust I found one wall still had some wall paper on it so I had to take that down; it was easy to do but then I had to clean it which meant I couldn't paint that wall today. I finally got so frustrated with the whole job that I gave up and decided to go for a run.
I did the usual run to the courthouse. I wish I could find a different "course" but for now it has to do since I'm still working on those hills! I kept the loop around the back of the courthouse and came home running the opposite side of the street. Oh, bonus, there's a water fountain across the street from the courthouse on the parking lot side. YAY!!! Until I can come up with a light and easy way to carry water, I'm depending on those water fountains to keep my hydrated! I continued on back home on the opposite side of the street, hitting the "park" water fountain when I got there. I also found that splashing water on myself helps too. I made it back to the house, came inside, did some stretching, took in some ice cold water and then headed back out again. This time I only got to the half mile point when I saw my youngest daughter who had gone out with my husband and his son. They were on bikes and she was on her scooter. Man, she is fast! I ran into her and turned around at that point to come back. This gave me just over another mile.
I had no incidents on this run. I had to walk just a little bit but overall I'd say this was a great run. I felt great and I ended up with 3.9 miles to add to the board. Wow! 3.9 miles! I almost headed out again to push it up to 4 but I decided not to. I think I should have. :-( Oh, well, there's always tomorrow! Anyway, here's how it breaks down: 3.9 miles @ a pace of 11:18; it took 44 minutes and I felt great when I was done. My frustration from earlier in the day just melted away as I pounded it out on the pavement. I'm completely happy with this run and I'm looking forward to getting out there again....maybe I can hit the four mile mark!
Happy Running!
KEA
Today's run was a run purely to relieve frustration. I started the day with the idea of working on a project that has needed to be completed almost since we moved in to this house. When we moved into this house the walls were covered in wall paper and I got all of it taken down and all but two rooms painted. I decided today to start painting the small room upstairs. We are trying to decide whether to keep it as a guest room or to use it as my youngest daughter's room and us take her room. It's all up in the air but I need to get the room painted regardless of what we decide to do. So I decided to do that today. It was a mess from the start. I had moved all my painting supplies down to the basement and I couldn't find all my painting tools. I decided to make due with what I could find but it made the job much harder; everything I had was inadequate. Also much to my disgust I found one wall still had some wall paper on it so I had to take that down; it was easy to do but then I had to clean it which meant I couldn't paint that wall today. I finally got so frustrated with the whole job that I gave up and decided to go for a run.
I did the usual run to the courthouse. I wish I could find a different "course" but for now it has to do since I'm still working on those hills! I kept the loop around the back of the courthouse and came home running the opposite side of the street. Oh, bonus, there's a water fountain across the street from the courthouse on the parking lot side. YAY!!! Until I can come up with a light and easy way to carry water, I'm depending on those water fountains to keep my hydrated! I continued on back home on the opposite side of the street, hitting the "park" water fountain when I got there. I also found that splashing water on myself helps too. I made it back to the house, came inside, did some stretching, took in some ice cold water and then headed back out again. This time I only got to the half mile point when I saw my youngest daughter who had gone out with my husband and his son. They were on bikes and she was on her scooter. Man, she is fast! I ran into her and turned around at that point to come back. This gave me just over another mile.
I had no incidents on this run. I had to walk just a little bit but overall I'd say this was a great run. I felt great and I ended up with 3.9 miles to add to the board. Wow! 3.9 miles! I almost headed out again to push it up to 4 but I decided not to. I think I should have. :-( Oh, well, there's always tomorrow! Anyway, here's how it breaks down: 3.9 miles @ a pace of 11:18; it took 44 minutes and I felt great when I was done. My frustration from earlier in the day just melted away as I pounded it out on the pavement. I'm completely happy with this run and I'm looking forward to getting out there again....maybe I can hit the four mile mark!
Happy Running!
KEA
Oh, the joy of the great outdoors!
7/12/12
YAY!!! Back to the Great Outdoors!!!! I must admit the whole reason I was because I wanted to play with my Garmin again. Have I mentioned that I love my Garmin? Well, I do. It's a handy little tool. Anyway, the inspiration was my Garmin and I was truly glad I got out there.
