| 18 June marked the 5th year of running with GPS. It was 18 June 2005 that I shelled out $150 for the Garmin Forerunner 201. The first run was Run 6061.
I have run 14231 klicks since then, or 8837 miles. I have run a total time of 49:10:33:02.
I have learned that GPS running does have its drawbacks. It's accuracy is dependent on staying in touch with the satellites, but there again, once you accept that it is more accurate than most any other way of measuring courses, it is a useful tool.
I can't imagine living without it today. It has been dropped a few times. I have a pin that pops out once in while now. The distance alert has no sound. It has seen a bit of wear and abuse.
It has also changed the way i see running. I am more metric than I used to be. I like to track kilometer splits now. The huge ability to store splits for months on end has made my local log much more practical. I now use almost exclusively round distances: 5k, 8k, 10k, 15k, 16k, 20k, and 25k. All other distances have gone by the wayside.
I also see each run as part of a larger run, a greater adventure. I am not sure how much longer the present watch will last, but it has been a worthwhile investment. |
