8 posts tagged “gps”
Today my long-lost running partner Shawn and I ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. We made this commitment shortly after I regained consciousness following the '06 Chicago Marathon; we decided that we should try to meet up at a race somewhat halfway between us (he now lives in Dayton, OH, while I'm still up here just northwest of Chicago). About a month ago we both concluded our preparations were vain and foolish efforts at best, and that the cleaning crew would most likely scoop up our corpses along with the other course-side trash, Gatorade cups, and bric-a-brac.
Turns out our angst and so forth was mostly misplaced. Cool, overcast conditions prevailed on Saturday in Indianapolis, and I'm guessing the start time temperature was about 60. A touch muggy, but quite good for this time of year. We got to the start corrals, lettered A through Z to subdivide everyone from elites to the almost-walking-the-entire-ways, and saddled up in the "B" and "C" zones respectively. Indy seems to have plenty of friendly volunteers on hand, a compact starting area for a field of 35,000 down a broad east-west avenue lined on both sides by hotels, and a course that provides an interesting twist on the usual out-and-back: 2.5 miles of it circle the actual Brickyard — the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As someone born in Indy (but having lived just about everywhere else) and lucky enough to have viewed one 500 and several practice and time trial sessions, this was a special treat.
After a strange rendition of Back Home Again In Indiana (where "strange" is anything other than Jim Nabors at the ’500 itself) and the National Anthem, the starter up front waved the green flag (literally) and got the wheelchair racers started. Three minutes later, the rest of us got going in the usual ebb-and-flow manner of a field that massive. However, the field quickly spread out past the pinch-point of the start line and we were able to set our 7:30-ish pace almost immediately; a welcome change from the crush I'm used to with Chicago's larger races, even though this field size rivals any in the world. Being near the front helped immensely.
The race course was eye-opening. The first five miles wind along the White River and then head west into Speedway, which is a decidedly hard-luck part of Indy. Low ramshackle bungalows with peeling whitewash, uneven stoops and liquor stores on their shoulders lined most of the avenues we ran down. This is either refreshing honesty or civic boosterism of the most ill-considered variety by the event organizers. The truth is that, from downtown, there really is no other way to get to the Motor Speedway at this distance except to wind through the tough part of town. The spectators in and around these homes were all out in force, though, and were pretty supportive and enthusiastic.
When we made the big right-hand turn on to W 16th Street in order to get into the track, it was a sudden rush. I knew the tunnel underneath the grandstands was coming up and that we'd emerge on the other side in the infield and have the high-banked oval of this famous speedway to ourselves. I tried to take as many photos as I reasonably could during this stage of the race because I wanted to make sure I captured the experience. My W810i cameraphone is about as compact a device as I could have carried with me, and I think it did a pretty fair job considering that I took my shots in full stride. We emerged on the other side of the tunnel in the infield area, not yet on the track itself. After about a quarter mile of infield, we crossed through a gateway and onto to some of the smoothest pavement on the planet.
That oval looks a LOT smaller on television. Then again, the usual contestants cover that 2.5 mile circuit in about 40 seconds. I've heard that a some runners actually get down on hands/knees and kiss the bricks at the start/finish line itself (quite literally the "brick yard"), but I saw no such genuflection as I came down the straightaway. Running the track itself is something this race offers that of course none other can, and it's got to be among the most unique experiences available to runners.
The trip back into town resembled the outbound leg since it was mostly a reversal of the course back on itself. Some other observations:
- At least 15 or 20 bands lined the course, some within hundreds of feet of each other. Everything from Buffet to brawlin' rock to rap. More than a few were rockin' for Jesus.
- One water stop was staffed by Mormons on mission, or so I'm guessing by the shirts, ties, and black name badges. I generally feared sloshing up their crisp white shirts with a poor Gatorade hand-off, but they seemed to be good sports.
