Speed of Relativity

All this talk about breathing, maybe what I need is a breather, I thought, as I trudged up another rolling hill of the Mingo Trail at Sand Run. My legs did not feel fresh, despite a day's rest.

The run started off a bit auspiciously, as my usual parking areas were closed off for whatever reason, and I wasn't about to turn around to park at one of the main lots I had already passed. That would be dumb. Instead, I parked by the ford, which you may recall from past Akron Marathon reports.

The problem, though, was the three-car parking area is just beyond the water crossing, which cut me off from the trail I wanted to run. Unlike during the marathon, when there's a footbridge over the stream, crossing would be a challenge. I didn't want to start my run with soaked feet.

I climbed a small mound. The stream bed provided a good landing area. A sand bar jutted out from the far bank and squeezed the flowing water into an "I think I can make that" width. The leap wouldn't make anyone forget Bob Beamon, but it was enough.

The trail lay beyond a short climb through some marshy underbrush. Let's not find any ticks or poison ivy or anything, and don't lose your shoe in that muck, I said under my breath.

Once the trail was under my feet, I clicked on my running app. It showed a marker for my location, but there was no map, just a dark blue background. You all know the feeling. I waited there like an idiot, restarted the app, but still got nothing but a field of blue. Whatever. I hit start and hoped my phone would find me.

A few minutes later, I check to see what my app was doing. It still showed only blue, but it seemed to be tracking my distance. That would have to do.

The first set of rolling hills turned my legs to goo. Monday's speedy run on the Buckeye Trail had done a real number on my calves. Decision time: All uphills will be walked, not that I really had much choice other than turning around and going home. That would be lame.

Even though the trail formed a loop, I kept my timer running. If I didn't make it to a certain point before it went off, maybe I would turn around and go home. It's nice to be surprised.

I didn't expect to be that far when my watch sounded after 20 minutes. I was making good time. Also, I had to pee.

There are facilities on course, but who wants to stop when you got a good thing going? What's the worst that could happen? (Maybe I should ask Paula Radcliffe or Jerry Seinfeld.) Passing the outhouses, I pressed onward.

And you know what, my tired legs still managed a sub-13-minute pace. Considering my trail running pace has only been under 12 minutes once all year, this is what counts as speedy these days.

Confessions of an Appy Man

It seems my hypocrisy knows no bounds. For years, I've railed against those who are slave to their Garmin. Look at me, I would say, I get by with a Timex I bought on clearance back when I first started running. I need not the wonders of GPS. I log my runs manually. Praise he who manages his running life with little use of modern niceties.

For shame, I have fallen from my Luddite perch.

Late last year, in the act of combining our lives in marriage, I dropped my old cellphone carrier and joined Mrs. Viper's plan. In the process, I upgraded to a smartphone with an Android platform and delved into the world of "apps." Lo and behold, I found a free one for running by MapMyRun, a website I've used for years to sketch out various routes.

For the last run of last year, I used the GPS app for the first time.

Tucked into the breast pocket of my vest, my phone is barely noticeable when I'm on the move. I set it and forget it, as they like to say on those infomercials. And Mrs. Viper likes it because she feels more comfortable knowing I have my phone in case of an emergency.

My wife would be an easy scapegoat for betraying my anti-technology stance, but the fact is the phone is just as convenient as running with my watch. I only fear what will happen when the weather is nicer and I don't have a suitable pocket to stow my phone. I'm against armbands or fanny packs. But I was once against GPS devices too.

Using the MapMyRun app has had other benefits as well. I have started using the site more to track my eating habits with the food log, which has helped me with that thing I'm not going to mention even if it's my own blog and I can write about whatever I want however much I want. Of course, I can also use my app to log my meals.

Sometimes it's difficult for me to admit the benefits of technology. I like simple things. I like old things. I need to realize it's OK for me to like new things too.

Maybe you Garmin people aren't so bad after all. Except Nitmos, he's the worst.