Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Running: The Stuff - Nice to haves
Here are a couple of items that are nice to have. They aren't necessary by any means.
Running watch
It's nice to have a running watch. A running watch has a stop watch that will allow you to keep split times. This is useful when you are running a race and want to know what your splits were. At most races someone will be standing at the mile markers shouting out your splits, but if you have a watch, you won't miss them if they aren't there.
Running hat
It's nice to have a wicking running hat. It keeps the sun out of your eyes. It redirects forehead sweat away from your eyes.
Heart rate monitor
One method of training revolves running with a heart rate monitor strapped to your chest. The heart rate monitor gives you instant feedback about what level of effort a given pace actually requires. It allows you to optimize your pace so that you don't start too quickly and then bonk out at the end. The marathon that I ran with a heart rate monitor was one that I set my marathon PR at. That said, it takes a special level of discipline to actually listen to it. And they are somewhat expensive starting near $100 and going up from there.
Garmin/GPS device
One of the recent advances in running technology is the advent of the Garmin GPS device. It tracks how far you have gone using GPS positioning. It is a great help for when you are running on an unmarked trail. Advanced versions also include heart rate monitoring capability. As you can imagine, they are quite expensive ($250+).
Running watch
It's nice to have a running watch. A running watch has a stop watch that will allow you to keep split times. This is useful when you are running a race and want to know what your splits were. At most races someone will be standing at the mile markers shouting out your splits, but if you have a watch, you won't miss them if they aren't there.
Running hat
It's nice to have a wicking running hat. It keeps the sun out of your eyes. It redirects forehead sweat away from your eyes.
Heart rate monitor
One method of training revolves running with a heart rate monitor strapped to your chest. The heart rate monitor gives you instant feedback about what level of effort a given pace actually requires. It allows you to optimize your pace so that you don't start too quickly and then bonk out at the end. The marathon that I ran with a heart rate monitor was one that I set my marathon PR at. That said, it takes a special level of discipline to actually listen to it. And they are somewhat expensive starting near $100 and going up from there.
Garmin/GPS device
One of the recent advances in running technology is the advent of the Garmin GPS device. It tracks how far you have gone using GPS positioning. It is a great help for when you are running on an unmarked trail. Advanced versions also include heart rate monitoring capability. As you can imagine, they are quite expensive ($250+).
# posted by mypetrock : 9:48 AM
