I was about to purchase a garmin FR35 for £100 but have just seen the FR235 on amazon for £130. I’ve read that it is a very similar device functionally but looks nicer.
One thing I was looking forward to on the 35 was the virtual pacer but the 235 doesn’t seem to have it. Can anyone confirm or deny this?
Cheers.
I bought a Garmin ForeRunner 235 yesterday. Was going to go with the 35 but liked the idea of colour, the IQ store thing, it looks better and a few other bits. It's a bit of a change from the Apple watch as the resolution is not as good and the menu system is a bit clunky, but I still use my 10 year old Garmin 705 on the bike and that is still going strong and I'm used to it.
Went for a run today and it was amazing to be honest. Picked up the GPS in about 5 seconds, press go and that's it! With the Apple watch it was open Strava on phone, lock phone and store in belt pocket, open Strava app on watch, wait for it to open. Press go, wait, check it has started, wait some more, yes it's started, or press again, then run. And to get the info when running it took about 5 seconds to display on the screen. Difficult to stop to with a swipe the a push, especially when tired and sweaty. Screen on Garmin is great for quick info, KM alerts give pace info, and the stats in Garmin connect are amazing!
I might try to convince myself that I'm an 'athlete' of basic needs so I just run, look at the distance and time and that will do nicely... but wow, look at all those stats, and how do you know my stride length and all that stuff? Apparently I have a VO2 max of 46 but no idea if that is correct or how relevant it is. I realise it's all a bit vague and not entirely accurate, but all that info is quite interesting.
Oh, and the battery - sleep patterns are a whole new thing to me as the Apple device would need charging every night. Still got 75% battery on the Garmin after a day and a half. Liking it so far!
Knee still not hurting. Building up to a Park Run soon.
Excellent, they're bloody awesome bits of kit, I'd give up my phone before my garmin! 🤣
I changed my Garmin 235 for an Apple Watch 4 which is better in pretty much every way except for battery life..
At 3 times the price it bloody should be! 🤣
Once they sort the battery life I might be tempted again. I realise the 235 is a compromise and an old model that has been replaced, but I still think it is very good at what it does. So far missing shortcut to apps, countdown timer and the ability to respond to texts. I can live without those.
I get from 7am one day until about 11pm the following day with 20%ish left. With a couple of runs logging GPS etc. Doesn’t need to be tethered to a phone anymore but if you are then it uses the phone GPS to save battery.
Just to change the subject from watches... I got out with our six month old yesterday for her first run.
We both loved it, despite it chucking it down all the way - she twittered happily for maybe the first mile, then just looked out the window for a bit, then (annoyingly) fell asleep about a mile from home, so I had to walk back in the rain.
Still great fun though, feels like a slightly different workout pushing a pram.
I did a full Ironman last year and loved it having only competed in two other tris at the start of last year, and that was just turn get the hang of transitions, what to expect, etc. Loved it, but it's a whole step up from running and cycling as individual disciplines. Now I just eat cake, although I did do the London 100 ride the other week as I've done the marathon too I'm one event away from a London Classic Medal. Then I'll retire...
I'm trying to remember who on here scalped himself on a canal bridge recently - well I did something similar myself yesterday...
Since the arrival of infant #2, I haven't done any weekend training, restricting all of my miles to my usual commute. Probably not a great marathon training strategy to skip all the long runs, so decided to get a long run in early Monday morning. Mapped out a new 20 mile route I hadn't run before, and it was all going well until I got to this tunnel:
I approached from the opposite side, and assumed that the height sign related to the tunnel. Apparently not, as I run almost full pelt into that dirty great pipe with a massive clang 😮
I took a few minutes to compose myself to work out if I was about to collapse, had I fractured my skull, was brain oozing out etc
It certainly nipped a bit, but didn't seem much more than a bonk and a scrape.
Upon the advise of several medic friends I did pop to A&E last night, and triage said the wound didn't need anything, but concussion was more of a concern. I didn't fancy waiting 3-4 hours to see anyone else, and wasn't feeling sick etc, so headed home.
Not sure if it looks better or worse 24 hours later. Large swollen bump not visible on photo
Still got a banging headache though
Ooyah.
Us baldies don't have much protection eh? I've lost count how many times I've lost skin to the shed door....
Ah yes, the shed has taken a good few bits of skin, but has never threatened to knock me out 😀
tf ouch!
Started properly training again last night with my club, did an inverted pyramid of 1600m / 1200 / 800 / 400, hurt a bit at the time but felt great after - it's nice to do a bit of speedwork again after taking a few weeks off post-ironman, and tapering beforehand. Now just need to find a new target race to keep me motivated, maybe the Seville marathon which has a convenient date at the end of February.
