I just wear a normal watch

Uhhh wrote:

Wonderin' wrote:

I started this year keeping a paper log as well. I mean what confidence do we have that Garmin connect, Strava will be around in 10-20 years? Garmin Connect sure, but a running social media site?

None.

I used to use MapMyRun. I uploaded a marathon in 2010 there and while they've got the time and distance, they can't show me any lap splits or the route.

Likewise Garmin don't have the maps from my runs in 2012. They don't have the graphs of elevation, heart-rate or pace data. Just summary stats and splits.

So definitely no guarantees.

Back up your files locally. Problem solved.

Different strokes for different folks. I was the first person on my team or among anyone I ran with who got a Garmin GPS watch in 2004. The main reason I got it was so I could run wherever and not have to pre-measure a route. But I wear a Timex for speed work. Sometimes on easy runs where I already know the distance, I don't wear a watch at all.

I now wear a (newer version) Garmin, but just use it for distance, time and pace. I don't upload data because 1) I don't wear it on every run. 2) It's not accurate in certain places with tree/tall building coverage. 3) I don't want the internet to know when or where I run, where I live, etc. I manually log my training, even on Strava.

I like wearing the GPS in races because it prevents me from going out too fast. Now you may argue that I should know "by feel" how fast I'm going, but honestly after 17 years of racing, I still make mistakes.

Are GPS watches even waterproof? I've got a 5 year old Timex Ironman on my arm now with an original battery that goes in showers, rain, ocean, pools, lakes etc and hasn't died. Can your technology duplicate those feats of magic? Real question.

I borrowed a watch that 'beeped' steps back in the early-80s, and it assumed a stride length, so would guess distance. It probably got to .04 before I turned around and left it at home.

And simply ran.

GPSmakesforbettertraining wrote:

Regular Running Guy wrote:

I am amazed at how many of you wear GPS watches and iPhones to go on runs.

I ran D1 and have run over 60 mpw for like 25 years. I am not a Luddite. I just don't see value in Strava and all of that garbage. I just like to go run with a digital watch.

Why do you people need so many gadgets?

How do you know you run over 60mpw if you don't have a GPS? You would never be able to run anywhere new because you wouldn't actually know the distance, you'd just be guessing.

I’m not hating on gps-wearing folks, but this comment does concern me. Are runners no longer able to inherently track mileage? One of the best things about being a serious runner is Badger Miles. You just run based on 7-minute miles, and since you’re pretty much always going to run faster, you know you’re banking good mileage. Keep the accuracy for tracks and tempos, but Badger Miles for maintainence runs.

I really don’t care to broadcast my training, so I’d never use Strava. I keep a simple log with quick numbers in a book. When I was in college in the early aughts, we’d never have let competitors know about our training. I find that odd, but I don’t really like social media so whatever.

To each their own.

Rato. wrote:

Wonderin' wrote:

Then nothing you do counts.

Why does every activity you do need peer validation. Why does all if your movements need to be traceable and on grid. Running regardless of ability is an escape so I don't get this social media aspect of a individual and often introverted activity. Just go for a run, enjoy running against your own performances, there is always someone quicker.

A bigger question: what does it matter to you?

The only reason to even use a digital watch is for track workouts, for which GPS is useless. For long runs just time how long it takes, which you can do on an analog watch, and then use the gmap pedometer to calculate the distance and find the pace. If measuring gets tiresome, then develop some regular routes like a normal person.

most are waterproof to at least 100m, probably more so than your timex which i guess is rated to 50m at best

joggingbottoms wrote:

most are waterproof to at least 100m, probably more so than your timex which i guess is rated to 50m at best

very relevant to discussions on letsscubadive.com

Me and my friends surf all year and I am the first one who bought a smart watch for surfing. I’ve been searching something perfect for weeks and finally i url=https://www.surfinghandbook.com/best-surf-watches/]found this great guys who told everything i need to know about watches for surfing and you know what all friends used the same source and now we all wearing same watch. Some of us used to say we are a surfing band. Not only good watches but guys from this source told me about really great spots for surfing so we use GPS in the watch to find it when we are in a canoe.

bragging about my tt's on strava is way cooler than bragging about not using strava

We have noticed that you posted about how you are good because you use a normal watch. That is good for you. Here is some of the attention that you desire. Good job. Keep up the good work.

Regular Running Guy wrote:

I am amazed at how many of you wear GPS watches and iPhones to go on runs.

I ran D1 and have run over 60 mpw for like 25 years. I am not a Luddite. I just don't see value in Strava and all of that garbage. I just like to go run with a digital watch.

Why do you people need so many gadgets?

cuz strava is fun. Makes it easy to keep a record and see improvement over time. Makes it easy to see what old running friends are up to in their training.

If you don't like it, don't use it and shut up. Why does it bother you so much?

Bad Wigins wrote:

The only reason to even use a digital watch is for track workouts, for which GPS is useless. For long runs just time how long it takes, which you can do on an analog watch, and then use the gmap pedometer to calculate the distance and find the pace. If measuring gets tiresome, then develop some regular routes like a normal person.

Wait... the 2,600 ? actually runs?

Barabbas wrote:

I’m with you. I don’t even wear a watch anymore on easy days. Get this - I started running before digital watches were invented. We used to time our runs with a regular analog watch. Unless a coach with a stopwatch was involved, speedwork was guess work with that second hand. A decent digital watch is all you need. I would never carry a phone on a run.

How old would that make you?

I was interested in this answer, so did a bit of research. Although there was a kind of digital watch in the 1920s, it turns out the very first electronic digital watch to reach the market, the Hamilton Pulsar P1, launched in April 1972 for $2,100. I know that isn't the same as invented, but in terms of being commercially available, that seems to be the first. Crazy to think that digital watches are relatively new, 1972.

The one from the 1920s is pictured her: https://uk.pcmag.com/features/34712/the-digital-watch-a-brief-history

Once I got a GPS watch five years ago I wondered why I waited so long to get one. I'm pretty obsessed with stats so I couldn't imagine going back to logging runs just based on time and feel. Now I have a log where I still have time, a record of how I felt, plus fairly accurate mileage, heart rate, and elevation. More data is more better if you know how to use it to improve.

I just run for x minutes and then check the mileage on MapMyRun later. Sometimes on a new route I'll end up going a little longer than I intend, but it's usually not more than 5-10 minutes off. If I go shorter than I intend, I just run some loops at the end of my route to hit the correct time. Works fine for me. Maybe if I ran trails it'd be harder to map the distance, but then again, I've heard GPS watches don't do great on trails either. I'd probably use a GPS watch if I got one as a gift, but I don't think I'd spend the dough myself.