Jodi’s Running Blog

Evan will vouch for the fact that I almost become manic about running. I will go for months, lacking enthusiasm and unmotivated, and then - BAM! Some event comes along, like The Olympics (not that I expect to be there, it’s just that The Olympics have rekindled my running passion this particular time), and I can think of little else aside from becoming extremely physically fit. I seem to operate at two extremes - either I’m not motivated, or I desperately want to be the best runner I can be. It’s quite bizarre.

 So one of my frustrations during my current running craze is that, while making a huge effort to run outside more (for some of those challenging Seattle hills), I never seem to know how far I have run. I would love to be able to map my runs such that I know my distance, but in order to do this (via Mapquest or my Saturn’s odometer) I must stick to streets. I much prefer running through Seattle’s gorgeous parks.

Evan and I saw one of these last weekend at REI. It’s the Garmin Forerunner 301, a GPS device that tracks distance during sporting activities like running and cycling. It automatically records mile splits when these distances are achieved so one doesn’t have to worry about forgetting to hit a button. It also includes the other typical features like heart rate monitoring and calculating calories burned during workouts. I think that if I am really REALLY nice to Evan he might bestow upon me an “I love you” present.