Dear Garmin,

It's been a few months now since we got together but there is something that we need to discuss. I'm sorry, Garmin, it's not you, it's me. I think that we need to take a break for a while and remember why we got together in the first place.

I became obsessed with your every word and logged point, pouring over the data that we had collected trying to work out where we could get better. We've had some great times together. I don't know about you but my favourite was the 7km run when we were so busy enjoying ourselves that we hadn't even noticed how far we had gone.

But, recently, we seem to have been getting annoyed too easily with each other. We've tried to take things to the next level with intervals, negative splits and increased pace and every time we come back we just fall out with each other as I can't go at the pace that you keep beeping at me to go. Yes, I know that I need to speed up and your sarcastic beeping at me that I'm going too slow really doesn't help.

So tomorrow I'm leaving you at home and I'm just going to go for a run. It'll be quicker to get out the door as I don't have to wait for you to get ready (seriously, you know that we're about to head out and yet EVERY SINGLE TIME I have to wait for you to track down your b****y satellites).

I hope that we can still be friends and, who knows, maybe we can get together again sometime for old time's sake.

Take care,

Frocky xx

[Hidden]

Do what I do... turn OFF the pacing screens... just show distance travelled...

Don't worry about pace... you'll find you hit a natural pace running on feel and you can pore over the stats AFTER your run... I don't even look at times on Garmin anymore unless I'm in a race...

Just enjoy!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, Aussie. Reading your run post this morning prompted this post as I hadn't realised just how obsessed I had become with pacing whilst losing sight of enjoying myself!

I'd only started to use the pacing function recently as I thought it would help! Oh how wrong I was.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I used it once and it annoyed the cr$p out of me... I now just show distance and heart rate... and for auto laps I set them at 1km and I only show "Lap Distance" so I don't even know how fast the last km was... I don't care..

I pore over stats later... you'll be surprised at pace coming on as you just log the miles...

Try it next time... you might just learn to love her again...

[mossy1 Graduate]

I laugh when my Garmin beeps and tells me I am "behind pace" when I do a warm up walk if I have pressed "start" but at least I must move marginally faster running than walking. I haven't used any of the functions other than distance and time so cannot comment, however I am sure you will be friends again once you get over this spat. Enjoy

[Hidden in reply to mossy1]

I had to walk yesterday as I had gone out too fast for my little legs, subsequently dropping below pace. When my Garmin beeped at me to speed up, out loud I told it to "eff off". Thankfully no-one was around

[misswobble Graduate]

I can't run and read the darned thing so I never know what's occurring. Best thing I reckon. Ignorance is bliss ey

I love just running freely. No music no nowt just me and my little legs running round town or the trails, preferably when the weather's kind. It's easy to lose sight of that when you're bogged down in stats and such sh*te. Garmin is a brill tool (when it's not on the blink as mine seems to be) but it's only an aid to running and we shouldn't forget that

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Running naked is great. My iPod broke a few weeks ago and I went without music, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

How are you finding running on trails? I've contemplated it but it always struck me as too challenging for my level. Do you have specific trail shoes or your normal trainers?

[danzargo Graduate]

I wish I had a garmin. I'd love to have an argument with it!

[Hidden in reply to danzargo]

Keep an eye on ebay, there may be a 410 going cheap soon

[misswobble Graduate]

I have trail running shoes. Trails are a bit more challenging as you have to look where you're placing your feet. I'm lucky to have a country park near me with lots of different trails radiating out in all directions

[Hidden]

I've just graduated and was a bit surprised to find I prefer running without music or Laura. I have Runkeeper on my phone, have stopped listening to the updates etc, but it's nice to see the map and the figures when I get home.

[Rignold]

I have a 410. Luckily I am such a Luddite I have no idea how to set up any of the tricksy stuff like pacing, so it only bleeps at me at km markers, and displays elapsed time, distance and heart rate. I like having the data to look at over the weeks etc.

Completely agree re music/headphones though. Couldn't go back to it now.