Do you run with your smart phone?

Until they put a phone in a watch, forget it. Too bulky.

Have you seen many serious runners (not joggers) with a phone?

Dumb product:

http://www.magellangps.com/Fitness/Echo/Echo-Fitness

You *must* carry your phone for watch to work.

I turn 65 in a couple of months, and Monday through Friday I run by myself on an 8-10 mile loop. I am one of those guys who look "ridiculous" with an arm band I guess. My phone has a mileage/pace app on it, and more importantly, I have a one-touch 911 app on it. At my age it seems prudent to be prepared for unforeseen medical or other issues.

Almost 65 wrote:

I turn 65 in a couple of months, and Monday through Friday I run by myself on an 8-10 mile loop. I am one of those guys who look "ridiculous" with an arm band I guess. My phone has a mileage/pace app on it, and more importantly, I have a one-touch 911 app on it. At my age it seems prudent to be prepared for unforeseen medical or other issues.

This. I'm a bit younger than you, but do the same thing. I don't care if I look silly. I would prefer to live longer than have something happen to me on a run and not be able to reach out for help.

Good point about safety reasons.

I'd still like to see the phone in a watch. Not a bluetooth phone connected watch, but a watch with the capability to make calls by itself, standalone.

I'm not impressed with the current "smart" watches.

Bringing my phone lets me run at times when I need to be reached, either for family or work. On those days I run short loops so I can get home within a few minutes if needed. I got a little prepaid phone for that purpose that fits in my shorts pocket. I don't always hear it ring but I check it often enough so that doesn't matter.

another runner wrote:

I'd still like to see the phone in a watch. Not a bluetooth phone connected watch, but a watch with the capability to make calls by itself, standalone.

I'm not impressed with the current "smart" watches.

Agreed.

I never run with my phone. I occasionally will run with a small mp3 but that's about it. My running is 'my' time and I certainly don't want anyone to be able to contact me. I like to keep my running simple.

If ever my health became an issue then I would probably carry a phone but that's about it.

I feel the need to carry a phone in case of emergency. I put it in a Ziploc bag and then into a sock and tuck it in the front of my shorts. Really.

Sure people sometimes do a double take at my rectangular junk but so be it.

what type of emergencies occur on a run?

aren't there people/houses around?

I also wear a fanny pack with matching fuel belt on my 10min per mile powerwalks.

No way in hell.

simmy too wrote:

what type of emergencies occur on a run?

aren't there people/houses around?

Sometimes there are houses, but not too many people at sunrise when I do most of my runs. Over the years I have interrupted runs to help with a serious bike crash and a fairly serious auto accident, not to mention checking on a guy who appeared to be collapsed on a sidewalk, but turned out to be merely dead drunk.

simmy too wrote:

what type of emergencies occur on a run?

aren't there people/houses around?

You fall and break something while running in the woods or on a golf course in the night.

Maybe there is an emergency with one of the kids or your wife while you are gone.

I'm often running miles away from people and houses.

If you are single guy and want to be found when the snow melts or during harvest season(I run around a lot of agricultural fields) that's OK but a guy with a family probably wants to a be a bit more in touch at all times.

almost 65 wrote:

Sometimes there are houses, but not too many people at sunrise when I do most of my runs. Over the years I have interrupted runs to help with a serious bike crash and a fairly serious auto accident, not to mention checking on a guy who appeared to be collapsed on a sidewalk, but turned out to be merely dead drunk.

I also do my runs at sunrise, but I have never had anything similar happen in the last 15+ years of running. I'm in the Boston suburbs, so between the traffic and other runners, I never feel alone enough to warrant the need for a cell phone.

The only smart thing I run with are my comments

Captain Oblivious wrote:

You fall and break something while running in the woods or on a golf course in the night.

Maybe there is an emergency with one of the kids or your wife while you are gone.

I'm often running miles away from people and houses.

If you are single guy and want to be found when the snow melts or during harvest season(I run around a lot of agricultural fields) that's OK but a guy with a family probably wants to a be a bit more in touch at all times.

How did people survive without cell phones?

I have a wife and 4 kids, if I'm on a run they know I'll be back in 1-2 hours. I'm not going on a 50 miler through the woods by myself.

How many runners fall and break something? 1%? Walk out of the woods and flag down a passing car. Isn't that how they did it in the old days?

Going for a run is not the same as Christopher McCandless going Into the Wild!

It's crazy that because you are married with kids (as I am) you need to be touch at all times. That's a sad state of affairs. Either you are seriously pu**ywhipped, or your wife is not competent to handle emergencies.

I nearly passed out with sun stroke right after I turned 41. Was grateful to have a phone to call for help.

Sometimes I run at night in 15 degree weather and there's not a soul around. Around here, a father and son died recently when the temperature dropped and they couldn't phone for help.

Sure, people managed without phones before, but I wonder how many died because they couldn't reach help in time.

No, it's because it's really not a big deal to carry a phone.

People also survived before there were doctors and antibiotics.

Do you never use those?