Running on Ice (Minnesota Style)

Just got back from a long weekend spent in central Minnesota. M's parents live up there, and we went to visit the family. I was initially looking forward to experiencing some frigid temperature (-20 F, at least), but alas the weather was similar to that which I left in Baltimore. But, that let us do a heck of a lot more than the brutal cold would have. On one of the days, we went running on the frozen lake, which was pretty much covered in about 1" - 2" of week-old snow. However, the eastern edge of the lake had accumulated some blown snow up to about 4" in places. Occasionally your foot would fall through the snow, so it was a bit tougher than running on packed sand. The ice itself was over 18" thick: plenty safe. But it was still unnerving to run across some of the areas where the snow had blown completely off the ice. It was clear and black, occasionally with bits of underwater weeds visible. The large cracks visible in the ice were only a mentally-perceived threat as many people were driving F-350s and the like on the lake. I laid down on the ice in the center, and I could hear it cracking and booming underneath me. Definitely, it was an odd sensation. We made about 9:30 pace through the snow and picking our way across bare spots of ice as well. We did 5 miles, and it was a beautiful sunny day, no hat required.

New Year, Same Tired Legs

I was hoping this wouldn't happen, but I have entered the phase of my running year where my legs are feeling beaten up and tired. It seems to happen around mid-January every year. I feel that the dead legs seem to result in injuries: 2014 = IT Band Syndrome, 2013 = PCL strain, 2012 = Toe strains, etc... So, my New Year's resolution is to get back into a cross-training, or at least weight-training regimen with a focus on the supporting muscles. I am one of those people that can['t just jump whole-hog into a routine. I usually start off with one or two exercises and add one or two more per week, which allows me to gradually build up a program that works for me. I also tend to rotate through them, so as not to stagnate. Honestly, getting started is the hardest part. This week, I added some glute work, which should help with my IT band fears (I felt a twinge at about mile 7 of a 10-miler on Tuesday night).

I eventually want to find a gym or something to do some single leg presses and some light weight work. Unfortunately, the gym at my lab space just closed. They had a great subsidized rate of $13 per month. Now, I would have to go to the UMMC campus gym, which more than triples the price. Or, I could find something reasonable in the city. It's just having a gym in your office building is so easy... I have a nautilus in small room at my apartment building, but that thing is ill-fitting for me, and doesn't necessarily have everything I want. For now, I sticking with plyometric and body-weight resistance exercises. I might pick up some black fitness bands, too.

Running on ice, snow, pavement...

Baltimore, probably more so than other cities in the Northeast, is plagues by abandoned buildings, even in the heart of downtown. I happen to live in an apartment building, converted old warehouse, that is surrounded by these abandos. This results in a high percentage of uncleared sidewalks whenever it snows. Given that the temperatures haven't gotten above 30 for the past three days, there hasn't really been a chance for any of them to melt. People walk over the snow, compacting it into ice. As one might imagine, this does not make for the ideal running surface. I almost gave up on my run on Wednesday after three straight blocks of treacherous footing. Thankfully, the Inner Harbor usually provides a respite from this blight. The city cares enough about tourism that they work to keep most of the promenade clear, even when tourists are unlikely to be strolling in 18 F weather. I headed down there on Wednesday and got some nice run without having to pick my way across pedestrian-rutted ice.

Last night, a buddy and I decided to take the opposite approach, we headed to Druid Hills Park. North Charles is usually pretty clear, given a higher occupancy rate, but you still encounter the occasional lazy business owner who hasn't bothered to clear his/her sidewalk. The Jones Falls Trail was not clear, but it also wasn't all that well traveled, which resulted in plenty of loose snow to afford solid footing. We found that the city had plowed the back roads in the park, even those that were gated to prevent vehicle traffic. However, the loop around the reservoir wasn't down to bare pavement, there were spots of snow, ice, and pavement. We had just finished a conversation on how it wasn't so bad as long as you didn't try to change direction or stop suddenly. Of course, my next step found me trying to change direction to get to a slightly clearer track. I got my weight over my right foot, which just happened to hit the icy transition of pavement to snow. I went down in yard-sale fashion, but Matt described it as very graceful. I splayed arms and legs, much like a wrestler who has fallen victim to a single leg take down attempt, hit and rolled in the snow. I bounced up unscathed, and we continued on. Oddly enough, it happened right in front of a city surveillance camera on the path, so hopefully I gave some city worker a good laugh, if they're monitoring that sort of thing.

Afterwards, a beer and grilled cheese at Maisy's... always a good place to stop post run. And, I must say that I have yet to taste a boring beer from Union Craft Brewing. Even their Anthem American Golden Ale... which should be a boring beer, is spot-on tasty. This brewery really stands out to me among the growing beer culture of Baltimore. Run Local/Drink Local.

Nooseneck 18k - Post-Christmas Fun

I managed to convince my cousin's husband, who's a trail runner by nature, to come down to the Nooseneck 18k on Friday. He was recovering from a recent 50-miler, and initially thought the race was on Saturday, but he still gave it a go... as a recovery run. For those that don't know the course, here's a Map of it that someone created. It starts and finishes across the street from the Tavern on the Hill. For a suggested donation of $10, it's a really fun race for those that consider 11.2 miles to be fun. Thanks to Mike Tammaro and the Narragansett Running Association for putting on yet another fun runner-centric race. Looking forward to nest year's 10th anniversary.

The first mile is pretty much downhill all the way. I went out in 5:45, which was probably a bit too fast, but it was mostly gravity doing the work. By the time I settled into a 6:10 pace after mile 2, I got passed by a group of about six runners who were moving slightly under 6:00. I recognized a few faces from other races in RI, and I knew I couldn't hang, so I settled in with the first female and another guy. I could see race-winner, Matt Pelletier, for about 3 miles, then he disappeared on his way to a course record: 59:39. We kept the pace until we hit the hill on the fire road at Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge at mile 5. That mile is pretty tough as you go up the slightly washed out dirt road. After that, it was rolling hills with a general upward trend, keeping about a 6:30 pace. I passed the female leader and other guy at the 10 mile marker and just kept pushing the pace to the finish. I pretty much left it all on the road, as I didn't feel I had anything left in the tank when I crossed the finish line.

The worst part was that M, my cousin, and her son were cheering me on at a parked car about 100 yards from the finish. I mistook that as the finish line and checked up, only to realize I still had another 100 to sprint. Darn it. Anyway, I ended up taking 2:34 off of last year's time, and I was really happy about that.

This was my goal race for getting back into shape this fall. Now, I'm kind of taking a week to let my quads and a tweaked hip flexor (thanks to the downhills in this race) rebound. I might run a few slower, shorter runs to keep up general fitness and social contacts, but nothing too challenging until the New Year.

IT Band Syndrome (Article)

Level Renner has an article up by Ian Nurse, a Boston runner and licensed chiropractor. ARTICLE HERE

Having been through my own IT band syndrome issue in the beginning of this year, I was eager to read through the article to see if it matched with my experience. And, it did. The symptoms presented as described in the article. I, being as stupid/stubborn as I normally am, kept running through the pain hoping it would go away. I found that the faster I ran, the better it felt, but it soon got to the point where I couldn't run fast enough to keep the pain at bay. I was totally unaware of the warning signs of IT band syndrome. I guess I did enough damage to lose a good three months while trying to clear up the symptoms and build a program to keep it from happening again.

The first step in my healing process was to get an MRI. Fortunately, with my insurance this was covered 100% with a Dr's order. Great. The MRI indicated severe inflammation of the right IT band. My left one was acting up, too, but the Dr. felt that analysis of the right side would be enough to figure out what was going on with the left.

The next step was to get some physical therapy going with the folks at MedStar Harbor Hospital Sports Medicine. I highly recommend them for rehab and training. I got on a treadmill with video, and when I saw the results, I cringed. I had always wondered why I looked so awkward anytime I saw a photo of myself from a race. Now I knew why. As the PT put it, "You run like a wounded T-Rex." It was awful. My feet crossed over, like running on a tightrope. My arms stayed inside my body, shoulders curled in, and no heel kick. From seeing this, I can say that I think I probably had a combination of Nurse's causes 1, 3, and 4 that contributed to my IT band syndrome.