Aye, I've kinda realised I've been going through the motions at club track night, decided to up my effort last week and enjoyed it so much more. Picked a couple of guys who are generally 20 metres ahead after say a 400m, and stuck to them as long as I could.
Next race won't rely on speed mind, 40 mile river ayr way. Really looking forward to it though, just looking at it as a day out on my local MTB pootle trails. Finishes 2 miles form home, so be rude not to.
Had another 10k trail run and another PB 45.52 now so this long and steady miles lark seems to be working:)
Excellent, well done mate!
I’m trying to remember who on here scalped himself on a canal bridge recently – well I did something similar myself yesterday
Hello, that was me! Happy to provide pics to remind everyone if you so desire.
Still got a cracking scare there.
Religious stretching , foam rollering and spikey balling.
Plus three more toenails off entirely.
I'm gonna try and restart running after the lairig ghru.
I've had a couple of false starts. Here's hoping this one's more successful
Cheers nobeer and good luck trailrat
I'm guilty of not stretching at all! Foam roller can be handy, but I'm lucky to know a lass that is cracking at sorting my legs out, it's an hour of proper pain every 2 months, but it's well worth it.
Of course, when she asks if I'm 'still doing my stretching' I lie through my teeth! 🙂
Gonna give the track a miss this week, there's another session at the same time, which looks good and also coincides with little nobeer being on the track. It's a group session oot and aboot, 10 minute warm up, then 3 'efforts' with 3 minute jog cooldown (for group to come back together) in between each one, 15, 10 and 5 minutes.
Not really sure how to pace them, I'm thinking my 10k race pace, mibbe a wee bit faster?.
@nobeer - have you seen this? Our club use it for predicting pace for track sessions. You enter a 5k or 10k time then it give you your pace (under training) for different reps. Dunno if that's any use for something time-based???
https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/?fbclid=IwAR0Q30zvIAjN7Zh88-mYlDMj4Tvbxd7-Noy9o83f911zoJ0dUsQCFiDOMwA
Aye, that looks pretty good, can just try n work out time against distance. I'll have a play at work tomoro, cheers dashed!
Had an interesting long steady run with the mrs today , she went flying at mile 4 and at mile 13 I felt terrible I'd been feeling not great for a few miles tbh, I got to a big local roundabout at top of a long hill and then sat on a cable box for a bit then tried to get up and ended up in the verge on my back, head pounding and vision gone. Luckily two off duty ambulance lads stopped and checked on me and called an ambulance as they were concerned. Now I have shaved bits on my chest from ecg lol lots of tests and an ambulance ride home. Still feel crap but getting better, apparently my low blood pressure is really low. Best take myself and ecg result to docs this week. And I ruined the wifes long run bugger...
And I ruined the wifes long run bugger…
She'll get over it 🙂
And hope it's nothing too serious!
Aye, what he said^^^
All the best mate.
Turn 55 in October and the last few years (well probably the last 10) have been absolutely injury plagued. I ran under 34 mins for 10k as a V40 and a PB of 32:30 at my best. Really motivated to have one last shot at competing, although my injury record indicates I will breakdown after about 3 weeks of "training" Anyway just thought I would mention it cos its now a "mini commitment" not that I need motivation, its the body that is weak.
Anyway I may post the odd update 🙂
Keep it going surfer, some of the guys at my club, older than you, are bloody inspirational.
Dashed, that site is saying I should be hitting about 6.40m/m for 15 mins, about 6.05m/m for the 5 mins, obv somewhere in between for 10 mins.
I'll aim for that.
Sceptical of some of these online calculators; according to one that uses vo2max stats (61) I should be running a 10k in 34 (not likely, more like 39) 5k in 17 (19). It could be that garmin has my vo2max way off I guess, though I've compared with other runners I know that also use garmin and their values are what I'd expect when comparing times
Tbf, all that one is doing is converting a known running pace, and predicting times off of it. Far too many variables expecting that to be done from V02 max really.
I've been relatively lazy running wise recently, only managing to do long slow mountain runs at the weekend, but not been backing it up with 'training' as such - have began to get pain in a knee after these which is unusual, just about subsides after a few days, so trying to rest a bit more. Have abandoned Aberdeen half marathon this weekend which would likely aggravate it.
A few photos from recent exploits, may have posted a couple of these before, can't remember
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Stunning, as ever Mike!
I'm feeling somewhat better today cheers fellas
Some great pics up there eastcoastmike!
I'm 3 weeks into a 10 week training plan for the Great Eastern Run (Peterborough Half) in mid-October.
