The Blog Less Traveled

If you’re serious about exercising and you want to track your progress, there are several electronic devices out on the market to help you. I looked at several models myself before settling on the Garmin Forerunner 305.

The Forerunner 305 is a wristwatch GPS. In addition to providing all the standard GPS functions, it also includes a heart rate monitor. The device itself isn’t much bigger than a regular full-size watch. The LCD screen is surprisingly readable for its size and has a backlight you can turn on for low-light conditions. The main functions for starting/stopping the time and starting a new lap are easily done with the two buttons on the face of the unit. Switching between screens and setting up the various options is also pretty straightforward. There are built-in options for setting the device for a run or biking exercise as well as an option for “other” types of exercises you might be trying to track. You can monitor your total time, split times, pace, distance traveled, etc. You can also customize the screens to put the data on them that you want to monitor and switch between three different screens at-a-time. It takes about 1-2 minutes from the time you turn the unit on until it acquires the GPS satellites. The device is very accurate. I do a lot of running on a recreational trail that is about 8-10 feet wide. When you look at the plot on the electronic map after a run, you can clearly see the two tracks where you ran the outgoing and return portions of your run. There are many features on this device that I haven’t even used yet. For example, you can set it up to be a virtual partner so that you can try to run and maintain a predefined pace and distance.

The unit comes with software that will run on either a PC or Mac. It includes a USB cable to connect the device to the computer. The software installation was simple and required no effort at all to perform. The PC version of the program has more features and includes the ability to upload your runs/exercises to Google Earth. Both versions allow you to monitor all aspects of your exercise including time, pace, distance, heart rate, calories burned, altitude, etc. I’ve found the device to be very useful for tracking my overall health and improvements in my running/biking times. I can see over the past year that I’ve used it that my heart rate has decreased for the same level of effort in a particular exercise.

I heartily recommend this device. I’ve had it for over a year now and haven’t had any problems with it. There is also a lower cost model called the Forerunner 205 that is the same as the 305 except that there is no heart rate monitor. A new model just came out called the Forerunner 405 that has a wireless feature to download your data.

After almost 6 months (10/30/07 was my last ride), I finally made my first bike outing of the year. Hooray! I did a 41-mile ride through what was mostly a farming community. I could definitely smell the fertilizer in the air! Spring in Michigan has finally arrived. My time was actually 35 seconds faster than my ride of six months earlier. However, as I write this, I can tell you that my butt is feeling the pain. I probably should have done a little shorter ride or gone at a more leisurely pace. The mind was definitely willing to maintain the pace but the body apparently was not.

I’ve always found bike riding and running to be therapeutic. It gives me a chance to clear my mind and sort things out. Many people are familiar with the bible verse from John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Not to disparage the bible in any way, but for me, the phrase, “If you choose to exercise, exercising will set you free.” is very apropos. There’s something about getting the old juices flowing in your system that gives you a clearer picture on life. I suppose from a medical standpoint, your increased metabolic rate pumps more epinephrine (adrenaline) into your system to give you that “athletic high.” Whatever it is, I always feel better about things after I’m done. I may start off the day in a less than stellar mood, but after that run or bike ride, I’m more settled and in a better frame-of-mind to handle what the rest of the day has in store for me.

Getting started in an exercise routine is always an initial struggle. The first few sessions can be a wake up call for your body and may make you feel pretty sore. Just don’t overdue the initial phase. Take it nice and easy. At first you might not feel like there’s any improvement at all. I think that’s a very natural reaction. Things take time and you will gradually begin to feel better. The best thing you can do is to find a partner so you can help and encourage each other through this phase. Hang in there and eventually your determination will pay off.

Legal disclaimer: Every individual is different so before beginning any type of physical conditioning program, you should consult a competent medical professional. Duh!