The rehab focused on three things: 1) strengthening glutes, hip flexors, and quads, 2) flexibility work, and 3) a complete change of running form. Running on the Alter-G definitely helped with #3, but the other two foci were down to the great work of my PTs. They worked out a bunch of strengthening exercises and flexibility stretches to help with everything. Gradually I worked up to where I got out to do 2 mi per day on the road, no more than 10 mi per week. It felt great. Hips underneath, arms swinging at the side, head up, chest out, and my key thought was to give each foot its own lane. Much like cars on the highway.

This article comes at a great time for me. I have been holding steady at just under 40 mi per week, but have wanted to start increasing slowly. This was just the reminder I needed as I start to bump mileage up. No more than 10% per week, of course. I need to especially focus on getting the strength exercises back in my routine because I have let them slip. I also need to keep up with the flexibility, too. I tend to stiffen up more with higher mileage, and it will be a battle to keep everything loose. This injury also reminded me how interconnected all the parts of the body are in running. It's not just about legs. It's arms, abs, lungs, head, ankles, etc... When one gets out of alignment, other things can go south, especially over higher mileage.

That's all. Just wanted to mention a good article to read so that you can stay ahead of IT band syndrome by knowings its symptoms and root causes.

Holiday Lights Run in South Philly

Last Thursday, I headed up to Philly to partake in the Holiday Lights Run, joint venture between the Fishtown Beer Runners and the South Philly Striders.

It was a rather short run at about 3.5 miles, but it took you through a few sections of South Philly that are noted for their light displays. There were the Smedley and South Colorado Loops and 13th Street light displays that were most memorable. All in all, it was a fun time that benefited Philabundance... thankfully we only had to run about a mile to the start of the run carrying canned goods.

S. 13th Street - linked from Passyunk Post

We chose not to head to the Sardine Bar, which was where the run was supposed to finish, just because of the sheer volume of people. Instead, we headed to the SPTR for a few beers and some grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup.

Omar wasn't a myth. #thewire

25yr old Omar McGee charged with the July 4th murder of Matthew Drake at 3200 Chelsea Terrace. #BPDDETECTIVES pic.twitter.com/0qjAhY1Nfm

— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) December 10, 2014

Trail running and responsibility Part II - Also Hunting and Responsibility

As someone who is active in both running and shooting sports, I find it especially disturbing when the two combine in a tragic way. I typically love the idea of combining trail running and shooting, a la summer biathlon. But, combining trail running and hunting can be a dangerous mix.

Yesterday, in Cape Cod, a hunter shot a jogger. Link to Article in Cape Cod Times. According to the article, it may be the case that the hunter fired twice on the jogger. I would say that both parties are lucky that the jogger did not die (especially the jogger). Also, according to the article, the jogger was wearing a white shirt. One might think that white shirt would set oneself apart from a wild animal, but apparently not. There are three points that came to mind when reading this article:

1) It is the hunter's responsibility to identify the target as a legal species to hunt. It is also the hunter's responsibility to understand the trajectory of the projectile and to be sure of his firing line, both in front of and beyond the target. In this case, the jogger had his dog with him, which could easily be mistaken, in fading light, for a deer. Perhaps, the hunter fired at the dog, and hit the jogger. Either way, this shooting is entirely on the hunter. I have heard stories of hunters so anxious to get a deer, that they fire on noise, or brush movement, rather than on a positively identified deer. It is a scary fact that this happens.

2) I always try to wear orange when running (or even hiking) in areas where hunting is permitted. A large field of orange is your best bet for being identified as a human. I'll make sure that my top layer is blaze orange during hunting season.

3) I think it is up to the users of the trails in parks/forests/managed areas to know the hunting season. It's something I definitely pay attention to when I am heading out in the fall and winter. I don't necessarily want to 100% rely upon points 1 and 2 above to keep me safe.

