Gadgets
These are my essential running accessories
I love my Garmin Forerunner 301. It’s not as good looking as the new Garmin Forerunner 305. In fact, it’s not good looking at all. It looks crap. But like a mother loves her ugly baby, I love my Garmin.
It tells me how far I’ve gone, how slowly quickly I was going, how many calories I’ve burnt, and when I eventually get round to working out my maximum and resting heart rate, I can do some heart monitor training.
Coupled with the SportTracks software, it’s a fantastic piece of kit and I wouldn’t be without it.
One day I might even read the manual and use it properly. Maybe take the little virtual training partner out for a run and try and beat it. Although I can envisage a huge strop if the little virtual training partner does beat me. I may end up throwing the Garmin through window if that happened.
My iPod Video
My first iPod. I resisted getting an iPod for years as everyone had one and you’d have thought that no one else made mp3 players.
But when I outgrew my 1gb Goodmans mp3 player, I relented and got myself an iPod Video. You’d think 30gb would be enough space, wouldn’t you? My first computer only held 4gb so I thought my iPod would last for ever and ever but I’ve already filled it up. You can get an 80gb one now. It’s not the size of 20 of my old pcs though, which is just as well really.
Before I got the iPod Shuffle, I used to run with this strapped to my arm or in my pocket but now it is my everyday carrying around with me everywhere iPod and no longer my running iPod.
And when I connect my iTrip to it, it turns into a jukebox that I can hear all over the house from any stereo. How cool is that?
My iPod Shuffle
Aah, here’s the little iPod Shuffle, innit cute? It’s tiny, it holds 240 songs, it has an integrated clip, is perfect for running and/or the gym and only fifty five English pounds.
They were only in silver when they first came out, now they come in four other colours; blue, pink, orange and green.
But it’s probably just as well there was only the choice of silver or silver when I got mine, otherwise I’d still be deciding now whether to get the pink one or the orange one. I’d probably have bought both.
My Casio Exilim EX-S600 camera
A camera is indeed an essential running accessory. Who knows when a cow based photo emergency is going to present itself? A girl has to be prepared for these sorts of things.
My camera broke after a day trip in Brighton and Casio blamed me and said they weren’t going to fix it for free. I pestered them until they gave in and fixed it for free. It has broken again twice since then but luckily it has morphed into the amazing self-fixing camera. Which is quite handy.
Unfortunately there’s a lot of evil wankers out there, so I got myself kitted out with a personal alarm. Apparently it’s very loud but fortunately I haven’t had to prove this.
It has a flashing light on it which apparently can be seen from a mile away but I’m not sure how I can test this without leaving it on the ground, then running a mile and hoping no one’s nicked it by the time I get a mile away.
I always forget I’m wearing it which I’m not sure is a good thing as, if some nutter does pounce, I need to remember I’ve got it so I can deafen him with its 100 decibels.
What I like best about my Doberman personal alarm is that it’s orange. And it’s a gadget. An orange gadget, what could be better?
I need one of those doberman alarms, mind is a big ugly hand held thing and I am sick of carrying it so I spend a lot of time running scared!
You just about need a backpack to carry all these gadgets with you while you run,, or do you have one of those cool gadget belts like the catwoman?
You should post a pic of you wearing all of these gadgets.