April 18, 2012

First run with the 910

My head feels like it's going to explode. I expected the giveaway to be popular, but 600+ comments in less than 24 hours?! I should have had it end after 2 hours ;)

I have been trying all day to figure out how to get my comments to be numbered... so that when I use the number generator to pick a winner, I can just match it to the comment number. I've tried every tutorial I could find on the web, and nothing has worked. So it looks like I'll be counting comments all day tomorrow to find out who the winner is! Unless it generates #1 or something... but that's never my luck. But anyway, it's been interesting to see all these people come out of the woodwork for the giveaway... although I wish it didn't take a giveaway to do that!

Today I had a 5-mile easy run on the schedule. I was actually looking forward to it, so that I could try out my new Forerunner 910. I wanted to run slow and easy, so not to bother my knee (which was killing me yesterday). I even brought my iPod with me.

The 910 is very similar to my old 305 as far as features and how to do everything. So I didn't have to figure out what buttons to push or anything like that. It's very light weight and less bulky than the 305, but it still has a big enough screen to see all that I want to see. The heart rate strap is even smaller and more flexible (the old strap was actually just fine too--I didn't even notice it under my sports bra strap at all).

My very FAVORITE feature about it that the 305 doesn't have is that it vibrates. I always have my Garmin set to beep at each mile, so I can glance at my pace. I also use the beeping for interval runs--I set it to beep every 1/4 mile, so that I run fast until I hear the beep and then run slow until I hear the beep. That gets to be a problem when you're wearing headphones, because you don't hear the beep. So Garmin added a vibration to it (which you can choose whether or not to use). Even with my headphones on, I knew when I reached each mile.

About three miles into the run, my knee started to hurt. I kept running, since it was going to take me two miles to get home anyway. It was pretty painful by the time I got home, but it felt better almost immediately after I stopped.
I immediately noticed the calorie count--406 in 5 miles? That's lower than the 305 would have said, so I looked into which was more accurate. Turns out the 305 uses only speed and distance to calculate calories burned--I always assumed it factored in my heart rate too, while wearing the heart rate strap. The 910 uses heart rate for a more accurate calorie count. So, it turns out I am not burning as many calories as I thought I was. Bummer! (However, I want to say that if you have the 305, don't worry too much about the calorie count being off--I used the 305 during my entire weight loss, logging (and eating) the calories it said I burned).

The T.E. feature is also new, and I like it! It stands for Training Effect. On a scale of 1-5, based on your heart rate, how effective your workout was as far as improving/maintaining health.
5-overreaching
4-highly improving
3-improving
2-maintaining
1-minor

At 4.4 today, I think that was pretty good. My heart rate was only 151, though, which isn't very high. I was trying to go nice and easy today. I'll be interested to see the TE number as I do more runs.

Tomorrow, Jessica and I have a 9-mile run scheduled. Since we're trying to go easy on our knees, we're going to run for 0.9 miles and then walk for 0.1 mile, and repeat for 9 miles. It will be a good way to test it out before our 20-miler, and see if our knees do better that way. I'm going to set up the intervals on the Garmin, so I get to play with that feature a little :)

67 comments:

  1. Prairie SmallwoodApril 18, 2012

    What are your thoughts on knee braces? Would that help your knee feel more comfortable during a run?

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    Replies
    1. I do have a knee brace, but I don't wear it to run. It actually doesn't even seem to help, so I don't know why I wear it!

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  2. I was actually waiting to hear about your new garmin! I was so excited for you! It sounds like you really love it!! I'm so glad you're pushing on with the marathon! You make me feel like anything is possible! Thanks for that! Tonight is my 20 minute run on the C25k program - I'm terrified!!

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    Replies
    1. When you finish that 20 minute run you will feel like queen of the world! I promise :) It's an incredibly exhilarating experience!!! (I was terrified too. Absolutely and completely terrified!)

