debcook

Staying fit, even for us dedicated souls is not always easy. Motivation comes in many different forms and is never the same for everybody. Some need a workout partner, some need music and others need electronic feedback. My motivation comes from results.

When weather permits I jog six mornings per week. Depending on a workout partner has always been a detriment because few have been as dedicated as I am. Instead I prefer sticking to my own schedule and keeping my own pace. However, I enjoy my electronic partner – a Garmin Forerunner 305.

In the beginning I wore a Timex workout watch. It tracked my distance and I liked the option to breakdown my workout by laps since most of my jogging was at the local high school track. Now I get even more accurate stats with my Forerunner.

A GPS in a wristwatch is great. It is lightweight and easy to glance at while jogging. I never have to guess at my pace or distance traveled. Before, once I mapped out a workout path I tended to stick to it because I wanted to know the exact distance. Now, I can change my workout path on the fly and I will still know the exact distance. Workout history such as my speed, my pace, elapsed time and path is important. Competing against myself keeps me trying to reach higher goals.

A Heart Rate Monitor is included and helps with tracking my actual fitness. The lower my heart rate during exercise the more fit I am becoming.

Re-charging the Forerunner is easy with the charging cradle.

Workout history is easy with the Forerunner. After working out I upload my workout stats to the Internet. Included software helps me record each workout and I can save all of my results. If I were so inclined to change my workout from jogging to cycling or even cross country skiing my Garmin Forerunner 305 would adjust as well.