Running Data

I haven't run with any kind of running technology for a LONG time. I stopped wearing a heart-rate monitor, timer, watch, etc. because I found they got in the way of having fun while running. I wasn't training for any races and didn't have any running goals in mind other than to practice good form all the time and to have as much fun as possible. Today, I think I found that running with tech can help maintain good form and be fun, too.

I ran today with a Garmin FR60 for the first time. While running, I had the display show heart rate (just to see where my fitness is at), timer (to establish a baseline for one of my most common short run routes), and cadence (for an accurate assessment of where my rhythm skill is at). I decided to run today with no walk breaks to see how my heart reacted and how long this run takes me now, which I'll compare to later in the season.

I discovered that my heart rate slowly creeps up during my run. I think intermittent walk breaks might help keep it lower throughout my run but I can test that now to see if that is actually the case.

I also discovered that my cadence is around 88-90 BPM (one foot) on flat and uphill, which is pretty good. The optimum cadence would be 90 so I'm happy at 88-90 for a first time out. My cadence goes up (to 103) going downhill, which is exactly what I would expect to see.

Overall, I'm happy with the results of my first run with running data. I do have some goals in mind for this summer of running longer and slightly faster while maintaining good form and being injury-free. Maybe the FR60 can be an added tool for me to accomplish those goals. I don't plan on running with it every time but seeing the results of my run was pretty cool and fun for me.

If you're interested, I downloaded the data and saved an image of the summary (you can click on it to view it larger).

Running Data for May 3, 2012