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    2. OMG I'm so glad you said that! I've been thinking about it all day today! Thank you so much for saying this!! It means a lot!

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    3. You were right! I DID IT! I feel AWESOME! I still can't believe I did it!! I'm so psyched! Thanks for the little pep talk!

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    4. That's AWESOME, Monica!! I'm so glad that you did it and feel great. Way to go!

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  3. So, now what are you going to do with your 305? I am glad to hear your knee is feeling better.

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    Replies
    1. When Garmin contacted me, they told me I could trade in my 305 for the 910... otherwise I would give it away!

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  4. Highlight and copy the comments in to a word document (say no when it asks if you want to use normal format) and it will number the comments. I just tried it and it worked.

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  5. Looks like the new Garmin is awesome, especially the vibration feature!

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  6. I was wondering how the heck you were going to figure out that mess! What seemed to make it bad was that some people entered a team name suggestion, but sometimes many comments after the first one. What a headache! Hope you figure it out!! Maybe next time you could do seperate pages for each comment (one for the giveaway and one for the team name contest)?

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    Replies
    1. Well that wouldn't work because you were only giving away one thing. duh.

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  7. If I don't win the contest (I never win anything lol), I'm going to buy a Garmin! You've convinced me.

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    Replies
    1. Same here. I'm convinced I need one too!

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    2. And I think Garmin has achieved their goal--they knew how popular Katie's blog is! They got the word out by giving one away. I want one too!

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    3. I think I will, too...I've found a couple on craigslist for a decent price in my area!

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  8. Nothing like a new toy to make exercise more fun! I like that vibrating feature - what a good idea considering that most people listen to music while running.
    There is a person that I follow on SparksPeople who ran 2 marathons using the "run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute" plan and if I remember right she did it in 4 hours. Looking forward to hearing how it goes tomorrow. I am starting week 5 of the C25K ...

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  9. I'm having some serious Garmin Envy!!! I think the numbers would be soooo motivating!!! Love your new toy!

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    Replies
    1. Garmin Envy...me too!

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  10. I've been doing planned walking intervals ever since my first 10K. I ran my first half marathon last May and my first marathon last October. I'm convinced I couldn't have finished as well as I did if not for the walk breaks. Not only is it a nice break for my old joints, but I love being able to finish strong (not be a mess) AND recovery is so much easier too. You should most definitely train with the walk breaks so you have a feel for it before your race. As Jeff Galloway says, the key to walk breaks is to start them BEFORE you feel you need them. If you wait until you need them, you don't get the full benefit. I highly encourage you to visit his website and/or read his book(s). I'm training for my second marathon on May 19 and so enjoy reading your training journey. Thank you.

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  11. I've been reading your blog for about 2 weeks . . . so glad I found you! I can't wait to save up and buy my own Garmin now --- one gadget I hadn't considered yet in my weight loss journey! Thanks for all of the inspiration . . .I'm ready to take off these 50 pounds once and for all!

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  12. Re: counting comments.. when you go to your blogger dashboard (where you can read subscriptions) you can change the view to read comments. Then there is a menu that lets you display how many comments you want on each page (10, 25, 50, 100). So maybe it would be easier to use that to count by tens rather than having to count one at a time.

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  13. I'm so glad you like the new Garmin!

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  14. have you been strengthening your knee with lunges and clamshells? I noticed a huge difference with just a few sets of ten each day for a week or so

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  15. I highly suggest the run/walk method. I started jogging at 330 pound and started training for my first half with the method at 283 pounds. It has made it possible and don't think of the walk as a break it should be a "power walk" stretching out your legs. I know your allot lighter than me but it may work for you too. I hope tomorrow goes great:) Thanks for being so honest in your blog. I've lost 141 pounds with about 60 more Pounds to go. I feel like a weight loss expert but fear maintenance. Your blog provides me with the encouragement I need:)

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    Replies
    1. Way to go on your weight loss, that is so awesome!! When you were running at your higher weight did you have any trouble with your knees?