- A couple dozen cheerleading squads from area high schools provided energy along the route, even inside the Speedway. One fellow dropped "down low to the Apron" from the main part of the track to slap high-fives with one squad, who went positively bananas as a result. Someone near me jokingly called out "dirty old man!" but no matter what I think he got a pretty good morale boost out of the deal.
- At nearly every intersection in Speedway (the downtrodden neighborhood, not the track), there was an Indiana National Guardsman (or woman) who didn't appear to be armed. I just thought that was strange. Where were the regular police? Is this neighborhood really that dodgy? I didn't stop to investigate.
I lost pace in the middle third, falling almost into a 8-minute mile, but strangely I didn't feel that fatigued despite some growing humidity and my own lack of belief in my preparation. I gave myself the spurs for the last three miles and I'm pleased that my last full mile, without out-and-out sprinting to the line, was a 7:09. The final mile is a straight shot down New York street with a slight downhill off the bridge. It's a confidence-inspiring boulevard where the largest crowds congregate.
Finally, the finish line itself: I am going on record with my belief they mis-measured the course. This course, under ideal GPS conditions, should've measured 13.11 miles. My Garmin 205, Shawn's 305, my coworker Joe's 305, and one other fellow I "randomly sampled" all read at least 13.23 miles, if not more. What's more, from the first official mile marker through the end, my AutoLap feature that clicks off a mile according to the GPS track was ~50 feet ahead of the marker. That differential continued to climb with each marker. A few hundredths here-and-there for the inevitable weaving through traffic are easy to explain. but a full tenth of a mile (plus?) shouldn't appear out of nowhere, should it? Maybe the DoD scrambled the open signal on Saturday just enough to account for this, or somehow cloud cover or other phenomena explains it. But my Garmin 205 has been ridiculously accurate for almost a year; it went off within a few yards of my crossing the finish line at Chicago, with a full 26.2 under my belt. My regular neighborhood runs never vary by more than that same 15-20 feet. Anyone else have an explanation for what we all recorded? My official time was 1:40:47, but I think it's possible I hit 1:39-something for the actual 13.11 distance. Whatever — no extra cheeseburger for me, even if I'm right.
Distance "controversy" aside, Indy is highly recommended. Easy downtown accommodations are available if you plan ahead; the course is fast, flat, and unique; Midwestern hospitality rules the day.
UPDATE: GMaps Pedometer, a site based on Google Maps' technology and which I've trusted in the past to do distance measurement, says the course was 13.33 miles. You have to trust my own point-and-click accuracy (always a stretch) and my best interpretation of the official map. Thanks to havybeaks for the suggestion I get some online corroboration!
Over the weekend, I watched a couple of in-laws (my wife's cousins) complete their first-ever half marathons here in Chicago. It was great to see them and many other first-timers cross the line with that telltale mix of elation and exhaustion they've never quite experienced before. It got me thinking about how great it is to do something like this for the very first time, even if you're just starting out with a couch-to-5K. The scale of the accomplishment is totally independent of the distance covered, because it's always about conquering doubt first, physical limitations second.
I've been keeping a separate training log from the GPS data grabbed by my Garmin Forerunner 205; what's gone in there has been largely a daily chronicle of aches, pains, and annoyances, written in an unsteady, sweaty hand. (Gross.) However, I noticed that just this morning I ran my 400th mile since June 24. You better believe I'm into that second pair of shoes — the 'race day kicks' — by now; the old Asics had all the bounce of bathroom slippers the last time I tried them for a 5-miler.
According to my Garmin GPS, which knows my body weight (and weakness for Sheila's Dream Bar), today's 20-mile training run burned almost 4 grand in calories. Another source disputes this total, calling my Garmin a cheat and a liar by totaling my burn at 2,574. For fun, let's assume the Garmin's still correct. 3,883 calories burned is:
- 6.7 Big Macs
- 6.9 Potbelly Turkey Sandwiches (avec fromage, mind you)
- 69 Quaker Rice Cakes
- 3.2 Chipotle Chicken Burritos
- 24 calories burned per minute / 194 calories per mile
I'm all about efficiency; to balance my metabolic budget, I've eaten one Chipotle Chicken burrito since finishing the run. Wouldn't you know it? I'm not that hungry right now.