I was in a situation where a ranger with DNR in MD advised me that "You will encounter hunters." when she saw that I was about to go running in one of the State Parks. I asked her if she was telling me not to run (I was wear blaze orange jacket and hat), and she responded, "I'm not saying that. I'm saying you will encounter hunters." Her emphasis on the situation spooked me enough that I went to a county park where hunting was prohibited.

I have also been in a situation where I was running in a state park in which hunting is expressly forbidden, and signs are posted at the boundaries. As I came off the trail, I observed a hunter hauling a tree stand and bow into the park off the side of the road. When I got back to my office I called the police and informed them of what I saw. When I left my office and passed by the location where the hunter had been, I saw the cops talking to the man, and all of his equipment was on the side of the road. I'm not sure what was happening, but it sure seemed like this was the case of hunter with no clue (or no regard) for the laws that were in place to protect the many park users who run and bike there.

Bottom line: stay safe, and take every precaution to protect yourself.

Trail running and responsibility

This weekend, I organized a trail run in Patapsco State Park that had two options, 6 miles and 8 miles in length. I did through a Meetup group that I normally run with. Out of the 10 people who came to the group run, only three had run trails before. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, because it would be a good introduction to trail running: half paved road, half rock/root/hilly trails. It was a misty rainy day, but the temperature was great for the run.

We all decided to run back to the cars together. We were making an effort to look after the slower runners, with the goal of losing no one. One woman, with GPS phone/maps, said she would just walk the last mile, and that she was OK. We told her we would wait for her at the cars. Well, after 20 minutes, she was a no-show. A couple of us went out to the trail and started running in reverse to find her. No luck. Her sister, who had also run with us, called and texted her, but it just went straight to voicemail with no response. After 20 minutes of looking, we got a little more nervous. We ended up leaving without her, and her sister was calling the ranger station to get help. I felt bad leaving, but I had M sitting in my parking lot waiting for me.

An hour later, I got a text from the sister that they had found her. She got lost walking, and she had no signal. After this experience, it will probably be the last trail run that I host. The worry about a lost runner, particularly a young woman with a dead phone, was definitely not worth any of the benefit that I got out of the run. I felt personally responsible for her safety and well-being, even though she is an adult who was capable of making her own decisions. I'll continue to run trails, but I won't head out as an organizer again.

Love the Nooseneck 18k...

Nooseneck 18k Blurb in Level Renner. Fun race to run on the day after Christmas. Last year, I took my mom to the race. She stayed inside the Tavern on the Hill at the bar due to the cold and snow. She had as much fun sitting there as I did running it. She said she learned more about hunting turkeys than she ever thought she would in her life from some of the folks at the bar. She also learned how to play Keno. It's also where I discovered Two Roads Brewing, which went well with some very good clam cakes and chowder, post-race.

Turkey Buster 5k

After a wonderful Thanksgiving Day holiday with M's Aunt and Uncle in Jersey, we decided to run the Marlton Lakes Turkey (Buster) Trot 5k this past Saturday. She had been training hard for a PR in the 5k, and she figured that the flat central Jersey landscape was the best bet for a fast 5k. We got there at about 8:30, and the temperature was 28 F, which for me is a good temperature, for her, a little cold. There were only 37 runner; I think the cold kept some people away. According to the race director, the course was marked with "chalk arrows" and "cones with arrows". There was no leading bike or car, and the roads were open.

When the bullhorn went off, I went out front and kept going. At the half-mile mark I was about a bit ahead of the second place runner, at about 5:30 pace. As I neared 0.8 miles, a Cadillac pulled out of driveway right in front of me. I swung to the left side of the road and just kept going. Unfortunately, that move made me miss the faint chalk arrows indicating a right turn. It wasn't until I got to a tee in the road about a block and half up, that I realized something was wrong. No arrows or cones. I heard someone yell, and looked back to see the other runners turning right where the Caddy pulled out. I managed to catch up to the lead and get ahead again, but any hopes of my PR were dashed.

