If you do go down this path, make sure you get yourself a cougar as well, else you'll get a really fat wife while you "make sure you get in enough training time for yourself".

The (chariot) cougar i was thinking of..


I'm not bitter....

You sound it!

If you both don't have time for at least some exercise a few times a week then you're putting your health at risk.

I've always told my wife that I'd be prepared to get up a 5.00am to run rather than not run at all.

I don't get your point either You act as if Assassin said fun and gps are mutually exclusive, but from what I read I felt he was saying more like you don't have to have expensive toys in order to have fun, which is not exactly the same no?

Inov/barefoot, I think you miss the point there. rather than promoting some brands, Inovs/vibrams are supposed to mean exactly the opposite i.e. that fancy branded shoes are in fact irrelevant, barefoot suffices where practical.

While my current location does not allow trail runs (in a quirk of fate, i am located too close to the forest, and panthers sometimes prowl just outside our campus. So I am confined to running inside on road or the lush green running track. For my motivation i find a stop-watch great, on the track. I just found a suitable running partner too, resumed running regularly since (last 2 years I had lost it due to a focus on climbing + lack of partners after the Zurich Wednesday Running group broke up).

What I can surmise from this thread is, no one is disputing the benefits of a stopwatch/map and a running partner; as to garmins, each to their own.

I also use the Nike+ wrist band. I like that it is easy to use and will quickly admit that I am addicted to setting personal goals. I prefer these over the challenges that you can join. I use it mostly as a motivational tool. It gets me out the door even if the weather is not great. I usually run in Nike+ compatible running shoes but for the winter I am running in Addidas trail shoes so I made myself a little pod pocket that I attach to my laces. It is working really well. Since I don't have GPS I have calibrated my run by running laps at a track and adjusting the time accordingly. I find that it's pretty accurate.

Garmin 405 for me..
Down load routes.....upload data to training centre..file it by location, distance and shoe (so I know the distance they have done)
It is surprising how much can be got from a few bits of data...(plus...must beat the virtual partner...!!) and it can help with ya maths...humm If I run 5km in 25 mins...what would I need to do....etc..

Having ran several marathons...it can help you shave seconds off Km's, learn more about where you are running and help you learn more about youself and your progress...

So if the excuse to go running is the purchase of a new sports watch ..do it..!!..But it will never replace motivation, determination and will not be the medicine against..oh I can't be ed...

I've got an old Forerunner 101 although I'm not running these days. It doesn't have the ability to upload to the PC or anything fancy and it's the size of a Swan Vesta matchbox and twice as thick. However, when I was running, I found it invaluable.

Basically I'm a rubbish runner, more of a plodder to be honest, so I used it to pace myself and check my distance. At the time I did a couple of 10km runs, a half-marathon and some sprint triathlons. Personally, I found it very motivating and, being a competitive person, I used it to try and beat my previous times.

I managed to get mine from Amazon in the UK when the new models (205 and 305) had just been launched so it only set me back about £60. I've loaned it to friends for training for 10Ks and half marathons and they've found it useful, so it's not just me!



Actually, now I'm typing ... it's making me think... I may dig it out along with my running shoes ... I could with something to focus on and some quality time to myself in the outdoors!

Approach number 1 "find a running buddy to keep up the motivation" failed before it really started.

Went for a run with a friend whose fitness level approximately matches mine last weekend. Poor her slipped on an icy patch after 10 minutes, broke the wrist and is out for at least 4 weeks. And, understandably, doesn't want to run on snow again. And I'm also a bit unsure whether running under these weather conditions is such a brilliant idea… I'm not keen on broken bones.

Sorry to hear about your friend!

Look into getting a pair of Yaktrax or something similiar, I've never had to call off a day of running due to snow or ice and I've never slipped while wearing them.

There's a running App for the iPhone in which you get told Zombies are chasing you and you have to run away from them.

There's motivation for you!

Info here

I would recommend this:

I've been following that app for a while, but I think it has yet to be released, for iOS at least.

I heard about it on the radio but didn't check to see whether it had been released.

Pretending that I'm being chased by Jehovah's witnesses seems to work for me.

I use:
http://www.adidas.com/de/micoach/

the feature I like most: It shows me where I was and the altitude (in particular when hiking). Also it logs how many km I've been doing with each pair of shoes...

My GF is actually looking for something like this - where did you find it?

Thanks.

You didn't fail. She was clearly a wimp and not up to your challenge! Go find an equal

Yes, you should be running out there, not on ice, but snow is good.

Just a quick addition to the points about running with various apps/etc. Something I've found really enjoyable, not least due to being an expat in Zurich and with my mates scattered around the world, is the social networking aspect of tracking apps.

I use Endomondo, but I know other apps have this too, which is basically a means of allowing my group of friends to link up. We all track our workouts from around the world, which we in turn comment on (from genuine support, through to the usual ribbings about laziness/etc). We also post challenges on there, like "who will run most kms in the coming month" or who's gonna do the quickest time on a set distance, etc - and it shows a live chart of who's leading, etc.

Given that I enjoy running when it's underway, but I have to fight the gravity of the sofa in order to head out the door, I've found this aspect of these apps to be genuinely motivating - and also a cool sideline way to keep contact with folks.

available here. http://www.zooplus.de/shop/hunde/hun...joggen_wandern

Update: this fancy thing arrived recently.

Oo nice...Let the K counting begin...

Don't forget to remove the charger before you leave home