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    2. Nothing out of the ordinary. I'm pretty cautious though. Regular icing and stretching a good 15 minutes do wonders.

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    3. Wow, that is AMAZING--Congrats on your weight loss! I was terrified of maintenance too, but it's not as bad as I expected (although sometimes I feel like it is...)

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  16. For future giveaways, I highly recommend using Rafflecopter. It is SO easy and actually draws the winner for you! I use it for all of my bloggy giveaways and LOVE it!

    xo,
    A

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    Replies
    1. Agree! We moved all of our blogs to Rafflecopter, it works beautifully.

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  17. I'm really going to have to look into buying a Garmin (if I don't win yesterday's give a way). They definitely look like they're worth the investment. I'd really be interested in how many calories I'm really burning.

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  18. That is an awesome new toy! Soooo cool - I would love that vibrate feature - that's great.

    Holy cow, I didn't go back to see how many comments you got on your blog after i commented! That's a lot of comments!!!

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  19. Glad your liking your new garmin.

    I have been reading since January. You inspirated me to start running. I was alreading doing spin class 3 times a week. But really wanted more. I saw your pictures and took on the same challenge. Since then I've lost 51 pounds. I have 34 more pounds to go. Running. My first 5K is May 5th. I'm so excited. But have already set my goals higher. Training for a half now. Today I did my longest run. 5 miles. It took me 62 mins but I did it no stopping. It actually felt good.

    My question is, are you having knee problems cause your training for a full marathon? Should I be worried it will happen to me?

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    Replies
    1. My knee acts up every time I increase my mileage or do too much speed work. When I run for maintenance (without a racing goal), my knee is fine. But once I increased my mileage quite a bit during marathon training, my stupid knee started hurting again. It's frustrating! If you train carefully, and don't try to do too much at once, you shouldn't have to worry. Also, make sure you get fitted for proper running shoes!

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  20. Put the names in a hat and have one of your sons pull the name :)

    I'm surprised your old garmin didn't use the heart rate to calculate calories. That is surprising. Maybe garmin could give all of those that entered the giveaway like 10% off if we order a garmin. Lol. I want one!

    Do you take any kind of joint supplements? I just ordered one. I've heard good things about glucosamine helping knew. Mine has that plus chondroitin, MSM and hylaronic acid. Same things I give my horse for his joints. Lol. I'm hoping it helps my knees. :)

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  22. LoveAnAnimalApril 18, 2012

    You are a popular woman! And how cool your Garmin is! The vibrate is an awesome feature!

    Stinks about yours and Jessica's knees. I have had problems in the past with my knees, ankles, and feet. I take fish oil (GNC Triple Strength Fish Oil) and a supplement (GNC TriFlex™ Sport), which both have made me a big believer. Knock on wood, my knees and ankles do not hurt. My feet have good days and bad days, but that's an alignment issue. My husband also takes the fish oil and TriFlex. He had a knee injury years ago from playing softball and swears by them too. Could take only the fish oil at first. It has many benefits. : )

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  23. A day late on the team name, however I was laying here and it came to me. Has the team members lost half their weight? Better halves or better halts, kinds of corcky but kind of neat if you think about it.

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  24. That vibration feature is cool. I have a Gymboss timer that I used when I first started running and it has a vibration feature. It worked really well, but sometimes it startled me when it went off cause it was clipped to my pants. LOL!

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  25. I always felt like the calories on my 305 were off... I just round it out to 100 calories per mile.

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  26. Your new Garmin makes your older model look like an antique! Congrats!

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  27. Your new Garmin makes your older model look like an antique! Congrats!

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  28. Your new Garmin makes your older model look like an antique! Congrats!

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  29. Your new Garmin makes your older model look like an antique! Congrats!

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  30. Wow, after hearing all the fun stuff on your garmins (old and new) I'm really wanting one! My birthday has passed so maybe Mother's Day? Good to hear your knee quit hurting after your run!