Not so for M. She ran a great race at 7:02 pace, with a shoe that came untied in the first mile. Her 21:49 was a PR by at least a minute, and she won the women's race. Two fantastic races for her this weekend. It's great when someone trains hard, and it pays off.

2014 Face to Face Germantwon Turkey Trot - 5 Miler

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. And, I have a lot for which to be thankful. One particular item to be thankful for is the fact that I have been going about seven months without a significant running injury. There have been nagging little things, like my ankle/heel, but I have been able to get through them given the low-ish weekly mileage of 40 or so. This was my first ever Turkey Trot in which I have participated. I have done Trot-Off-Your-Turkey races before, but never one on the day itself. We chose to run the Face to Face Germantown 5 Mile Turkey Trot, which was basically an out-and-back race on the Forbidden Drive in the Wissahickon. It was written up in Runner's World this past year as a must-run Turkey Trot: Article.

The Forbidden Drive Trail had just received quite a bit of rain the day before... no snow, though. So it was a muddy track, but relatively benign given the road nature of the "trail." The course was slightly downhill on the way out, and, of course, slightly uphill on the way back. My first mile was 5:42, driven by the "steepest" downhill and a bit of start-line adrenaline. Second mile was 5:57, at which point I had latched onto a "buddy" for the rest of the race. He and I seemed to have a similar cadence and pacing, and we also seemed to intuit which way the other was going when passing and maneuvering around puddles. The next three miles were at 6:06, 6:09, and 6:10. The last mile was tough for me. I tried to kick with 0.5 miles left, but I was fighting a bit of a cramp, and the fact that I got about 3 hours of sleep the night before. I got a bit of a boost when someone came up behind, and I was able to hold him off to the line. My "buddy" got me by a second. Overall 9th place, and a good start to the day.

The best thing for the race, was that my girlfriend won her age group. We didn't even think it was a possibility and left early from the race to beat traffic out of the parking lot. Turns out this morning, M won her group. Awesome job for her. She ran her quickest 5-miler ever, I believe. So happy for her.

Special thanks to Nolan Painting who handed out gloves to runners and, most importantly, gave me a bag to put my jacket in while I stashed it under their table.

A good week of runs.

This last week saw a number of good runs go in the book. Tuesday was a very cold 10.5-miler, but it was a lot of fun. Wednesday was a 4-miler at 6:30 pace that preceded Bikram yoga. The run was great, yoga was a disaster. I think the run knocked my electrolytes down, and I quickly wilted in the heat of the studio. Despite drinking some electrolytes during the class, my sweat was hardly salty at the end of the session. I haven't been that wet without being underwater before in my life. By Thursday, things had returned to a physiological norm, and I did a nice 6.25-mile trail run with @strausskevin in Patapsco State Park. Beautiful setting and great conversation all the way around. Learned some new trails.

Friday, was another 6 miles done at lunch during a day spent working at home. Finally, Saturday was another trail run in the Wissahickon; about 6.25 miles.

I learned that if I am going to be doing more than one trail run per week, I really need to spend some money and get a pair of trail shoes. I normally run in New Balance's 890 v3, which I have been buying on eBay since they switched to the v4. I haven't yet wanted to find out if the v4 works for me since I know the v3 does. But, they are way to flexible, especially in the toebox area of the sole for trails. Several times, I hit a rock or a root and my I could just feel it in the sesamoid area. I lost two months to a sesamoid injury a couple of years back, and I don't want a similar one. Gotta get on that.

Wind chill

Follow up to the First Gloved Run post... Last night was the first pants run. It was about 29 F, with winds at 20 mph, gusting to 35 in B'more. So, I put on some tights (under my shorts), and donned a lycra cap. Went out and ended up doing about 10.5 with the RG3 group. The run mostly hugs the Inner Harbor. And, when you came around certain corners or buildings on the harbor, that wind smacked you in the face. The toughest part for me was that we move a little slower than I would like in that group.. 9:00 to 8:30 to keep it social. So, I had a tough time keeping warm. I seemed to be warmer on my run down to the group at a 7:00 pace.

