Author: Tanvir

Categories
Running

TomTom Spark Announced – Quick Preview

So this prediction I got spot on after the slew of ongoing discount deals on Amazon. A new TomTom runners watch, the TomTom Spark has been announced. Here is what on offer in a nutshell:

TomTom Spark

  • Lightweight, designed to be worn 24 hours
  • Bluetooth music with 3GB on board storage
  • GPS for pace/distance
  • Optical HR
  • Activity tracking
  • Phone notifications coming later
  • 168 x 144 high-contrast LCD display
  • Battery life: 11 hours with GPS, 5 hours with everything on including optical HR and bluetooth music

Highest end model (TomTom  Spark Cardio) with everything hits stores in Oct at £189.99. There are several models, with basic one with no music or optical HR not yet priced.

Too early to say if this could possibly be my next watch. Waiting for Garmin to show their hands before I decide to go ahead with something, or stick with my current love, the TomTom Runner.

Categories
Running

Shivnath Singh – India’s Marathon Record Holder (2:12, 1978)

India’s marathon legend and record holder, Shivnath Singh. We have only heard about him, here’s a chance to see what he looked like in this photo from coach Savio D’Souza’s files (extreme left: Savio, extreme right: Shivnath Singh). Shivnath holds the Indian national record for the best marathon time (2:12:00), a feat that he achieved in Jalandhar in 1978, and which remains unsurpassed till date. Yes, it has been 37 years!

savio-shivnath

I had read that Shivnath created the record in the national marathon championships in 1978, running 2:12, and used to wonder if this time was true, if the route was accurate, etc, since current generation of Indian Marathon runners have struggled to hit 2:16. I tried to analyze a bit and came to the conclusion that the record was probably good. Shivnath had done a 10K same year in 28:58.

Analyzing the two performances together, and predicting a 10K finish time from a 2:12 marathon gives us a possible 28:35 finish for 10K. Not too far away from the 28:58 Shivnath did. And vice versa, a 28:58 10K finish indicates an equivalent marathon performance of 2:13:28. Legend he was.

Shivnath expired in 2003.

Categories
Running

Running For The Joy Of Running

Gathering some thoughts on this subject below.

I disagree to a certain extent when I hear everyone talking about the joy of running. Not everyone has to run for the joy of running. Not everyone feels bad about pushing themselves and getting injured. I have run for the joy of running, I have run for pushing myself to goals which seemed unachievable. I don’t call them joy of running. They are simply my targets.

joy_of_running

Such people may be a minority in the runners community. But let’s accept them for what they are. I carry my injuries with pride. They were my teachers. I learnt from them. Secretly, I enjoyed those injuries. That’s just what I am. And I love it.

Categories
Product Reviews Running

TomTom Runner vs Garmin Forerunner 10 – A Quick Review

So long FR10, its sold. My first day with the TomTom Runner, its a loaner from my wife. Going through it yesterday was a revelation of sorts. Here’s a comparison of the TomTom Runner as an entry level watch vs the Garmin Forerunner 10:

TomTom Runner vs Garmin Forerunner 10

tomtom_runner

The Positives

  • It has twice the battery life (10 hours)
  • 3 data fields on screen versus 2 on Garmin FR 10 (out of which the central one can be rotated at will during the run in between about 8-10 different stat fields)
  • A nice lap alert with buzz which was missing on my FR10
  • Ability to do intervals (warmup, N repeats of work + rest, and cool down)
  • Can show my stride rate (i.e. Cadence) after the run via a built in accelerometer, no chest strap or pedometer needed. This is a big plus, since I am focussed on improving it from a lowly 150-155 last year at 2014 Hyderabad Marathon, and am up to about 170 now, a huge improvement.
  • Has QuickGPSfix technology, which helps your watch get a GPS fix in 2-3 seconds (yes, verified and true), against the usual 2-3 mins or sometimes endless wait for GPS lock
  • Sync data wirelessly online via bluetooth, no connecting to the laptop anymore (though I am having trouble with this on my Nexus 5, on which it is supposed to happen automatically whenever the watch is within 10 meters of the phone. What I have to do to make it to work is to go into the phone and watch menus and repeat the setup steps)
  • Has HRM option unlike FR10
  • Lot more runner oriented functionality which I am yet to try, zones, racing against your previous time, etc
  • At $99 vs $94 (or so) for FR10, beats the Garmin hands down on features/$

The Negatives:
– I am used to Garmin connect website, better layout. But, I can live with that, not a big negative

Unknown for now:
– Distance/pace accuracy. Though I am not expecting any surprises there. Update: after a few runs (about 75km) I am fairly confident that distance/pace reporting is consistent and good.

Final Thoughts:

The perfect entry level watch for beginners at this price point. Period.

I am waiting excitedly for the next Garmin launch. Definitely giving the FR25 the pass. Its a step-up for FR10/15 users, but not by much.

Check out the TomTom Runner on Amazon India website.

Categories
Running

Running During Ramzan

What I personally do during Ramzan (the holy month of fasting for Muslims, also pronounced as Ramadan, or Ramazan) is to do my runs either just before breaking fast (say running 30 mins and then break the fast), or otherwise a couple of hours after breaking the fast. Advantage of running before the fast break is that it saves time, you get to have food immediately after the run, and then you don’t need to be worried about going for a run later in the evening. Many muslims go for prayers after breaking the fast and it would be difficult to run after the fast when doing that.

ramadan_green

The key things when I run during fasting is to make sure I am not pushing myself. The run has to be really easy. On occasions, I have even run 2 hours before the fast break, quickly had food in the running place (park) itself, and then went ahead for another couple of hours or so. So, for me, its not a big challenge, maybe my body is used to the stress, and can run longer distances without feeling the exertion. But, everything changes when you increase speed, in which case your body temperature, and the rate of water loss will both go up, and which should be avoided. So, any speed runs are best left to post fasting.

In short, for most runners:

  • Run slow
  • Try to keep your runs to max 30 mins
  • If running before fast break, plan your run so that you can break your fast immediately after the run
  • Fast running should only be attempted later in the evening after breaking the fast

Btw, last Sat was a unique experience. Did 8*400 repeats at really fast pace for me in the morning 6am kinds. Did not feel too bad through the day, even after the intense experience during a fast.