{"id":856,"date":"2023-10-01T08:34:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-01T08:34:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grays.life\/?p=856"},"modified":"2024-03-29T07:23:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T07:23:52","slug":"how-technology-helped-spark-renewed-interest-in-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grays.life\/how-technology-helped-spark-renewed-interest-in-running\/","title":{"rendered":"How Technology helped spark renewed interest in running"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Getting
Image: Garmin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For years, I ran on and off. I’d run for a few weeks, and then the runs would dry up. I had no specific goal, nothing to aim at. It was more or less the same with cycling, and this is how I would keep fit between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the family grew, I wanted to get out and about more, to balance the stresses of life with some time hitting the pavement or cycling far out along the coast. And so I bought a sports watch to start tracking those runs and rides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Suunto watch was my first venture, and my interest was piqued by the statistics that the watch would throw back at you. This naturally led to starting a Strava account as a place to put those runs, and the rest began to build up from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But my interest level took off when I traded in that Suunto for a Garmin Forerunner 255. At this point, I was in my early 50s and wished I’d started years before, with time and an increased fitness level on my side.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Image: Garmin<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Suunto was OK, but big, old and clunky. The Garmin caught my eye because it had more features, a colour screen and a better heart rate monitor built into the watch. The Suunto didn’t have that. Instead, it relied on a heart rate monitor strap. This might have made it more accurate, but I found that the strap caused itchiness while wearing it and for hours afterwards. So I was looking for a watch with a built-in heart rate monitor.

Cue the Garmin Forerunner update in 2021, and with lockdowns happening on and off and me running way more than I had before, I decided to jump ship and buy the Garmin. From the off, I realised that the Garmin is hands down one of the best sports watches out there\u2014especially the Garmin Connect App. I had bought the Strava premium app, but as soon as I saw Garmin Connect, I ditched the subscription and got all the details on the data from Garmin Connect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, hands down, Garmin helped get me out more, not just running and cycling, but walking and hiking. Strava helped me connect with friends; no doubt, seeing my friends out and about helps keep me motivated to go out. Then, the monthly challenges also help keep the motivation high. All of which beats keeping score with a notepad and pencil!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For years, I ran on and off. I’d run for a few weeks, and then the runs would dry up. I had no specific goal, nothing to aim at. It was more or less the same with cycling, and this is how I would keep fit between the two. As the family grew, I wanted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[47,48,46],"yoast_head":"\nHow Technology helped spark renewed interest in running - Grays Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For years, I ran on and off. I'd run for a few weeks, and then the runs would dry up. 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