Disappointed

Besides realizing that I am completely slow after my initial use of the forerunner, I am a little bummed that I’m not sure I got the most accurate reading. It’s either that the forerunner is inaccurate or the running track at the nearby school is. Or maybe I really am THAT slow.

I usually run right on the center of the running track using my Nike+, which means I run right on the line of the 3rd and 4th lane.  This morning I took my usual position right on the white line and ran a lap using my spiffy new forerunner. It read that a complete lap between the 3rd and 4th lane was at .20 miles. Seeing that it wasn’t a full 1/4 mile, I then decide to run on the 4th lane, and still no luck. Then the 5th, nuh-uh. Then the 6th, the unused lane, and I say this because weed has actually spread right onto the dirt in large sections sporadically throughout that lane, and yet, that lane didn’t work either. They all measured at .20 miles, maybe .21 miles. I wanted to cry… because I’m a big ol’ baby but mostly because I’m PMSing so I have the right.

I instantly had buyer’s remorse. Should I have just saved that money for something more useful? Maybe it’s just inaccurate because no one actually uses it to run around in circles, which defeats the whole purpose of my purchase since most of my runs are on a running track. Maybe I confused it. Gah, which way is she going?! I ran 22 laps on the 4th lane of a 6 lane track, which should have been 5.5 miles, but instead it read 4.57 miles. I think the Nike+ had me at somewhere like 5.83 miles. That was higher because I ran in the lane further than what I calibrated the sensor in. I’m going to try again. This time I’m going to use it running from the stop light down the street from my apartment to the next stop light two blocks down. I’ve measured it in my car to be .50 miles so I’ll see what my new friend/enemy Garmy has to say about that.

I’m sure it’s a great product. I’ve read so many great reviews for it, but I’m wondering if maybe it’s not for me since I’m not an advanced runner nor do I run on running paths. I simply stick to running tracks or jog around my neighborhood. I don’t know what to do. I don’t really want to return it, and I’m not sure if Amazon would allow me to just because I changed my mind. Or maybe I’ll keep it and learn to love it.

Or who knows? Maybe the running track I use isn’t really accurate. Someone could have screwed up on the planning and construction. D’oh! Wouldn’t that be something?

I have to love it. I want to love it. I really do. I don’t want it to be wasted money. Augh. I won’t give up on it. If anything, maybe I’m right between what the Nike+ tells me I am and what the forerunner said I did. We’ll see. New post regarding Garmy coming soon.