Tag: running watches

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Got a Health Tracker That Pays Me! Wait…

“Confusing…” by Tristan Schmurr is licensed under CC BY 2.0

So obviously, since I have a running blog that I occasionally update AND it is full of useless monthly reports of how much I’ve run AND I occasionally participate in the Twitter #runChat and #bibChat, I might be a runner.

My work decided to change health insurance companies, and one of the “features” of the new one is an optional activity that gives you money if you do activities:

  1. 6 brief walks, at least one hour apart, 300 steps
  2. One brisk walk (3,000 steps within 30 minutes)
  3. At least 10,000 steps total

So…

Goal #1 is a frequency thing.  I imagine two of these are in the bag, minimum. My bathroom breaks may include a ‘detour’, which might put me up to the minimum.

With regards to Goal #2, I have never used a step tracker, but figured out that in each mile of running, I am around 1,450 steps per mile…

Weighted average steps per mile.

So, #2 is easy. I have never ran less than 2 miles when out to run, so that goal is as good as met 5 times a week. I’ll have to do something to get the other days, but shouldn’t be too difficult (mowing the lawn counts, and if I brew some beer, I might just make laps around the basement while in the mash or boil).

Goal #3 isn’t too bad.  Using basic math, just under 7 miles of running gets me there.  My shortest runs get me halfway there, and longer runs get me there.  So I think I’m good there for at least 5 days a week. The other two may be different, but we’ll see.

Woo hoo! Money! (source: https://giphy.com/gifs/m7FO0p9hTc59e)

There’s a rub

This money goes into my Health Savings Account (HSA) account. What you can and cannot spend money on is controlled and “enforced” by the Internal Revenue Service. I’m (ideally) getting a lot of money because I’m a runner (and I’ve already started the jokes about what this thing would do during a marathon).

Unless I am incorrect, running shoes, race entry fees, running clothes, running accessories, or other items are not allowed unless prescribed by a doctor (and most of what I just typed would be unlikely to be prescribed).

Are you fucking kidding me? (Credit: https://sweartrek.tumblr.com/post/163648397528/11-days-11-days)

So yeah. I’m going to use my running activities to fund an account that won’t reward me for running.  Great job, team!

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Running Watch?

I have been a long-time cell phone runner.  For years, I ran with an arm band that hugged my bicep.  After developing some type of skin allergy to my last arm band, I decided to take some advice from Meb (in his book) and move to a belt to hold my phone.  This lasted some 500 miles before the “#1 voted” belt pouch broke.

The reason for the cell phone was to track and “just in case”. Considering I never have stumbled on one of those “just in case” scenarios, why not use a watch instead?

Finding a GPS watch is not a small task. It’s like looking at a long shelf of 1,000 beers and trying to pick 6 based on very specific hops, malts, and even water chemistry… Stuff that people wouldn’t know off the cuff.

What I know I need:

  • Basic GPS tracking
  • Alerts for interval training
  • A battery life of at least 6 hours of use
  • A memory of at least 26.5 miles
  • Reasonable waterproofing (rain, sweat)
  • Operating temperature 15° to 100°
  • Basic time function
  • Very fast GPS lock

What I think I want:

  • Sync with Endomondo

I surveyed some coworkers.  I work with 7 runners, 6 of them have completed a half marathon or longer, two (coworker #1 and #3) have run multiple marathons.  The runner that hasn’t run a half marathon can run a 16 minute 5k, so needless to say, these people are as serious (or as crazy) as I am.  Three sent responses, the remainder use their phone.

Coworker #1

I have a Timex Marathon.

Easy to wear compared to a cell phone.

Reliable.

Gets signal quickly and reliably.

Water proof to 3 meters (but not made for swimming).

My version does not have a download feature but I don’t use that anyway.

Chime is hard to hear compared to my old Garmin.

Pace reported is a few seconds off compared to what you get if you calculate it from the time and distance. They must have fixed that bug by now though.

 

Has been very reliable and the price was unbeatable. It’s been through a couple thousand miles and all the environmental conditions you would expect and always works. I think I paid $88. Though not a marquee name in GPS watches, this product has been great.

Coworker #2

I had the Nike one that’s actually a Tom Tom watch with Nike’s logo on it. I did not like it. The tracking always seemed to be a little off. I don’t really run often right now but when I do, I use my apple watch and runkeeper app. If I were to start running more regularly, I would get a Garmin. I rarely hear bad reviews about them.

Coworker #3

I have the Fitbit Surge. I love it. The wrist band started to crack a few weeks ago and they sent me a new one. It has a built in GPS which syncs with a phone app and tells you heart rate, calories burned, steps and gives you a map of your run. It will also monitor your sleep–# of times awake and # of times restless. It’s a lot more costly than [Coworker #1’s] watch, but I wear it all day (and night) long. I also love that it notifies me when I’m getting a phone call or text—it shows who it is and will display the text. I just can’t reply to the text.

My son has the newer model Fitbit, which I think [Other Coworker] also has, but it does not have the built in GPS.

So after a little bit of looking (and talking to coworker #1 about interval training), I came to the conclusion that a Garmin Forerunner 220 might  be the best for me, and I ordered a refurbished one on Amazon for the astonishingly low price of $123.50.  I was tempted to drop down to an older Forerunner, but wasn’t sure about the use or need for ANT+ support and wanted to be closer to the latest technology.

Here’s to running phone-free!