An Ode on the Trials of Technology

[SpeedMaQueen]

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!

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

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

[SpeedMaQueen Graduate in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

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

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

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

[SpeedMaQueen Graduate 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 Administrator Graduate in reply to SpeedMaQueen]

Now that really is amazing!!! x

[Buddy34 Graduate 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 Graduate in reply to Buddy34]

Well done! That takes some doing!

[ButtercupKid Graduate]

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 Graduate in reply to ButtercupKid]

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

[Granspeed Graduate in reply to ButtercupKid]

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

[Buddy34 Graduate]

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

[sTrongFuse Graduate in reply to Buddy34]

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

[Buddy34 Graduate in reply to sTrongFuse]

Oh can you connect both

[sTrongFuse Graduate 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 Graduate in reply to sTrongFuse]

Will try later thanks 😊

[Granspeed Graduate]

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 Graduate]

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.

[Hidden]

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. 🤣

[Hidden]

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 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

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 Graduate]

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 Graduate in reply to sTrongFuse]

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

[sTrongFuse Graduate in reply to SpeedMaQueen]

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

[Oldgirlruns Graduate]

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 Graduate in reply to Oldgirlruns]

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

[SaskAlliecat Graduate]

So true! Great post SpeedMaQueen 💕

[misswobble Graduate]

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

[Franglaise Graduate]

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 Graduate in reply to Franglaise]

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

[Franglaise Graduate in reply to SpeedMaQueen]

Brilliant