Sun and runs

With the wonderful weather we've been having lately I've had the opportunity to fit in lots of runs.  I've been a runner for years now - all thanks to a tough trek in Peru that made me realize that I really needed to get into shape.  I've trained and run half-marathons, I've run 6 days a week, I've run longer and shorter distances, but through it all (including pregnancy and childbirth) I've continued to run.  I've found that it has become my stress relief and the thing I need to do for me and that makes me a happier and better wife, mother, friend, person.

These days I tend to run less and defiantly run less distance, but I still continue to run.  Most days I have the Kraken in a stroller and always have my dog, Mortimer, in tow.  Pushing the stroller, with the weight of that and the growing weight of the boy makes my runs harder and part of the reason I give myself the permission to run less distance.  But I still get out, and I'm thinking that's the key, right?

With my runs these days, there are two key elements that I can't leave home without.  These are my Garmin running watch and of course my stroller.

For my first mother's day, Chris bought me a Garmin Forerunner 610 - yep a sweet GSP watch.  I love this running watch!  While it's kind of big and this was one of my concerns, since I have small wrists, I have adjusted to it's size.  It's got a lot of great features, some I use, some I don't.  You can customize the number of pages and the information displayed on these pages.  The main page on my watch shows me the distance I've travelled.  It's remarkably accurate, as I tend to run the same routes, I mentally know the distances, but the 610, also tells me the elapsed time and the lap pace.  I like keeping an eye on the lap pace to see how my run is going and if I'm maintaining my pace.  I have other pages that display the average pace for the whole run and the average speed.  I can keep an eye on elevation, my heading and the accuracy of the GSP.  These are the options I've chosen to have my watch display, but there are a multitude more to select from.  You can even set a "race" up with a pace target setting.  Although that just seemed like too much pressure to me...

Another great feature is that the watch will auto-pause.  So I get stopped at a traffic light, or Mort is super interested in a pole, I don't have to worry about pausing the watch, it does it all on it's own.  The other feature that sold me on this watch was the it has a biking option.  With a quick button hold, the watch switches over and can be used on my bike.  Again, there are a multitude of options that you can have your watch display for you.

And in the end you quickly upload the information onto the Garmin Connect website so you can track your workouts.  The site shows all the details of your run, gives you the opportunity to add in more information if you so desire (weather, temperature, etc.), and displays a map of your workout.  You can also add in other actives that the watch doesn't monitor - skiing, weight lifting, swimming, skating, etc.

Overall, this watch has become a great companion to my workouts and I think has helped give me positive feedback on how my runs are progressing.  If you're a runner and looking for a new GSP watch, seriously consider this one.  I have really enjoyed it.