4.35 = 6.33??

by Bill Wallace on September 8, 2009

Day 1 of Week 2 of Hal Higdon’s marathon training was interesting to say the least.

The week requires 3 x 5km runs Tuesday through Thursday. So today was meant to be a light 5km run. It turned out to be a 4.35km run via my Nike+ and 6.33 via my Garmin 305.

I’ll take the Garmin.

I started off feeling pretty good but the run turned into a stop-start affair and I’m not sure why. The feet hurt and I felt I was really pounding the pavement. I mean really pounding! Thump, thump thump!

I walked  a lot and the calves and feet really hurt so I have no idea what is going on. I am off to the podiatrist next Tuesday to get him to look at the orthotics again and see if they need modifying … again!

I am going to ask him to get them to go back to the original version when I can’t remember having this much of a problem.

Tomorrow, regardless of pain or technology problems, is another 5km. Still enjoying the exercise all the same. I am sure this is just a hill to climb to get to the next level.

  • http://www.andrewisgettingfit.com AndrewE

    The pain doesn’t sound like much fun. I hope you can get it sorted.

    And yes, I’d take the Garmin reading too!

  • http://www.billstrainingblog.com Bill Wallace

    Yeah, me too. The Nike product is a great idea but as soon as you lose trust in it, you just want to stop using it. Nike have done a great job with their “community” but the gizmo still has to work. Having said all that, I have had it way more than a year so maybe it’s just due for a replacement. :)

  • Matt W

    I found your blog from the World Running League site. I’ve been using Nike+ for just over a year now (I am mgw4jc there). The challenges have been motivating as are the goals you can set for yourself. Building429 (name comes from a Christian rock band), puts on a good challenge and makes it fun.

    Like you, I also use both an iPod and a Garmin 305. Your numbers sound too far off and you should consider calibrating your iPod (or clearing the calibration if you already did). For me, if I run a warm-up pace they will be almost exact in distance. As I speed up, the iPod distance will fall behind (be shorter than the Garmin), but only by about .05 miles per mile. Generally I will set the iPod for a given distance and run until it reaches it. At the end, the Garmin will show a quarter mile or so further in real distance, but close enough for me. Since I’m not training for the Olympics I’m not worried about perfect accuracy. I did try to calibrate my iPod once but didn’t have a track to do it on and it just made the accuracy worse, so I went back to no calibration. I haven’t replaced any of the Nike+ parts since I started and I have around 1300 miles registered so far.

    Anyway, keep moving and good luck in the “WRL”.

  • http://www.billstrainingblog.com Bill Wallace

    Hey Matt! Thanks for the comment. I appreciate you taking the time to explain what might be happening. I had just “calibrated” my footpod so it may have been the “wrong” thing to do in the end. The measurement prior to calibration was far more accurate.
    What team are you in at the WRL, just so I know which week to make an extra effort! :)