As for the running part: we had a beautiful morning here in Chicago; it was about 65°, calm, with low humidity. My running group was primed for the challenge, it seems, and everyone finished strong. My finishing pace was an on-target 7:57, and even with that a good 5 or 6 members of my group were at least 100 yards ahead of me at the end. The best part may be that I didn't feel like a beaten man at the very end (which was totally the case in 2001); I still had some reserve left. Gotta keep the ice on and not get lazy with the stretching.
One more 20 in two weeks, and then the Big Taper begins. The marathon is in 5 weeks.
This week was another "step-up" week, with an increase in mileage on the Long Run. 3/6/3 during the week and a 12-miler for Saturday. I had aviation-related plans on Saturday morning (more on this soon, at my other blog) that prevented me from running with my usual CARA group, leaving me to burn this one out solo. So, I threw Kid Rock on the Shuffle and headed out west, sucka.
I forgot how much fun this album is from start to finish. Especially Roving Gangster (Rollin'), which is a track I double-dog dare you not to set as your Power Song.
So, the actual running part was kind of nasty. I chose to run the river trail south of my house, which, considering the rain we've had this week, was textbook-poor decisionmaking. All the low spots were muddy and there was even some runoff cutting small streams across the trail. Trying to hold an 8:00 pace while sliding your way through muddy crests and troughs isn't recommended. Plus, it wasn't really very hot out, so I could've run through the city without broiling along the way.
Fortunately, the old 205 GPS didn't fail me, even under tree cover for all but about a mile of the entire run, and it tells me I held 7:58 for exactly 12 miles. Good stuff. 2145 calories, according to the exercise profiler, too. (That seems...impossible, doesn't it?) Me? I don't question the data. Instead, I treated myself to a second Best's Kosher at the White Sox game with my oldest son last night. The days are just packed.
Boy, was it muggy this morning. I met with my CARA group at 6:30 and we ground out the first double-digit long weekend run on what looks to be the hottest day yet of the Chicago summer.
The trails were clogged with bikers and runners trying to get their miles in before the heat really comes up; today's forecast high is 92F. One really annoying feature of the gravel paths on the Chicago lakeshore is that puddles from rain the previous day rarely evaporate by morning; we must've dodged a hundred little ponds, which just gets in the way of establishing any kind of groove.
I haven't run 11 miles since I ran a half marathon in 2004, so I have conveniently forgotten that running-on-fumes feeling that grips your legs when you push into unfamiliar mileage territory. There is a major difference between running 9 miles and running 11 at this stage of training; it seems like a trivial increment but there is a wall in those last two miles that you kind of bash your way through -- quite gracelessly in my case.
Some of the other runners agreed on one thing: none of us are ready for 20 yet!
Cardio's good; I'm not feeling particularly winded or spent all-over, but the legs really went to lead in the final mile. I can't blame the 5K I ran earlier this week; I felt fine going into the run this morning.
GPS is now a well-oiled machine; it chimed "11 miles!" within 50 feet of our starting point, so I call that totally acceptable error over 11 miles of tracking.
This week, I relied entirely on my Garmin Forerunner 205 to keep track of miles, pace, and course. It's taken a bit of trial-and-error to figure out exactly how to set the thing up properly for good GPS tracking, but I think I've finally gotten things squared away. On my very first run, I strapped it on my wrist and then turned it on, expecting it to go out and find all the satellites it needed right away. No such luck. The progress bar crept forward...then dropped back...then crawled forward again...then dropped back to zero. Eventually it told me everything was locked in, so I started my run.
About 15 minutes later, I heard a beep and checked the watch. It displayed a "GPS Lost" message. Dang! The trees on that street weren't even that huge? How could I lose coverage? By the time it reacquired signals, the unit thought I'd made a 4-mile detour into Niles at an average pace of 4:17/mile. When I downloaded the route later, it looked like I found some invisible pedestrian skybridge over the local neighborhoods that deposited me directly into the grounds of Maryhill Cemetary. Unfortunate.