We finished the run at Social Pub and Pie for their phenomenal deals on pizza and beer. Where else can I get a pint of Heavy Seas Great'ER Pumpkin for $3.21 plus tax? After a half-priced Greek salad (those are discounted, too) and two pints, my friend Matt and I were faced with the choice of a 1.5 mile walk/cab/Uber home. We chose the walk, which quickly became the post beer shuffle and eventually the allout jog trying to stay warm. Neither of us thought to bring anything resembling a jacket for the post run cold. That was tough, as legs had stiffened and temperature had dropped. The wind was unabated, still. But, all in all a good run.

Tonight will most likely involve a 4-miler followed by some Bikram yoga.

First gloved run last week.

I am so happy that winter weather is upon us. I much enjoy running in 35-degree weather versus 75. Last Thursday was the first gloved run of the year. It was 37 F when I went out at 6:15 am for a 10-miler. I met up with the UA Run Club about 2 miles in, and I did 6 miles with them. Then another 2 miles back home. It was nice to not be drenched in sweat and to feel the cool air against my face. I am hopeful this cold snap signals that winter-like weather will remain.

Had a really nice trail run on Sunday with some runners in Philly that I know from having run various Ragnars and other races. We put in about 10k on the trails of the Wissahickon. I can't believe that when I lived in Philly, I never once visited the Wissahickon. I just didn't know about it. It's a great resource though, especially on the colder days when it is not as heavily traveled. The below photo is of a "big damn leaf" that I found all over the forests there during a hike in late October. Apparently from the umbrella magnolia. These are the largest non-tropical leaves I have ever seen. Holy cow. This time around they weren't so yellow, just gray and dead.

This week, I have a scheduled half-day off from work on Thursday. So, I'll be running some trails in Patapsco State Park. Should be the nicest day of the week.

First 5k Win this Past Weekend

A moment of narcissistic indulgence. I got my first 5k win of my life (really the first win at any distance). It felt pretty good. And, I completely realize that this win was due more to the field than to my own abilities. It was a small 5k trail run, called the Turtle Trek. This was my third time running the event in the four years the race has been around. It is about 67% on trails at Marshy Point Nature Center, and it goes to benefit the Katie and Wil Brady Foundation. In the past, it has supported the construction of Katie and Wil's Trail, and now they are working to link the trails at Marshy Point with those of nearby Gunpowder State Park... a worthy goal, indeed.

At the gun, we were led out by a guy on a mountain bike who was going to ride at the head through all the trails. After the first quarter mile, I looked around and there was no one anywhere near me... This actually unnerved me because I had never been in that situation before. I knew were moving about 5:30 pace or so, which for me, is flying. We did a lap of the parking lot and then ducked onto the trail. I actually talked to the biker for a few sentences just to calm my nerves. At a hairpin turnaround, I saw that I had about 20 seconds on second place, and just continued to push. My first mile, according to the watch was 6:03. From then, I just focused on avoiding rocks, roots, and tree trunks. I had to keep my feet and hips shifting to stay balanced and weave on some of the trails. The surface was basically fallen leaves, hiding all the rocks. My finishing time was 19:05, which was 20 seconds faster than I had run this course two years ago. So, I was happy to have improved on that time. The next runner was the female winner at 22:01, and I saw her as doubled back on some of the trail to find my girlfriend, M. I got a nice Under Armour sweatshirt out of it. M finished third female and had a good time running.

Alright, now that I got that self-indulgence over with, I'll thank all of the volunteers and sponsors that put on that race. It really is a good cause, and they all worked very hard. They have a fun run for the kids, and lots of door prizes afterwards. I spoke with the woman who ran the event, and thanked her for holding a true trail 5k because it is different from all the other 5ks that everyone else has. Next year, I hope to get a few more people to run it, as they really deserve a larger field, and one that can kick my butt.

Also... trying to convince my self I don't have a stress fracture of the right fibula. Of course, any time there is pain in one of my legs, my mind goes straight to the worst. A few days off now. I might try a slower trail run on Saturday.