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  31. So glad you like you new Garmin! Good luck counting comments, sounds like a tedious task!! Did you find any good team name?

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  32. You really want 600 comments everyday thats a little much attention miss katie....

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  33. You give such an education. Did you ever have chin splints? Mine ate killing me.

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  34. You give such an education. Did you ever have chin splints? Mine ate killing me.

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  35. Copy and paste the comments into excel and you can number them from there. It will be super quick! Email me if ya need help! (I love love love excel and data haha!)

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  36. Eek, that is a lot of comments to go through. Along with everyone else, I am having Garmon envy. I've heard using a foam roller is a good tool to use when stretching, especially the IT band- if that's what's causing the knee pain. They are actually kind of expensive for what you get but I've heard bother are great.

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  37. LoveAnAnimalApril 19, 2012

    This morning while I was training, I thought of a few team names for you.
    *24 Feet Running
    *Feet to the Beat
    *Calorie Crushers
    *Weight-Less.
    *I can't make the symbols for the gender symbol for males and females, but use them to represent the two males and 10 females. Maybe something like: (male symbol)x 2 (female symbol)x 10 = Unstoppable...or use the = for any other phrase that your team may like.

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  38. The walking breaks do wonders during long runs! The last 14 mile long run I did I ran one mile, walked 30-45 seconds and repeated until I finished. My end time was actually faster than when running the entire thing. I had more energy and was able to run faster between walks all the way up to the finish.

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  39. hope your knee gets better soon!

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  40. Yay for new garmin!!!!! So glad it exceeded your expectations! That sucks you have to count every single comment for your giveaway so hopefully you can get them numbered for future ones!

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  41. OMG, I NEED the 910! I love my 305 due to the size of the screen but I am loving the 910. Now to convince the husband it is required for my fall marathon and for Boston 2013...

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  42. I'm curious if the 910 is like the 305 in that there isn't a separate GPS pod thingy you have to carry with you. My previous running watches had that and I'm over it. I just want the watch and nothing else.

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    1. There isn't a separate GPS pod. I don't believe any of the Garmin watches have a separate GPS. I do wear a separate heart strap so that the watch can read my heart rate, but it's optional.

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  43. You mentioned in a previous post how you don't stretch before running - but you do a walk/stretch cool-down of sorts after your runs. I'm wondering if implementing a stretch after a brief warm-up (maybe a 1/2 mile jog) would make a big difference for you and Jessica's knee troubles!

    I'm a fluffy girl (currently 247) but I "run" 4-5 days a week. In the beginning it was rough on my back (thankfully no knee or hip pain at all) because I had terrible running form. Once I corrected my form and some additional stretches for my back after a warm-up it made a huge difference! Maybe stretching will help?!?

    I know how much you really want to make this goal (marathon) happen - I'm rooting for you every step of the way!

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  44. I have been reading your blog for a few months and you have really inspired me to start running. I just turned 40 (yikes) and I have about 90lbs to lose. Anyway, I enjoy reading your blog and I'm glad you got a new Garmin. When I start running longer than a few feet at a time, I may get one of those myself.

    Good Luck with your Marathon and your knee!!

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  45. I do not envy the task of figuring out the winner of the Garmin by having to count down the posts. Maybe check out http://www.rafflecopter.com/ if you do another giveaway? I have seen it used on a couple of blogs I follow for giveaways.

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  46. Wow that would kinda stink reading all those comments! Funny how people come out of the woodwork for giveaways HAHA! The most comments I ever had was from my giveaway, I had people reading my blog that I had NO idea read it!!

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  47. I am so happy that your new garmin works great!!! Enjoy trying out all the features.

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  48. So glad you like it!!

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  49. Was googling on the difference between the 305 and 910 on calorie count. Glad I came across your site. I know on my 305 it said I was burning around 1000 calories an hour when biking. With my 910 is had be at around 360 for the same workout. Seems like I really big difference.

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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