A couple of Google searches later and I found the secret from other satisfied 205 users: leave the GPS stationary when initializing it. That's it: since then, I haven't had a tracking error, including runs through the forest preserve paths under the oak/elm/ash canopy. Pacing moment-by-moment still seems slightly off; sometimes I'll look at my wrist and it'll read, say, "10:34." I should quit right now if that's my actual pace; but a few seconds later, it's back to "8:03" or something far more reasonable.
These quibbles aside, the 205 seems like a terrific training aid; a Virtual Partner feature can prompt you when you fall behind or get too far ahead of your target pace. Dozens of pre-programmed workouts exist to guide you through speed training and interval exercise. I'm hoping it will keep me honest when the miles really start to add up and I start to think about slacking. Good stuff.
...getting a little behind. This week's training pattern is the same as last week's - 3/5/3 - but the long weekend run moves to 9 miles. (In case you're wondering what the entire 18-week calendar looks like for someone on the “Intermediate” track, you can check it out here.) I've adjusted the schedule to run Mon-Wed, rest Thu, and pace-run on Fri because my long runs are always on Saturday.
Today, I had a bit of a wrench thrown in the works. I woke up at 5:45, dragged myself out of bed, and looked through the bathroom skylight to see flashes of lightning. In a moment of weakness, I decided to bag today's 3-miler. About 5 minutes later, marble-sized hail came crashing down everywhere, and a good 15 minutes worth of storm lashed its way through town. Good decision.
I'd consider making it up tomorrow, but this weekend I have a wedding to attend so I've gotta grind out the 9 miler on Friday morning. That'll be a treat. If I'm still sweating during the first hour at the office, pay me no mind.
Gadget update: I showed further lack of willpower and ordered that Forerunner 205; it showed up tonight, and I'll report on it after my 9 mile run. I plan to use it to tell me the moment I get 4.5 miles away from my starting point, and to guarantee I run an 8:00 pace. First impression? It's not enormous. I'm guardedly optimistic.
I did my first long run of the training season with a CARA group. This is the first time I've run with an organized group, as I've usually trained for various races or just for exercise with friends, or by going solo. CARA is probably the best-known training organization for runners in Chicago; I believe they have over 2,000 registered marathon training program participants meeting at running locations across the city and 'burbs. It's pretty cool; you meet with a group that runs a pace you plan to train with, anywhere from 7:30 to 11:00 minutes/mile, and run the distance that your weekly plan calls for. You can then run with that group for the rest of the season, switch to a different group at a different location, or even change paces if you find you're training too fast or too slow for your planned race pace.
I'm shooting for 8:00 miles throughout my training (with the exception of speed workouts), and I chose that pace group. About 20 of us ran our route on a 60°F morning — unusually cool for late June in Chicago, I can assure you. In my group are a few people running their first marathon, a few seasoned veterans and the rest are runners who have run one or two marathons but are mainly interested in improvement. At least two runners I talked to are trying to qualify for Boston, like me.
One of these runners, Elisabeth, was wearing a wristband GPS from Garmin. How did this gadget escape my notice!? It tracks total mileage, pace, calorie burn, route of travel, and can even monitor pulse with optional accessories. And, of course you can download your routes and plot them against Google Maps, Garmin's own map database, and pretty much drown yourself in your own telemetry.
I'm pretty sure a Forerunner 205 is now on my short list. It has the bonus feature of a "Virtual Partner," which is a phantom racer you can run against to maintain or exceed a particular pace. Plus, it appears to be compact enough that I won't feel quite so much like I've been tagged and then sent back into my natural habitat, transmitter attached. (Wish I could place an img-link of this device directly in the post, without uploading it as a Photo, but I guess I'm trying to get too bloggy for VOX.)
