Look Mom! No Bike!

I went running yesterday. Running, for those of you who, like me, are primarily velocipedal, is like cycling, but without a bicycle.

I don't particularly recommend it. It's jolly hard work. Physically, it's a walk in the park (or, in my case, a run in the woods). The problem is figuring out how to attach all of my gear. I couldn't (for obvious reasons) use the allen screws provided to bolt the water bottle cages to my shins. So I had to wrap duct tape around the cages and behind my calves. It made the bottles harder to insert and extract, but whatever. It was fine.

More of a concern was how to make the speedometer and cadence meter work. I began by estimating the circumference of the (approximate) circle described by my right leg when running, and plugged that value into the computer. I then attached the speedometer magnet to my right ankle and... well yes. I couldn't attach the sensor to my left ankle because that wouldn't be stationary when running. My ingenious solution was to fasten a long wooden pole to my back (with more duct tape), in line with my spine, extending to about ankle height between my legs. To this pole, I attached the speedometer sensor.

So as to avoid interference between the speedometer and the cadence meter, I attached the cadence magnet to my right wrist, and the cadence sensor on the right side of my waist. This required me to move my right arm forward and back in perfect time with my right leg for an accurate cadence reading, giving me a somewhat lopsided gait. Next time, I think I will affix the cadence setup to the left side of my body.

I must confess to feeling somewhat conspicuous on the trail, but I comforted myself with the thought that should I trip over the wooden pole extending between my legs, I would at least have a soft landing thanks to the padded seat on my shorts. 

It was a good run. Distance: 357 meters; Time: 47 minutes; Average Cadence: 8; Average HR: 182; Max HR: 188. I'm hoping to improve for next time.