Wouldn’t it be great if you could combine the benefits of running on a treadmill with the joys of running outside? Treadmills are great because you can monitor exactly how far you have gone and exactly how fast you are going… but running outside is so much nicer! Well this year I got a Christmas present that will mean I can have all of this at once! No it is not a treadmill with wheels… It is the Timex Trail Runner Bodylink System – a watch that uses Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) to track you exact position on the surface of the Earth. This means it can show you your precise speed and exactly how far you have run!
It really is an amazing watch… I can set it to beep if I go too fast or too slow, I can tell it what time I want to get for certain distance and it will make sure I stay on pace, it monitors your heart rate, tracks your elevation and of course it does all of the the things a normal watch / stopwatch would do.
You can also get a data recorder which sits in your pocket and logs all of your stats. Then when you get home you can plug it into your computer and see your heart rate, speed, elevation and position for every second of your run. You can even plot your route and overlay it on a map to see exactly where you went.
I plan to use my Timex to monitor exactly how far I go on each training run. I will also use it to get me used to the pace that I will need to run to achieve my target time.
You can find the Timex Trail Runner Bodylink System and Data Recorder here:
I have the Garmin Forerunner 301 and love it. I just got it on New Years Eve so still figuring all the stuff out. Techno gadgets for running with really are the best.
Good luck with your training.
I love GPS units for running! I just bought the Garmin Forerunner 201 and LOVE IT!! It’s so nice to know how far and fast I’ve gone. Much more accurate!
Good luck with your training! When is the London Marathon?