Tag: Garmin
24Jun

One of the best things about running is that you only needed a pair of shoes to hit the road and exercise. However, nowadays there are several popular gadgets that help you track your training and progress, provide valuable data such as heart rate, pace, distance, etc. and entertain you while you are running (almost indispensable for those long run training marathon sessions).

We are fans of using gadgets, it is certainly helpful to monitor your performance, and with it train more efficiently.

As with any device, there might be that time when you needed it the most and the gadget for some unknown reason crashes on you.  Since we began with Where do I run, 6 months ago, our staff has participated in several races from 5Ks to triathlons to marathons. In this relatively short time, 2 of our staff members have faced the unfortunate experience of having their devices “freezing” in the midst of a race. They were using different brand devices and in different conditions (triathlon in Miami and 15K in Bogota).

When this happened to them, the initial reaction went from surprise to frustration; from anger to acceptance.  So based on these experiences, and some research, we have came up with a list to help you better manage this situation.

  • Manufacturers have authorized technicians that can provide maintenance to your device. It’s not a bad idea to have your device “tuned-up”; try doing this while you are not in the middle of a training program;
  • Rinse the devices that are in contact with your body with warm water after training; this will avoid sulfur-containing compounds from sweat adhering to the equipment;
  • Check the battery a couple of days before the race; change or recharge it if needed;
  • Try running once in a while without any gadgets, so you get used to reading your body;
  • If the device crashed on you during a race:
    • React quickly
    • Move to the side, so you don’t block the rest of competitors;
    • Try to restart it, though don’t waste more than 1 minute;
    • If it doesn’t work, move on, forget about the situation and focus on getting signals directly from your body; this combined with mile/kilometer marks and pacers should help you run very close to your desired pace.
  • Complete the race, ultimately, that is why you signed-up and trained in the first place.

We hope you don’t encounter this situation, but if you do, it’s not the end of the world, and you will be satisfied anyhow once you cross the finish line, you might be even pleasantly surprised with your time.

 

30Jan

If you are training for a triathlon and you are swimming; here is a little help for you to better understand your performance while in the water.

SWOLF score can really help you to monitor how you are doing while swimming.

What is SWOLF score?  SWOLF is derived from combining the terms swimming and golf.

SWOLF score equals the number of strokes per one pool length plus time (in seconds) it takes to complete the pool length; so for example, if you completed one lap doing 11 strokes in 30 seconds, your SWOLF score would be of 41.   Your Average Efficiency is calculated by the total time plus stokes to complete 25 meters (in this case the distance is fixed).  This is helpful for you to compare your swim efficiency to another pool or open water workout.

The Garmin Forerunner 910XT provides this information to you when swimming; you can set your watch to show SWOLF score on one of the data fields.  You can also get your score once you upload your data to garminconnect.com; SWOLF number is displayed as shown:

Efficiency graph while swimming

SWOLF Score displayed

 

The goal is to have a SWOLF score as low as possible; there are three scenarios:

1) If you cover the same distance in the same time but with fewer strokes, it means that you are being more efficient per stroke and have a better stroke length.  This is perfect for long open water swim.

2) If you cover the same distance in less time but same number of strokes, it means you are speeding so you are spending a lot of energy.  So, in terms of energy, this scenario will not be efficient; the swimmer will not be able to hold this for a long time.

3) And finally, doing the same distance with fewer strokes in less time; this means you have increased stroke efficiency and you are faster; this is the ideal scenario and it is what all swimmers would want to achieve.

Technique and efficiency are developed through practice; the more you swim the better technique and efficiency you will achieve. 

Swimmer - Freestyle

17Aug

Thinking on doing a triathlon?  maybe it is time to start training with a good device like a Garmin watch.   I’ve been using the Garmin Forerunner 910XT; it gives you every ounce of information possible!  Including speed, routes, distance, altitude, bpms; if you are swimming it gives you distance, number of strokes (you are able to select your style), time, wolf score, and your swim efficiency index.

You can easily change from one sport to another one if you are participating in a triathlon; there is a feature called “auto multisport” to quickly transition to each sport segment. The Forerunner stores multisport workouts in history and includes total time, distance, average heart rate (heart rate monitor required), and calories for all sports in the workout; as well as specific details for each sport.

The Forerunner also lets you store your data on your computer, by using Garmin Connect.  Garmin Connect is a web-based software for storing and analyzing data.  Data on your computer looks something like this:

You can also set alerts for: time, distance, calorie, heart rate (if you have the heart rate monitor).   Each time you reach the alert the device beeps or vibrates and displays a message.   You can also set “walk break alerts”,

These watches also have a “navigation” feature, where you can add a map, mark your location, navigate to a location, view gps information, and more.

A fully charged battery is supposed to last up to 20 hours, but it depends on usage.    Here is a video we wanted to share: A Day in the Life

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With this watch you will be able to train well for a triathlon and it will definitely help you achieve your goals!  Good luck on your next triathlon!