Input Needed!

As I wrote about a week ago, I invested in the Polar RS200sd running watch. Now I have been stricken with buyer's remorse. I am wondering if I should have gone with a Garmin, for the GPS feature. I really want your input - both from GPS watch owners and those who have a foot pod or some other means of measuring speed, distance, etc.


I am finding the foot pod kind of cumbersome and the watch does not seem easy to use (although that's probably me just being gadget-ignorant). I like the idea of the GPS being easier (maybe more accurate?) as well as recording your routes, etc. I am looking at the Garmin Forerunner 205, which I am aware is like wearing a laptop on your wrist, but it is what I can afford, plus it has the options I want. I know, I know, I said a few weeks back I didn't want the Garmin because it was too bulky. That was because I thought I might actually wear this watch as a regular watch and not just for running. I have given up hope of doing that, so don't mind if it's a big ass watch after all.





Please give me some advice!! I am so inexperienced with these things and really could use guidance from those of you who know and who have been wearing a certain type of watch for awhile.

Is It Spring Yet?

Today is my 42nd birthday. Do you make resolutions on your birthday or on New Year's or not ever? I laid in bed this morning feeling slightly hungover making a resolution that I shouldn't drink so much. Famous last words.

My back is feeling better after an intense deep tissue massage on Thursday. This woman is amazing. She showed me on one of those detailed body pictures where my trouble was (sacral iliac, blah, blah). Then she had me lay face down, put my legs in frog position (this probably looked very attractive from above), and kneaded my glutes and hams to death. It was a good hurt. I was glad she couldn't see the faces I was make into the hole thing on the end of the table. Voila! 24 hours later I felt great.

Now that I'm no longer training with Team in Training and don't have a coach organizing my runs, I am trying to be my own coach and to organize my own runs. My former team mate, Erin, is on board. We've been meeting for longer runs on Saturdays. She'll join me to run the grueling Horsetooth Half in April.

So...time to get back to running so I don't have to envy the girl on the treadmill. We awoke to snow, freezing temps and icy roads on Saturday a.m. It was 15 degrees when I planted water and lemon lime Cliff blocks at our half way point. We decided to run part of the Boulder Backroads Marathon Course - dirt roads winding through farms right along the foothills. We just went out and back five miles for a total of ten miles (in case you can't do the math). I woremy Polar watch for the first time. I am thoroughly overwhelmed by all of the buttons and options. It'll take some getting used to. Our time was not fast (1:32), but we did negative splits. The first five were 9.7 minute miles. In the way back we were doing more like 8.7 minute miles.

Today I'm glad that my 42 year old body can still run ten miles. That my 42 year old body can hopefully run a tough half marathon in April. That my 42 year old body will run another marathon this fall. That my 42 year old body can (maybe, just maybe) qualify for Boston.

Had To Do It

I admit it. I'm joining the ranks of those who run with big fancy watches. I'm not trying to look cool or to be anal. I just genuinely want to know how far I've gone in how much time. The truth is, if I don't have one of these watches and I'm not sure of how far I've gone, I'll go home and drive the route to figure it out. What I waste in gas and my time (which is very expensive, by the way since I'm a part-time social worker) in a year probably would pay for the watch. I was just introduced to the map my run website, which is incredibly cool. You can map your runs and it tells you how long the runs are, elevation, etc. You can also look at suggested runs in your area and how long they are. The truth is, with this website I probably don't need the big honking watch, but I WANT it.

I had my heart set on the new Garmin. Until I tried it on. That thing is bulky and stiff and looked ridiculous on my wrist. The appeal of it was the built in GPS (or UPS as Erin would say, it's the new brown edition). I then looked at the Polars and fell in love with the Polar RS200sd. It has a pod you put on your shoe and it measures speed, distance, heart rate and a bazillion other things that I am not intelligent enough to figure out. Sam asked if it told the time. Hah! I forgot to look, but I'm guessing it does. In the running store this watch was $220, but I found it on eBay (a "buy it now") for $189, no tax and free shipping. It's my birthday gift to myself, from myself, Ken, the kids and mom/dad.


Can't wait to get even more anal about my runs. Just kidding. The last thing I want to do is to become so focused on the details of my runs that I forget to look around and take in the scenery or to feel my body and the sensation of running. One of the reasons I so prefer running outside to the dreaded treadmill is the scenery, the sounds, the smells (lots of cow manure), the wind in my face and the sun. This for me is the true appeal of running - what happens to me when I am on the open road or trail and when I feel a one-ness with it all.

But I still want my watch.