Today was the usual run to the courthouse and back except this time I added a little loop around the courthouse and then ran back on the opposite side of the street. I did this because at this point in time I don't have any way to carry water and I have to have something or I can't continue. On the opposite side of the street at the halfway back point there's a water fountain in a small "park." The water is hot but at least I can rehydrate and continue on home. I was glad I've made this change in my run. Running behind the courthouse gives me a little extra mileage and there's an extra little hill in there too which adds to my difficulty level. I'm all about challenging myself these days. Must be that competitive spirit, I'm even competing with myself! Nothing wrong with that, is there? Anyway, so I'm finding the hills are a little easier. I also like running back on the other side of the street. I don't know why; it may be psychological but it feels easier even though the hill looks bigger. That is so strange and is probably all perception related but I don't care. It works for me and that's all I care about, yeah?
Today I didn't have to walk any and I have found a way to trick myself through the hills. I know when they are coming up so I tell myself to not look up when I know I'm close. I can feel the grade when I'm running but if I can't see it, it's easier to get up it. Either that or I'm just getting used to them and they aren't as daunting as they have been in the past. I guess it doesn't matter because I'm glad that it's getting easier. I feel like I'm accomplishing something and it feels great!
I ran 2.32 miles outside today and it was HOT so I finished up my run on the treadmill. My first 2.32 miles @ a pace of 11:45 and it took 27 minutes to do it. I'm getting better! Yay! I ran the last mile on the treadmill @ a pace of 12:00. It took twelve minutes (big surprise there, right? LOL!) to run the last mile. I ran it with the incline on the treadmill set @ 2.
Once again, I would've preferred to have done my entire run outside but it was so hot and I just couldn't do it. Overall I felt really good after this run and I'm so glad to be back in the swing of things. Yay!!! I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!
Happy Running!
KEA
YAY!!! Back to the Great Outdoors!!!! I must admit the whole reason I was because I wanted to play with my Garmin again. Have I mentioned that I love my Garmin? Well, I do. It's a handy little tool. Anyway, the inspiration was my Garmin and I was truly glad I got out there.
Today was the usual run to the courthouse and back except this time I added a little loop around the courthouse and then ran back on the opposite side of the street. I did this because at this point in time I don't have any way to carry water and I have to have something or I can't continue. On the opposite side of the street at the halfway back point there's a water fountain in a small "park." The water is hot but at least I can rehydrate and continue on home. I was glad I've made this change in my run. Running behind the courthouse gives me a little extra mileage and there's an extra little hill in there too which adds to my difficulty level. I'm all about challenging myself these days. Must be that competitive spirit, I'm even competing with myself! Nothing wrong with that, is there? Anyway, so I'm finding the hills are a little easier. I also like running back on the other side of the street. I don't know why; it may be psychological but it feels easier even though the hill looks bigger. That is so strange and is probably all perception related but I don't care. It works for me and that's all I care about, yeah?
Today I didn't have to walk any and I have found a way to trick myself through the hills. I know when they are coming up so I tell myself to not look up when I know I'm close. I can feel the grade when I'm running but if I can't see it, it's easier to get up it. Either that or I'm just getting used to them and they aren't as daunting as they have been in the past. I guess it doesn't matter because I'm glad that it's getting easier. I feel like I'm accomplishing something and it feels great!
I ran 2.32 miles outside today and it was HOT so I finished up my run on the treadmill. My first 2.32 miles @ a pace of 11:45 and it took 27 minutes to do it. I'm getting better! Yay! I ran the last mile on the treadmill @ a pace of 12:00. It took twelve minutes (big surprise there, right? LOL!) to run the last mile. I ran it with the incline on the treadmill set @ 2.
Once again, I would've preferred to have done my entire run outside but it was so hot and I just couldn't do it. Overall I felt really good after this run and I'm so glad to be back in the swing of things. Yay!!! I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!
Happy Running!
KEA
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