This Is All I Need: Weekly Wrap

I've been loving the new Goo Goo Dolls song, Rebel Beat, as a pick-me-up on my long run playlist.  It is just perfect.

"You know that life is like a ticking clock,

Nobody knows when it's gonna stop...

There's no worries, there's no cares,

Feel the sound that's everywhere, 

Take the sound that's ours for once

And run like hell...

You can take everything from me, cause this is all I need."

It always helps to bring me back to the moment, and reminds me that life doesn't have to be so gosh darn complicated!  Sometimes it's just as simple as a long run on the beach, feeling my heart pounding in my chest, breathing the ocean air, and watching the sun rise over the harbor.  Truly, this is all I need.

A few pictures from my magical long run this morning around Castle Island in South Boston, and then along the Harbor Walk in Dorchester, past the JFK Library and to UMass Boston.  Amazing.

I LOVE New England.

The tugboat's name is Success.  Love it.

What a beautiful start to the day!

After an awesome run, I treated myself to a trip to the running store!  With the increased mileage I am putting on lately, I need to get a new pair of running shoes every-other month.  This is quite an expensive hobby sometimes!

The new Brooks Adrenaline are blue!

 And I couldn't resist a new pair of compression sleeves... oops!  These really do work wonders in helping with long run recovery though!  I tried the CEP calf sleeves this time, and I think I am in love.

Going for the Rainbow Brite look I guess!

Since I am oh-so domestic lately, I decided to create my own carb-loving salad for a snack, with lots of leftovers for weekday lunches!  This one was super simple - pasta, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, oil and balsamic vinegar.  Yum!

I even impress myself sometimes!

And tonight, I'm off to one of my best friend's houses for dinner and a bonfire!  Saturdays really don't get much better than this! 

My New Running Toy: Garmin Forerunner 10

I've been wanting to buy a new GPS running watch for quite some time now, but have been putting it off due to the expense.  However, this weekend when my trusty Timex Ironman watch, which I've had pretty much since I started running back in high school, finally ran out of batteries, I decided it was a sign! 

Dear Timex, I still love you!

So off I went to my favorite running store, the Greater Boston Running Company in Hingham.  I love GBRC for so many reasons... not the least of which is that it is part of the Derby Street outdoor mall, so a trip to the running store always seems to end in a shopping spree at Ann Taylor, White House Black Market, the Paper Store, and Barnes & Noble, and lunch at Whole Foods!  This weekend was no exception! 

Doesn't it just look like a special place??

After dragging myself away from rows of running accessories and new workout clothes that I just HAD to have, I forced myself to focus on the reason I was really there... Oh right, a running watch.  Yes... Which is when I fell in love with this beautiful piece of technology!

I feel so official now!

Oh Garmin, you just had to make a GPS watch in my favorite shade of green, didn't you??  Sold!  I really liked the Forerunner 10's simplicity.  It did everything I wanted it to do - interval timing, pacing, biking compatibility, and computer download - but none of those high-tech "extras" that can make running watches so complicated to use!  

After getting home, I was like a little kid at Christmas - I couldn't wait to tear open the box and play with my new toy!  Luckily the wonderful folks at Garmin must know that runners can barely control themselves when it comes to new purchases, so the watch came fully charged and ready for a workout, right out of the package!  It was just begging to be taken out for a test drive... 

I love everything about this!

I absolutely loved using the watch on a long bike ride on Saturday and my Sunday morning run.  Most of all, I was amazed by the technology available through Garmin Connect after downloading my workouts to the website.  I can see my workout calendar, courses, pace intervals, elevation maps, and even the weather during each workout.  For someone who LOVES data, I could play around on Garmin Connect all day!

Holy hills!  No wonder I always feel like death after this run!

I was amazed to see how hilly my favorite long run course truly was.  Don't get me wrong - I feel every one of those hills - but I always thought that I was just being a little bit wussy!  Now, my new Garmin gives me a great sense of validation!  It was clearly worth every penny...

What type of running watch do you use?  Do you use Garmin Connect or a different online running tool to track your workouts?