I'm finding it OK so far - I found a plan on Runner's World and am following that although struggling to know how hard to pace my runs - virtually all of them on the plan are described as 'easy' in terms of pace. But, it doesn't seem right to not be putting a decent amount of effort in; so I'm kind of doing my own thing in that regard.
This is the plan: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/half-marathon/a776305/how-to-run-a-sub-2-hour-half-marathon/
First ever event of this distance, so I'm loosely aiming for a conservative time of 2hrs (5:40/km pace), but hoping for faster than that in reality. I should be OK to do 5:30/km, but we'll see how it goes. I figure this one will get me a target to aim for going forward.
What are people using for drinking during training runs? I find I'm OK up to 10/12km, but over that I feel like I want a drink & I think I should get my body used to drinking while training.
I was not sure whether to try one of those running belt pack things with a holster for a bottle, o just to get one of those running water bottles that have a hole in the middle to make it easier to hold?
Any tips?
I found a plan on Runner’s World and am following that although struggling to know how hard to pace my runs – virtually all of them on the plan are described as ‘easy’ in terms of pace. But, it doesn’t seem right to not be putting a decent amount of effort in; so I’m kind of doing my own thing in that regard.
Easy should be easy - as in you could hold a conversation while running. The intervals and/or tempo run are when you should be "putting a decent amount of effort in". Although I wouldn't worry about it too much.
What are people using for drinking during training runs? I find I’m OK up to 10/12km, but over that I feel like I want a drink & I think I should get my body used to drinking while training.
I was not sure whether to try one of those running belt pack things with a holster for a bottle, o just to get one of those running water bottles that have a hole in the middle to make it easier to hold?
In winter I don't carry anything for up to two hour runs, in summer I have a running belt which works OK.
mogrim
Easy should be easy – as in you could hold a conversation while running. The intervals and/or tempo run are when you should be “putting a decent amount of effort in”.
Cheers. That is what I thought it was, but the easy runs just seem a bit too easy in my head. I know that the extra miles over what I would otherwise be doing are beneficial, but I have been pushing a bit harder than 'easy', I think....we'll see if it pays off or not in 7 weeks or so!
Yesterday's run was supposed to be 8km with the middle 5 at half marathon pace (so around 5:30-5:40 pace, given my expectation) according to my plan.
This felt way too easy for what was supposed to be an 'effort' run, so I ended up doing the 5km at something like 4:48/km average pace. My legs feel OK today, so I don't feel like I pushed too hard. I think I'll just play it be ear & see what happens! It's all a learning curve.
I might look at getting a running belt; mainly just to get used to drinking while running...
Feeling even more like myself today still just pouring fluids in work didnt help tbh lol.
I use a belt called a naked running belt with a soft flask in you cant feel your wearing it, it's the only one of many I can use
That belt looks good. What sort of soft flask would you recommend? Do you take it out to drink or use a tube?
Blew up quite catastrophically today in the Ochils 2000. Combination of not feeling great all week, some niggles and the heat. Oh and the most brutal cramps ever. Felt fine and then boom! Never had quite such a dramatic crash. Managed to walk it in a mere 1hr 13mins or so slower than last year. At least I wasn't the only one. 🙂
Going to see how I feel for the Ben race in 2 weeks then take an extended break. I've done that for the last few years to do some winter climbing but didn't this year so I've been mostly full gas since last season with only a couple of weeks off in October. Time to refresh, smell the roses, drink a little beer and do some other stuff, maybe even ride a mountain bike.
Beer? Na. 🤣
Hope you're okay for the big Ben race mate. 🙏🏻
Cheers. I just suddenly realised how much and for how long I've been kicking the arse out it and that for the last few months I've generally been getting slower and slower and enjoying it less. Quite liberating to realise that and take a break!
Argh. Bought a pair of On Cloudflyers yesterday on the basis of numerous positive reviews. Seemed very comfortable in the shop. Ran 10k last night and both little toes shredded on the outside. Not just blistered, but the skin pretty much removed (no blood fortunately...)
I run 1500 miles or more a year and this has never happened with any other shoe. I think I'm unlikely to have any luck getting my money back from the shop now they've been worn, but before I bin them and go back to my cheap Nikes, can anyone think of a reason why this has happened?
I did have to bump up from size 9 to 9.5 because the 9 felt uncomfortably tight, but all that comes to mind is that it might be worth re-lacing to give a tighter toe box. Right now though I don't want to try another run because I think it'll end up in bloody feet.
Supposed to be walking in Snowdonia tomorrow, off to Boots shortly to see if they have anything to wrap around my toes. 🙁
I'd contact them tbh, see what they say before I ditched them mate.
Well, thumbs up to Cotswold for refunding without question. Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂
