Garmin Burst My Bubble
So today I realized that I have not getting slower over the past month, it is just that my nike+ was very generous with my mileage and optimistic about my pace and my Garmin is a realist. The trail that is supposed to be 3 miles is only 2.65 so what I thought was a 6 mile run is actually 5.3miles. The realization that I am much slower than I thought I was is a blow to my confidence. I am really hoping this will not affect me negatively during the race. Being delusional was good for me when I was racing, because I thought I was running at X speed during training so I should be able to run at Y speed during races, and I always met my racing goal. So this race should be interesting
Now that I know how much of a turtle I really am, I am not sure how realistic my goal is, but I do know my interval speed sessions have been faster and my endurance on long runs is much better. So I still have hope that I will PR at the Zooma half.
I did not hit the pace I wanted for the tempo today, but I gained some perspective on my running and am not disappointed with my run overall. Here it is:
| Distance | Time | Total Time | Pace | Avg Heart Rate | Max Heart Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mi | 10:10.23 | 10:10.23 | 10:11 | 157 | 170 | ||
| 1 Mi | 8:26.44 | 18:36.67 | 8:27 | 177 | 181 | ||
| 1 Mi | 8:29.66 | 27:06.33 | 8:30 | 182 | 185 | ||
| 1 Mi | 8:53.61 | 35:59.94 | 8:54 | 181 | 183 | ||
| 1 Mi | 9:13.23 | 45:13.17 | 9:14 | 181 | 183 | ||
| 1 Mi | 9:37.38 | 54:50.55 | 9:38 | 178 | 182 | ||
| 1 Mi | 9:27.57 | 1:04:18.12 | 9:28 | 176 | 180 | ||
| 1 Mi | 10:20.93 | 1:14:39.05 | 10:21 | 170 | 177 |
Filed under: Running Blog
Do not lose faith in yourself because of an instrument. the best one you have is in your head. that’s where the battle is fought and won everyday. you can do the PR because you want it, you’ve worked for it, and you’ve earned it. and if its not a PR but you give it everything you have, there’s no shame in a race that’s been run with all you have to offer. the only loss is when you don’t spend what you have. you, my friend, have tons to spend. you know its in YOU. ( just ask your biggest fans – your family- they will tell you the same!)
Nike+ is a snazzy little tool, but, like you, I have been disappointed by it. Doing 15 K instead of the 17,7 Nike+ promised me (discovery thanks to google maps) feels all wrong. I always go for realism.
Still, the sense of community Nike+ adds with their adds (we are all influenced by them) is pretty good.
You will do great and that PR will be no problem, I am sure.
I have these days! Don’t be too discouraged. Use the Garmin to learn your pace and where you feel comfortable. You’ll be faster on race day. Hang in there!
It took me about two weeks to get over the “sudden slowing down” because I switched from Nike+ to Garmin. After that I really started pushing myself and getting faster because I have real-time feedback on my wrist, without having to find a center button of an ipod and whatnot. As long as you stay positive about it (like thinking “at least I ran the WHOLE 3 miles today and didn’t short myself) then you’ll be fine.
Here’s to getting much faster in a couple of weeks!
I’ve been planning on getting a Garmin 305 someday. Now I realize maybe I should get the nike+ instead. I’ve always wanted to be faster than I really am
You are a speedy turtle. It’s amazing how much faster you can go in a race, just go for it and stay confident.
Your average pace is 9:19, that’s fast in my book. Sorry you are discouraged but at least you know and can focus on reaching your goal. Good luck in your race.
No need to be discouraged. Don’t let a machine dictate how you feel about yourself and what you can accomplish. You have been doing so well with your training and you will do great during the race. I think your times are fast (much faster than this one) and you also taught a newbie to not invest in the Nike+ if she wants real results. =)
Joe,
the funny thing is that it really did boost my confidence for races, so I guess it’s inaccuracy was not really a bad thing