Mon 5 Dec 2005 – Yarra River Run – miscalculation

Time of Run : 4.10 pm

Distance : 14.62 km (adjusted)

Time : 1:12:52

Pace : 4:59 /km

Max heart rate : 162

Avg heart rate : 139

Ab workout at 5.20 pm in office gym after run.

Sit-ups (exercise ball) 1 x 200 Oblique twist (bar) 1 x 50

Miscalculation on distance

Today I was only planning on a 10 k or thereabouts run. I had the course in mind, being from Fawkner Park, Anderson St, Yarra River to Flinders St, over the bridge back onto the Yarra River to Grange Rd and over the bridge, back along the Yarra to Anderson St hill to Finish in Fawkner Park. For some reason I thought this course was about 10 km but as it turned out it was 14.6 km or thereabouts.

It wasn't until I reached the Grange Road Bridge, that was about at the 9 km point I realised the course was longer than I reckoned earlier. No big drama, luckily I had time to run the longer distance.

Conditions today were quite warm, I reckon the temperature was about 30-32 degrees. I felt reasonably comfortable and at ease today and no ill effects as I had last Thursday running in the heat for a similar distance. I wasn't carrying any water as I wasn't expecting to be running longer than about 50 minutes.

GPS loss of signal

I've come to realise that some parts of The Tan, Fawkner Park and Yarra River are not GPS friendly. The Tan and Fawkner Park due to the extensive tree line coverage and the Yarra River track to portions being directly under a freeway.

Whilst running through Fawkner Park about 470 metres into the run I had no GPS signal and therefore Mr. Garmin indicated 470 metres total distance, it seemed like forever before the signal returned. When the signal returned the total distance didn't increase drastically (as you think it should by merely taking a straight line calculation from the last plot) it merely continued on from 470 metres.

This is very frustrating. I know for the purposes of my training logbook I can enter the correct (or close to correct) distance. It's just that the data displayed during the run as regards overall pace is way out.

Stats as 5 Dec 2005

Weight : 78.2 kg Last 7 Days : 65.8 km Last 28 Days : 235.4 km December 2005 : 53.1 km YTD : 2165.2 km Weekly Avg (2005): 43.3 km Monthly Avg (2005): 180.4 km Yearly Avg (2001 on): 1500.5 km Total (2001 on): 7502.6 km