Week 20 - 8 Miles

So today was my last training run before the Mountains2Beach Marathon.  This morning was an easy 8 miles.  The weather was very nice -- not too hot and not too cool.  Hopefully this is the last time I have to wake up for a 5:30 run on a Saturday for a while.

I felt great the entire run.  Didn't have hardly any trouble with my legs warming up.  No cramps or anything else that would slow me down.  Just the road/sidewalk, my music, and me.  I haven't had a chance to have a great run like this in a long time because the distance has taken a lot of the enjoyment out it.

I'm have two goals with my first marathon.  First and foremost I want to finish.  That is what is most important to me.  Second, I'd like to finish in under 5 hours.  I'm not sure this is doable but if I do finish within that time, I'll be very happy.

I also tried the Garmin Connect mobile app where I link my watch to my phone.  It worked for the most part but my watch or phone kept losing the connection and so there are gaps on the route.  I'm going to try to go on another training run Monday evening and see if switch arms my phone is on helps any.  I don't like wearing things on my left arm but the distance from the watch to the phone will be much smaller, so maybe that will help with the disconnects.

I feel excited and a little nervous about this race.  I feel like I am as ready as I can be.  I've been hitting my cross training really hard the past couple months and my long runs have been challenging yet I've been able to handle them for the most part.  The only thing I am worried about is my endurance. My physical ability really drops off after 13 miles so it will be interesting to see how I do for a full 26 miles.  The best key to a good run will be to not start out too fast.  I've been running between 10:30/mile and 11:00 for the most part so if I stick to that pace I think I will do fine.

Product Review: Garmin Forerunner 620

Garmin Forerunner 620 Product Review

This is my product review of the Garmin Forerunner 620.  I won't cover all the GPS watch's functions but I will try to cover what I feel are the most important features.  Friendly disclosure: I bought this watch with my own money; it was not sent to me by Garmin to try for a product review nor was I paid any money for this review.  To be honest I'm really not interested in doing product reviews on a regular basis for different manufacturers.  I will only review products I purchase myself that I feel others might benefit from.

I purchased this watch directly from Garmin through their website.  As of the publishing of this blogpost, the GPS watch retails for $399.99 for just the watch and $449.99 for the watch and HRM (Heart Rate Monitor).  The watch is eligible for free shipping if you choose the least expensive shipping option.  This watch is perhaps best for an intermediate to maybe even an advanced runner more interested in the advanced features this watch provides.  Many of the extra vitals are even available during a run.

I have used a Forerunner 110 since August of 2012 and so I will make frequent comparisons between the two watches.  The FR110 is a great watch in itself, especially for beginners.  I am still using my FR110 for regular workouts so I can track things like my heart rate, calorie count, and duration of my workout.