By Michelle Kruse
I’ve been running with my Garmin Forerunner since I got it for Christmas last year. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. It’s a great motivational tool. For instance, it lets me know when I’m slacking off. And, ever the competitor, I find myself pushing to make an even mileage number – I can’t stop at 4.82 miles – I have to backtrack on the course to run the full five miles. Plus, I love knowing exactly how far I’ve gone and my exact pace.
The only downside is the lack of “real” competition. I’ve tried the “virtual partner,” but I’m kind of missing my lower-tech Nike Plus system. I had mine hooked up to my iPod and I enjoyed hearing Lance Armstrong or Paula Radcliffe tell me “two miles completed” or “Congratulations, you just set a PR for the 10K.”
I also miss the challenges. Way back in the day (last year) before my brother in CO and other friends had switched to Garmins themselves, we would challenge each other on the Nike Plus website. The challenges were always small, a few friends trying to best each other in the 5-mile or fastest mile or 5K, but they were always motivating. There is just something about smack talk that pushes you to move faster! I’m going to have to spend some time searching to see if there is a way to do this with the Garmin – If so, let the smack talk begin (again)!
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