I seem to have sorted the Garmin 
Author: Richard
Hong Kong Treadmill 5k
The Garmin Forerunner 410 I use is still hopelessly under-reading from my footpod, so I’ll be recalibrating it back to 1000 and trying again. In the meantime, these readings are from the treadmill itself:
Hong Kong Treadmill
Still doing a cheeky 10k whilst on holiday!
Run-Commute Before Holidays!
Watch Out!
So Apple has today announced its new Apple Watch.
Now previously, I’d said I was going to get one when they came out, pairing it with my iPhone 6 to do all sort of smart watch stuff but with the added health and fitness features. But I’ve changed my mind.
Instead, I’ll be upgrading my Garmin Forerunner 410 to the new Garmin Fenix 3.
Why? Well the Apple Watch isn’t capable of acting as a standalone fitness device as it relies on a Bluetooth connection to your iPhone for WiFi (understandable) and GPS (no, just no). Add to that the battery life of the Apple Watch being “up to 18 hours” (yeah, right) as opposed to the Fenix 3’s 6 weeks (!) and it’s a no-brainer. On my run-commute, linkage to my iPhone 6 isn’t a problem, other than battery life for any devices, but on a fitness/general run, I don’t want to have to have the iPhone strapped to my arm. No, I’d rather rely on the watch’s own GPS noting my distance.
And the Fenix also links via ANT+ to my footpod, heart rate monitor and bike cadence to measure a range of metrics. And the Apple Watch isn’t even waterproof!
Price? Well like for like (ish) you’re looking at £899 for the Apple Watch and £450 for the Fenix 3 Sapphire. Half the price.
London Winter Run 2015
So despite suffering with Achilles Tendonitis in my right heel (brought on no doubt my tight muscles and over-compensating for the left calf) and having only rested for a fortnight – not counting a 20 mile bike ride – I had to man up and take part on the London Winter Run in aid of Cancer Research UK on Sunday.
It was a bitterly cold day and because we didn’t want to have to drop off and collect our bags and coats, Ali and I both grabbed an old fleece top of mine to wear, knowing that we’d have to be pretty quick getting home in just our running gear afterwards. At least it wasn’t raining though
I finished in 1:05:41 which wasn’t bad considering the pain I was in; that even constituted a PB for me in what was only my second 10k. We immediately re-booked for 2016!
Planned Runs
So this weekend – Achilles tendonitis permitting – I will be doing a 10k race: the London Winter Run 2015. Â This should be fun(!) and a trial for my fitness and injuries.
Then in May on the Bank Holiday, it’s up to Milton Keynes for the Milton Keynes Half Marathon as part of my ongoing – if slow – build-up to September’s full Berlin Marathon (eek!).
AfterShokz Shocks
Well this is a tad infuriating. I ordered those AfterShokz Bluez 2 bone-conductor headphones through Amazon at the start of October with the order being handled by Millet Sports.
After an e-mail from them saying they were experiencing stock issues, I finally contacted them last week to see if they were actually going to supply them or should I cancel the order. They replied, apologising but cancelling the order anyway! Curses. That’s about 3 weeks lost.
So – again through Amazon – I ordered them from SimplyRun. And guess what? Despite the Amazon order saying they had stock, SimplyRun didn’t and instead cancelled by order last weekend. Poo!
Now as I was just about to write this update, I discovered that the Apple Store has them … allegedly!
We shall see. The fact that the UK website is unreachable at the moment and that the US site is suggesting they’re on backorder doesn’t make for much confidence.
Bad Weather
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”
– Alfred Wainwright
We shall see tonight: it’s been raining all day and I’m due to run home tonight. I’ve brought some small plastic bags with me tonight just in case to ensure my phones stay dry as the rucksack doesn’t claim to be waterproof (although being PU-coated ripstop nylon, it should at least be able to shrug off some rain).
Of more concern, though, are my thighs, mainly the left thigh which seems to be showing signs of an issue with one of the rectus femoris tendons being inflamed, sprained or torn: lots of pain in both thighs on Saturday but particularly when I touch the tendon area on my left one. I’ve rested them this weekend and Ibuprofen is my friend this afternoon.
Ah well! Wish me luck…
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