As a reward for finishing my Couch to 5K and running in my first 5K race, I bought myself a little reward. I wanted this for a while, but I wanted to be sure I was going to stick with running before purchasing it with my birthday money. This is a Garmin Forerunner 305.

The Garmin tracks distance using satellites, so I never have to drive around and measure a route for a run. It also tracks pace per mile, calories, heart rate, and other things I haven't figured out. One feature that I am especially excited to use is the interval alert.

I recently read about the interval training plans of Jeff Galloway, a former Olympic runner. He advocates short walk breaks during runs. He believes that this helps the body recover during runs, which can actually speed up your time because you feel stronger after a short break. He suggests intervals (like 4 min run:1 min walk) based on your pace per mile. I tried this out, and I couldn't believe that I finished 3 miles faster using intervals than when I ran the entire distance. I also felt much better with the short breaks. Although I am glad I met my goal of running 3 miles without stopping, I think the interval system will suit me better for longer distances (especially in training for the Disney Princess Half-Marathon). My Garmin watch will beep and let me know when it's time to run and walk.

My plan is to do another 5K in June and a 10K Labor Day weekend. I truly can't believe I enjoy running. If you had told me 6 months ago that I would be training to complete a half-marathon in 2011, I would have thought you were crazy. Yet, here I am, and I am ready to run!

Labels: Running