I came across a sweet deal on Craigslist the other day.
It was a Garmin Forerunner 101 …and for $60! The Forerunner is a GPS tracker made for runner/biker type people …and I have to admit I’m impressed. As I’ve mentioned before, a lot of my runs this year have been ‘random’ - not on the beaten/timed paths that I marked out for myself a few years ago now. Because of this, it’s hard to get a reading on speed/pace when there no consistency - but the upside is that I don’t get as bored as I normally would have when doing the same course over and over again. But this little device fixes all that.
As you run, it constantly updates itself via satellite signals …so when you get back, you’ve not only got your time, but the distance, pace and a ‘breadcrumb’ trail of the course you took. It keeps log/stats for up to two years, allows you to set ‘markers’ on your course and runs off AAA batteries. It’s also got a ‘virtual partner’ that you can program to help keep you up to a preset pace you want to follow. I think this will be cool for when I decide to push things a bit …but I’ve yet to use it. Looking forward to it though.
So that’s my new toy. I bought it off a guy who’s run in that Death Race a few times. He’s over 50 years old too! I think that’s pretty great. No, I don’t plan on anything similar - although I do hope to hit a couple 2 hour runs this summer. Plus the Forerunner will allow me to mark out some other trails, so if I do decide to go without it, at least I’ll have more of a trail selection to choose from.
