So much to say

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I don't like to post round up type posts and always have a main focus anytime I sit down to write anything.... except this time.  Life has been moving pretty fast and I have not been able to keep up.  The past few months we have been having a contest at work on who could get the most steps in.  The grand prize was a shiny new iPad and I wanted to win oh so bad!  The last few weeks the competition got fierce between me and one other guy which meant I had to "step" up my game.  He was 11,000 steps ahead of me going into the last week so I did nothing but run and walk and walk and walk every waking moment.  Since I did nothing but run and walk and walk and walk I just didn't have time to post anything...... the reason for the round up, scatterbrain post.  So, I am sure you are wondering..... yes!  I won the iPad!!!!!! by 20,000 steps.  A total of nearly 1.7 million steps over a 12 week period.

Now..... on to the running news

My MyTach GPS Sport Trainer

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I have had my MyTach GPS Sport Trainer for going on two months now and am really loving it. One of the things I have mentioned before is how much I now love just getting out and running and not being concerned about having a set plan on where to go or where the mile markers are. This, I understand, can be both good and bad. Good from a freedom standpoint, but bad from a security standpoint since nobody knows exactly where I will be running in case something happens.

I finally installed the software on my computer for the watch. I have been really loving everything it offers without the software, but really wanted to dig a bit deeper and pull my logs down to my computer so I could look at them a bit more and critique them a bit more..... yes, I AM a geek!

I have just started looking at the software. It looks like it has so much to offer. I have a lot of learning to do to figure out what I want to do with it. I am sure I will not use all the features, but I do want to know what is available to me.

Last night when I installed this software the first thing I did was download all my data so far from the watch. I was excited to see what was going to happen and how it was going to work. I did get the data into the program but have not figured out the best way to look at it as of yet. I figured out how to export the data as well into a GPX file that I understand I can use different places to do map overlays etc. I found GPS Visualizer, but I am sure there are many others out there that let me import my GPX file and keep logs of my runs with map or aerial overlays etc.

Do you have any suggestions on websites that offer this kind of service?

This morning I got up and got ready for my run. I hit the wrong button on the watch and it started. I stopped it pretty quickly, but then went to try to delete the workout.... I accidentally deleted all the workouts stored on the watch..... good thing I had downloaded them to the computer last night!

So, what is your take? Do you have a GPS watch? If you do, what do you use to keep track of all your data? Do you use any websites that let you import from GPX files and keep track of your runs and routes with the ability to do map or aerial overlays? What about elevation?

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com

My battery has run dry

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Today was the first time I have had to charge my MyTach GPS Sport Trainer.  While running this morning I was just finishing up my last tenth of a mile when I looked down and the watch was off.  When I run in the early morning I turn the backlight on so I can look down at any time and see how I am doing.  I am sure this drains the battery faster, but is a great feature when I run in the dark.

I am still very impressed with the battery life.  I have had it for just over 4 weeks and have not had to charge it till today.  The other thing I am impressed with is that it saved my run before going dead.  Sure it didn't get the last tenth of a mile, but it recorded everything up until the point it went dead.  The true test will be when I head out for my first marathon :)

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com

My first 3+ miler... kinda

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I think it is about time to start the new year off with a post.  I hadn't realized that I hadn't updated you all since the first of the year.  I honestly thought that I had.

This week I finished off with actually getting out and running three times.  There was even some resemblance of a schedule to my runs.  It wasn't really all that structured, but it was somewhat like it used to be back at the height of my training last year.  I put a two miler in on Monday morning 5:00 am, and again on Thursday morning at 5:00 am.  I would have gotten out on Wednesday morning but it was raining and I am not quite back to that level yet..... although I will be soon.  I then wrapped up the week today with a 3.2 miler.  This is the longest I have run since my injury 7 months ago.

Today's 3.2 mile run started with the first mile run with my daughter, Payton.  We ran just over a one mile circle and I dropped her back off at home as I continued one more circle and then a short out and back distance to finish off my run.  It was a really good run, and I am happy for the new distance.  Each week I hope to progress a little bit more and push that distance a little bit more.

I am really enjoying my MyTach GPS Sport Trainer.  It really helps me worry less about where I will run and where the mile markers are etc.  I can just get out and go and it takes care of how fast I am running and how far.  It lets me enjoy the run more and plan less.  I will still have an overall plan, but the mapping out the courses will not be as important to me.

Till next time.....

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com

A Long Way To Go

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I went for a run today, only the second run since the pin was removed, and one of very few that were run on the road since the injury over 6 months ago.  During the run I realized just how far I have to go to get back to where I was.

I went for just over a mile run with my daughter, Payton.  We took off a bit fast for the fitness level we are both at (especially me) and so not even a half a mile in my chest was burning quite a bit.

I knew we were running a bit too fast because I was checking my new GPS watch, my MyTach GPS Sport Trainer.  I have not yet installed the software for the watch, but I have taken it on a couple runs so far and am really loving it.  I love to see how fast I am going, to see how far I have gone, and what my average mph are.  I am really looking forward to see what other information I can get once I install the software.

Since I have such a long way to go, and the collar bone is feeling good I am looking for a little bit more accountability.  I know I have a fair amount of readers, and a decent number of commenter's.  I am sure that has dropped off a bit when I wasn't able to run..... but I know there are quite a few that are lurking just waiting for me to start running so they can start hammering me again.  Well, here is your chance.  I am looking for pressure and prodding to get me back out there and running so I can get back to the level I was before.... and beyond.  The blog address is still 26.2 Quest and my journey still has a focus of running my first marathon.  The secret goal was to run that marathon before my 40th birthday..... and I just had my 39th last week..... The injury slowed me down a bit, but it has not kept me from this goal, it has just given me less options.

Looking forward to the added pressure :)

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com