A debate for you to settle. The other day Husband ran a full set of Yasso 800s while I did yoga in the infield. It wasn’t hot, I was just lazy. At the end of each interval Husband stopped about ten metres short of his starting position on the 400 metre track, claiming his Garmin beeped when he ran exactly 800 metres. I claimed that his Garmin was obviously measuring a bit short and that he ran 800 metres when he completed two full and exact laps in the inside lane. He claimed the track was mismeasured and that his Garmin was accurate. I claimed it was ridiculous to assume that a high school track would be mismeasured and that the Garmin did not have to-the-metre accuracy while running around an oval. He looked at me sympathetically, as you would an electronic neophyte who does not fully grasp the power of that arm-based computer. Repeat without resolution.
The result, I think he should add a few seconds to his 800s but he thinks his times are bang on. Lucky for him, both times put him within his goal marathon range. Who’s side are you on anyway? Vote now!
Title Reference: The Eagles – Life in the Fast Lane. 1976.
My Garmin consistently shows track where i run is about 5 metres short.
Perhaps you should do the 800 also next time and put your Garmin up against Husband’s Garmin. If not exactly the same you win !…unless of course Husband considers his Garmin is always right in which case you need professional Garmin counselling.
I don’t think we can afford Garmin counselling. Unless we sell our Garmins.
Apparently, Garmins get thrown off due to the curves on the track. They try and measure straight, which is why they get so off.
I actually just read an explanation for this the other day but of course, I can’t find it now!
I love your posts…so entertaining! I’m all for the garmin…my last marathon indicated that I ran an extra mile…I believe this is accurate…I had to run down a hill and try to find a spot where I could pee in private!
I might have foregone privacy to save that mile. 26.2 is more than enough.
Curves and straightaways sounds technical enough to give my arguement some extra punch.
Track > Garmin, for sure. He is being a goofus. I will add this to my growing list of anecdotal knowledge that Garmins are not to be trusted…
Especially ones with names. And suicidal tendencies.
Garmin trumps track. I really have no concrete evidence to back this up….but I just feel it critical to support Garmin at all times. He (yes, I have assigned mine a gender) is very wise.
P.s. consider this post my official ‘hat in the ring” for competition #2:)
All my electronics are male. I blame McDonald’s and their weird gender-specific happy meals.
p.s. Your hat is rung.
I have just broken my cardinal rule in Wife/Husband debates … (always side with the woman, girl power and all that, plus, they are usually RIGHT). BUT since my Garmin also measures my 400 m laps short of my actual starting place, I will have to side with Husband on this one. I like my Garmin times better. Plus, Husband drew my name in the last competition, that has to count for something?!
I thought your marriage ref rule would be “no comment”. Husband will take your payback thank you vote. He needs it.
The “no comment” comment is way too boring. I only reserve that for my professional hat. As for the measuring-wheel-arms-extended- experiment, … this takes the debate and marriage ref intervention to a whole new level. An audience/witnesses are required. Now you need to decide which trumps to settle the score.. the VOTE results or the measuring-wheel-arms-extended- experiment?
I think we need a tie-breaker, just in case.
In my defense, I feel it important to note that this cinder track was placed in the middle of what used to be a farmers field, built at least two years ago… and the
grassweeds have encroached on both sides of the track. I felt like I was running every lap in what would have been “lane 2″.Exactly. A farmer’s field. So there were no size constraints and the full 400 oval was viable. Unlike the rip-off downtown slightly under-sized to fit the space track I ran on tonight with my misleading mile time trial. Grrrr. Also, lane two doesn’t add ten metres. Try again.
Wear both yours and Husband’s Garmin at the same time on different wrists, run in lane two of test track with arms fully extended so left arm is in lane 1 and right arm is in lane 3…for best results run 1600 metres…let us know how it turns out…or better still have Husband do this test ..only because his wingspan is slightly longer….. of course.
And soon my nickname in the neighborhood will be “crazy track lady” and kids will dare each other to run next to me. But I’ll do it for the sake of science.
Well… if we’re going to be scientific about it, I should get a calibrated measuring wheel and measure out exactly 1609.3m from the “start line”, and mark the end-point. Then I will start the two garmins (I may need assistance in this if simultaneous starting is required, but since we are measuring distance only and not time, I don’t think it will matter too much – except that sometimes garmin will record distance traveled even when stationary (I know this comment doesn’t help my case); run the mile on the plumb line measured with the aforementioned wheel with my flaps extended; and compare the garmins to the actual measured distance – of course, we’ll have to assume that I am capable of running in a straight line with my arms extended.
Oh dear. By tomorrow we will own a measuring wheel, won’t we?
Canadian Tire, Home Depot and Sears carry them! I am hereby requesting “forgiveness” for acquiring a wheel.
There is no room for a wheel in our urban abode. There isn’t even enough room for my running shoes.
Mwaa ha ha!
Whoa!! Husband..are you saying one does not need to run a marathon..one can stand stationary a marathon…so long as time is not an issue. This opens up the possibility for everyone to do a marathon. In fact perhaps everyone over the age of 12.73864 years has already done one. You could open a store called “Standing Room”
As long as the standers don’t line up in front of me in the corral I’m cool with it.
I am so buying a calibrated measuring wheel for my next track workout.
You can get one at Canadian Tire (http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp;jsessionid=MQdJGnF3jLF72h4b031LhWZlCfvK9T2x1lTRC2KB1vgMynTfPYsV!-140175085?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443289279&bmUID=1284562356725) or at the Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=971039&Ntt=971039&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber)
@Mark I’ve got to admit, I’m kind of surprised you don’t already own one.
Mark does not need one…he can take the mini for a spin around the track to be measured
That will get us kicked off the fancy pants private tracks for sure.
Although now that I think about, the wheel might as well. Who’s up for a midnight measuring party?
It’s the perfect precursor to the midnight beer mile!
This was obviously a trick question. Proper answer being:
C) None of the above.
Wheel doesn’t work because of the inherent weaving about caused by the walker, particularly if done after the beer mile.
Only accurate measurement is by the Jones apparatus on a bicycle, theory being that bicycle allows you to keep a straight line. Or a drunken monkey with a tape measure. It’s been a while since I studied the theory.
Pre-Garmin I actually measured my track with a wheel and it’s a lot trickier than you would think. Measuring inside of lane is much different than outside of lane.
And I have been running a lot on the track lately and have solved the debate by running in the outside lane. Yasso 820s or something. At least you don’t have to worry.
No can I have my prize?
We haven’t had any luck getting our drunken monkey to stay in his lane.
Garmins are evil. I use one, but I am aware of it’s evinessl and have harnessed it.
Have you harnessed the evil for good or for more evil?
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