Finding Your Way Around the Pond
We were sitting around comparing the features of our running watches when an older gentleman in the group begin to speak up. He was in his 80s. He recounted for us training and running marathons with a watch that had no fancy features just three hands: hour, minute and seconds. Part of his story was running a marathon without a watch and only a marker at the halfway point.
Would running be different for us if we got back to that simplicity?
I have only been distance running for a few years. From the very beginning of this adventure, I have had access to a watch that would display elapsed time, pace and lap and mile distance. I am hooked on the data.
Just recently the watch I wear, Garmin 735xt got a software upgrade. You can now create a course on the Garmin Connect site and send it to your device. Supposedly then your watch can give you real time directions during your run.
I am going to give it a try tomorrow.
The Breakfast Club Run route is new tomorrow. We will circle the Jones Family Park pond and then venture into the new development beside the park. You can find the turn-by-turn directions below. If you have a Garmin device that accepts courses that link is here: Around the Pond.
The turn-by-turn directions are below and I will also have copies tomorrow morning.
I might be trying the new technology but I will also run with the old-school directions on a piece of paper.
Remember we start the start the run in front of the Fleet Feet store and our first steps are at 5:30am.
Around the Pond
- L - Carl T Jones
- L - Greenway
- R - Lendon Park Dr.
- L - Dewitt
- L - Ahearn Ln.
- R - Lendon Park Dr.
- R - 4 Mile Post
- L - Hickory Hill
- L - Sherwood
- R - greenway
- L - Mira Vista
- L - Jacqueline
- R - Atwood
- L - Sherwood
- R - greenway
- R - Carl T Jones
- R - into parking lot
UPDATE = USING COURSE NAVIGATION
An Update. I tried the 'course navigation' feature on this run and it worked. I navigated to the course screen and chose today's course. The watch asked if I wanted to use this course I hit 'yes' and then 'start.'
As I started the run, the watch displayed the map. When it was almost time for the first turn, it alerted me and then again when it was time for the turn. Throughout the run, I noticed the it would give a warning alert 155 feet from the next turn and then again when it was time for the turn.
I was concerned that I would not be able to see other screens of data but that was not the case. I could use the scroll functions and look at pace and time.
One other concern I had was if it the course navigation function would use more battery life than a normal run. It did not.
I don't know that I will use this option on all runs but it sure will come in handy on a long run with many turns.
Have you tried this function with your Garmin? If so will you share you experience in the comment section?