Things I love to hear in a conference call.. Part 1

"You say you can do better testing than others, but we don't care about that. We want the product to conform to the standards of today. Just show that your current tests and our product meet the standards."

Same phone call...

"You can stop sending us business developers, we don't care about that. We need to work with your regulatory and quality people."

Garmin Forerunner 10 - Watch Band Issue

I have had the Garmin Forerunner 10 for about nine months now. For three of those months, it sat unused due to my IT band injury and the lack of running while rehabbing it. So, after six months of normal use, the watch band came apart. Up to that point, I had been very happy with the watch. I looked at the construction of it, and it is composed of a rubber watch band over-molded on a plastic anchor. Now, this is basically what I expected to find. What I didn't expect to find was that the anchors have no lands or barb-like geometry that would properly hold the overmold in place. The plastic is smooth, and they were basically relying upon the adhesion force between two flat surfaces to hold the band together. There were no physical barriers to separation: picture the barb on a fishhook holding the hook in the fish's mouth. As a materials engineer with a manufacturing background, I find this to just be a poor design. From a quick scan of the web, it appears that plenty of other users have had this issue.

In all fairness, Garmin offered to waive the normal $20 (plus shipping) replacement cost of the band. Awfully nice of them. I asked the woman on the phone if she knew if they had changed the design. She stated that she didn't think they had changed it, and basically acknowledged that they have had issues with this. I imagine I might have to make the same phone call in another few months.

The part of this watch's design that really bugged me was the band lugs. As you might be able to see in the photo, the lugs are designed so as to preclude the use of an aftermarket band. They are too narrow in the middle to allow an aftermarket band to be placed around/under the pins that hold the band in place. I work in medical devices, and in that field it is a matter of safety and liability that you might design something with proprietary fittings. After all, if a medical device fails, it could cost someone their life, which in turn can cost a manufacturer its reputation and business. In the case of a sports watch, there is no real reason to preclude aftermarket bands, particularly when your band is ultimately designed to fail under normal use conditions.

If it weren't for those two design flaws, I probably wouldn't even post this. The watch performs well as a GPS watch. I find it to be within +/- 5% of my runs, tighter than that on most. I love the auto-pause feature. It's just the band... Sometimes, the simplest part of the product is the easiest one to botch.

/Rant

EDIT: I should add that the customer service rep was extraordinarily helpful in the phone call. I have yet to receive notice that my order has shipped, but barring a disaster on that front, the Garmin folks seem to handle CS quite well.

EDIT II: I also realize that there is any easy way to fix this issue by wrapping a wire through the original rubber band and securing it with some twists. Adding a heat shrink wrap over the top of the wrapped wire would help any snags on clothing or skin.

South Foster Volunteer Fire Company 5k and 10k

I have to say, that this was a fun run. It's one the small, which I enjoyed. However, for the sake of the Fire Department, I hope it grows in the coming years. They have a lot going for them. First, the course was beautiful. Some rolling hills on paved and gravel roads through the autumn woods. It's a really nice setting. Second, the people that run it are really friendly. Third, it's cheap ($22). Fourth, the long sleeve t-shirt was pretty cool (would wear in public). Fifth, with your entry fee you get a chili lunch... and they have veggie chili for those of us that are off meat. I strongly suggest that people try to run either the 5k or 10k next year.

I was very happy with my results in the race. The first mile was mostly a straight line, either flat or down hill: 5:45. Whenever you have a combo 5k/10k race, you can never be quite sure if you're chasing 5k or 10k runners. Thankfully, the split in the field came at 0.5 miles. The second mile began with the Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge (honestly, I hardly remember it), but I do remember that a gentle hill followed the bridge. Second mile: 6:39 due to the hill. The next three miles were some rollers through the back roads along pretty woods. Those miles were all about 6:15 give or take. In the middle of the sixth mile, I got a side stitch (forgot to take on extra potassium before the run), which prevented me from breathing right. I actually got a little dizzy and overheated. Took off my shirt, which I never do, and gutted out the last half mile. Overall time was 38:53, which was a PR for me. I have never been below 40 in the 10k. Now, I'll set my sights on 38:30 at some point.