An Ode on the Trials of Technology : Technology... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

132,412 members158,563 posts

An Ode on the Trials of Technology

SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueenGraduate
30 Replies

Technology fair does my head in!

I know from my house to Pitmedden

Is 3 miles total door to door

So Strava, Fitbit I implore

Can you at least try to agree

How far I’ve run because you see

I’m keen to measure my progress

But between you - and dodgy GPS -

It seems no matter if I quicken pace

You wipe the smile from off my face ☹️

By telling me I’ve not run far

What fickle friends you gadgets are!

I know it doesn’t matter really

And with resolve, and mindset steely

I should run for fun of it

Ignoring Strava or Fitbit

But it would help me keep on moving

To think I might just be improving!

One day the planets will align

And measurement of pace and time

Will come together and display

I’ve really run a full 5k!

Written by
SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueen
Graduate
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
30 Replies
GoGo_JoJo profile image
GoGo_JoJoGraduate

👌🏻👍🏻😁 love it! And you're so right, they all tell lies!!!

SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueenGraduate in reply to GoGo_JoJo

I hadn’t realised what porkies they tell till comparing them this morning! So frustrating! Happy running regardless!

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate

Blooming fantastic!!!! You are so right.... !!! My Garmin lost me a whole 1K last week!!!

SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueenGraduate in reply to Oldfloss

Isn’t it frustrating! But I did perfect the “remove running top while wearing an armband” which is no mean feat and I reckon must count for something....Happy running!

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate in reply to SpeedMaQueen

Now that really is amazing!!! x

Buddy34 profile image
Buddy34Graduate in reply to SpeedMaQueen

The other week my Spotify stopped . Now months ago I would have stopped to fix it but no kept running got the phone out and pressed play again all while still running😊

SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueenGraduate in reply to Buddy34

Well done! That takes some doing!

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate

Brilliant ! I’m also in NE Scotland and Strava has once recorded me as running from Ellon to Strichen in 40 minutes (a bit over 20 miles for you Sassenachs !) I shall show the entry proudly to anyone who queries my running ability, but I know I never left the village 😂

SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueenGraduate in reply to ButtercupKid

Love it! Your secret is safe with me! Happy running 🙂!

Granspeed profile image
GranspeedGraduate in reply to ButtercupKid

🤣🤣👏🏼🎉 Perfect! You running genius, you. 😄

Buddy34 profile image
Buddy34Graduate

So true . I've got Strava going and now use a garmin and they never say the same thing 😊

sTrongFuse profile image
sTrongFuseGraduate in reply to Buddy34

Same heer, despite the fact Strava syncs from Garmin Connect, they always differ by about 100m.

Buddy34 profile image
Buddy34Graduate in reply to sTrongFuse

Oh can you connect both

sTrongFuse profile image
sTrongFuseGraduate in reply to Buddy34

You can, but don't ask me to remember how I did it. I think you do it from Garmin Connect in the settings and third party apps. But you may have to do it from the Strava app side instead. MyFitnessPal also links in, forming an unholy trinity, but I never use that, so I don't worry.

Buddy34 profile image
Buddy34Graduate in reply to sTrongFuse

Will try later thanks 😊

Granspeed profile image
GranspeedGraduate

Love this! Perhaps I can memorise it and run to the beat. 👍😄🏃🏼‍♀️ Any offers out there to set it to music? I rather fancy banjo & perhaps clarinet, but haven’t the skills.... 🤣🎉🎉🎉

iain-strachan profile image
iain-strachanGraduate

When I started Couch 2 5k I was using Strava on my phone, and noticed that the GPS trail on Strava was very dodgy indeed. At one point it had me running through the middle of houses that were well set back from the pavement. According to my boss, who is an IT whizz, the GPS on phones is very unreliable because it runs in the background and doesn't update very often in order to save battery life.

So I got a Garmin, and you can connect the Garmin app with Strava, so Strava gets its data from the watch rather than the phone.

This probably also applies to the Fitbit.

The problem I had with Fitbit is that it chronically underestimated heart rate for long periods of time. To an extent the Garmin also does this (e.g. if arm gets sweaty) but less so than the Fitbit.

I use an app on iPad called Footpath to trace my distance after a run. The Garmin watch I wear is about 100m out. I'm not too bothered by that. I'm still amazed that a watch can even connect to GPS and in less than a second! I remember 20-odd years ago when I first got a GPS device. It took about 2 minutes to get the location. How times move on. 🤣

There's one thing I've just learned - if you have a watch that supports both GPS (American positioning system) and GLONASS (Russian positioning system) you can enable both to provide a more accurate reading. I've just done it but won't be testing it out until Monday. The downside is it drains battery faster. But it will be interesting to see the results next run.

SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueenGraduate in reply to

I may just stick to how many songs I get through on my playlist - it’s all very complicated! But the main thing is, we’re running!

sTrongFuse profile image
sTrongFuseGraduate

More concerning is the fact that I've just realised it's been about 42 years since I was last in Pitmedden. As an "alumni" of Barthol Chapel primary, that brought back memories...

SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueenGraduate in reply to sTrongFuse

It probably hasn’t changed that much! Still the same number of sneaky hills 🤣. Happy running!

sTrongFuse profile image
sTrongFuseGraduate in reply to SpeedMaQueen

Plenty of them here in the Lothians too I've discovered...

Oldgirlruns profile image
OldgirlrunsGraduate

Fabulous poetry SMQ but oh glory! This Tech stuff is a whole new language! I thought I was reasonably tech savvy but if it weren’t for Dexy5 I’d be lost - and that’s on an IPhone which is quite easy to navigate! Have just invested in a Garmin for swimming and joffling ..... it’ll be fine OGR, it’ll be fine OGR, it’ll be fine......

SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueenGraduate in reply to Oldgirlruns

I saw Dexy and instantly think “Come on Eileen..” I fear I may be a lost cause....🤣

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate

So true! Great post SpeedMaQueen 💕

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate

Ha ha. Lovely 👍😃. I do love a rhyme I make them up as I run or change song lyrics to suit. Good game 😁

Franglaise profile image
FranglaiseGraduate

So true...i have,a garmin watch and my running bud a tom tom and they never,agree and are wildly out! Very frustrating.

Did you think this up while running?

SpeedMaQueen profile image
SpeedMaQueenGraduate in reply to Franglaise

I was inspired while recovering with breakfast and mulling over the results! 🙂

Franglaise profile image
FranglaiseGraduate in reply to SpeedMaQueen

Brilliant

You may also like...

Technology!

courage as I'm sure I will find a long run hard. I have so far run it all on the treadmill at the...

*!\"*^%) technology

you're wondering, I have an old phone I use for running, in case I lose it/it gets damaged and the...

Ode to C25K

HealthUnlocked But Week One: Run One, I was shocked.. I couldn’t run for sixty secs And was...

Technology is great !! (Garmin Forerunner 235)

wonderful piece of wearable technology - a lot, lot better than any of my previous Fitbits. I...

Ode to having done my run.

Well thanks to all who read my ode You helped me do my run Getting up BEFORE the alarm My promise...