A Couple of Bones to Pick

For the last 4 years Coolrunning.com has been a number 1 hit site for me. Everything running can be found at this free site. What was most precious to me was their running log. This log had a place for everything. I could input my running data including mileage data of all my running shoes. I was able to track my time in various runs. For instance, I had a run labeled White Rock Regular loop. I could run a report of every run from 2004 to present with this label and compare times and check on notes I entered about each run. It was simply fantastic. You know the bad part is coming. Why would I bring this subject up if something bad isn't about to happen. Well, Coolrunning in all their wisdom, sold out their running tracker to Active.com. OMG, I don't know why. No doubt it is expensive to keep up with all this data and make changes to technology. I cannot really blame them for offering something for free all these years and then wanting to sell it off to reduce overhead.

But, the new Active site all but sucks. In fact, it does suck. Not to mention 80% of my data is "GONE"! I was not afforded the opportunity to check out the new site and then retrieve and move my data should I not like the new site. And you need an MIS degree to navigate through the new site. It's fairly convoluted and the labels are bizarrely named. I feel so betrayed. Coolrunning has a great community and network of runners and I bet we would have been willing to pay for the site if needed.

Besides, Active is not geared to the OCD and type A nature of runners. It's just this huge site with all manner of activities going on. It's like going to footlocker for your running shoes. You can, but why in the world would you? You want to go to a running specialty store where they have first hand knowledge of your experiences and know how to address your issues. And even after you get the best advice from the employees at the running specialty store you could go to footlocker and by the shoes cheaper (maybe). But again, why would you? You want to patron the store that is committed to your community and dedicated to your most precious of interests. That's me too. Now I have a site that was dedicated to the special interest of runners, but that now has sold off an important tool to a site that views running as something you do while playing some other sport.

I've been given a lot of other options so, I'll consider one of these when I get some free time. I'm still pretty upset because even when I do choose a new location I will not be able to recoup the data I've lost.

The title of this entry reads "A Couple of Bones to Pick". It's obvious I'm not happy with Coolrunning.com right now. The second bone I've got is with Garmin. Really, it's not a "bone" because they have not done anything wrong. What they have done is nothing more than the advancement of technology. I just hate I've been caught up in it. For the last year and a half I have touted the wonders and greatness of the Garmin 305. For several months before I owned it I coveted this great little device. When I finally got it I was just delighted and it's accuracy was unmatched.

Well, Garmin has done it again. They have stuck it to me with what looks to be another great device. It is the "Garmin 405". It looks just like a regular sports watch and has most of the same features that the 305 has. I really, really don't need another gps device, but if I did I would certainly be looking at this one. None of the runners I know have dared buy it yet, so I have no particular testimony to its performance. One reason why no one has it yet is because they have all recently upgraded to the 305 from the 205 or some bulky Timex or Ipod device.

What this new version does not do that the 305 does is saving routes. You can have up to 50 routes in the 305, but the new 405 does not have this feature. But, it makes up for this short coming with quite a few new features. First, it acts as a regular sports watch. You can keep it powered on for up to 2 weeks in regular watch mode. That is a long time between charges. Second, it has automatic sync where it automatically sends data to your computer. Third, it's small like a normal sports watch so you shouldn't have problems getting sleeves on and off. Finally, it allows you to share information between devices (now I have not thought of a great use for this yet - but one is coming). I mean my 305 is still pretty new to me in that I cannot operate all the various features yet. I will have to just wait until they put out the 505 before I look at spending another 300+ bucks on a fitness watch/monitor. All those 205 owners out there now can have something to look forward to. Go out and get the 405 so we can all know just how good it is.

Never, never stop running.

Tribute to My Running Group

I've been running with a group of runners in the area since 2004. Actually before that the only running I did was the occasional 2-3 miler at the gym on the hamster wheel. Or in my early days in the Military I thought 3 miles in 30 minutes was pretty good. I laugh out loud as I read what I just typed. 10 min./mile for 3 miles. That's hardly worth getting out of bed for these days. Unless it's the second part of a 2-a-day and you're just trying to get the miles under your feet. Even then your short distance fast runner friends would call you a bum.

But, I digress. Like I said, I've been running with a group of runners in the area since 2004. This group has been the best thing to happen to me in a while. Every morning, every morning, they run. Now not the whole group but, there are factions (all friendly) and between either the core group or any faction of the group you can find a run somewhere in the city every single morning. I don't know about you but, the thought that someone is "waiting" on me just helps me to show up. Now they are not really waiting on me and everyone expects that if you want to run with the group you show up on time. Because they won't "wait". So, I guess it's something like, "We will wait for you until it is time to go and then we're going". I like that because I can safely say that at 1 minute past 6am they are gone but, they positively will not leave before 6. I mean 5:59 is unacceptable to the group and is considered rude, we all leave together and we wait just in case that last minute person is still trying to get there on time.

I certainly would not be running still if it had not been for the group and all the new relationships I've developed out of it. Bunch of fun folks all ages and all speeds all backgrounds. Imagine that, a diversity of runners. Well they're income must be pretty up there. After all, the simplest, most natural sport on the planet still requires expensive shoes and technical shirts and shorts. And if you can afford the Garmin 305, you've got to get that, too.

Interested in more Garmin related stories? See these fine sites:

How Accurate is a GPS Running Watch? | ClearPathGPS - How Accurate is a GPS Running Watch? By Mick Doolan. There are many times that I have been asked, just how accurate is a running watch with GPS? Can they really tell you how fast and far you are running? As a case ... Timex Run Trainer (R.I.P. Garmin 305) « Running With T1 - After many, many miles of running with my trusty Garmin Forerunner 305, it recently kicked the bucket. I used RunKeeper on my iPhone for a while and I like it, especially for programming intervals and for the automatic posting ...