Half marathon project: gadgets, Garmin and coach Greg
19/7/2024
Translation: Julia Graham
If you want to cross the Greifensee half marathon finishing line, you need the right gear, food and preparation.goo And I’m well under way, given my Garmin training plan, power gel tasting and test runs in the Grisons mountains.
Holy moly. We’re already halfway there.
Or in fact, already two-thirds of the way.
I thought about half-time just over three weeks ago, not long after I’d completed my stress test following a week of injury break. (If you don’t remember my last update, you can read it here.) For a while, I was actually apprehensive at the thought of it. I’ve been running regularly in and around Winterthur for three months now. In that time, I’ve definitely made progress. For instance, I can maintain a higher tempo over a longer period, and I’ve already run 15 km without a break.
But I’ve still got an extra 6 km to pack in by the end of September. And after running those 15 km stretches, I’ve felt zapped. I’d walk the extra kilometres if it weren’t for the fact I’d get picked up by the broom wagon.
With a little help from my friends
Claudio and I made it very clear before starting the challenge that our initial performance test would be the only professional help we’d seek out. And that’s the way it should stay. But if I already own gear, I may as well use it, shouldn’t I? In my case, this is my Garmin connect account that I made for my Garmin Forerunner watch long before we plunged into this half marathon adventure. It contains ready-made training and preparation plans for various running distances, including a half marathon.
Source: Garmin Connect/Oliver Fischer
As of 22 June, Greg has been my virtual Garmin running coach. He put together a 3-month training plan, based on my target finish time and the amount of effort I can put in. I’ve been following it as consistently as possible ever since. He throws in four running sessions a week. And may I add I haven’t missed one yet (OK, so I pushed one back a day). In terms of a typical training week, it starts with a relaxed run, then two different types of tempo or interval runs and a long run to round it off.
If coach Greg and my Garmin watch are anything to go by – how else can I gauge it – I’m well on my way to hitting my target at the Greifensee half marathon. As long as my three-week summer holiday starting Saturday 20 July doesn’t put a spoke in my wheels.
Gadgets, material and equipment
When it comes to writing about my running equipment, I’ve been incredibly restrained thus far. One reason being that I simply didn’t buy anything for this project to start with and instead hit the ground running with the kit I already had. Recently, however, my wife watched with a weird look as I unpacked two running shirts from a Galaxus package and muttered: «Sports stuff again? Don’t you think you’ve got enough now?»
Source: Oliver Fischer
OK, so I admit I’ve added a few things to my collection in the last three months. But not really that much, I don’t think. At least, none that I don’t need. And I’m still using everything I already had.
Here comes my current running kit:
The most important thing is, of course, running shoes. When I was more sporty 15+ years ago, my ride or die were Asics, and it’s still the case today. These running shoes have always been like a second skin and still are. I’ve had the following two models for three years and a year and a half respectively:
However, they’re soon to be joined by a brand new pair that’ll help me on my first trail running attempts on holiday in the Grisons mountains:
As previously mentioned, there’s also the Garmin Forerunner 935 and a Garmin pulse belt. All in all, I’m very pleased with both products, although the watch does have a GPS hiccup from time to time:
The two new running shirts I mentioned are like the trail running shoes from Dynafit. One outing is all it takes for them to feel comfortable. This is surely down to the low weight and fine nature of the fabric. I’ve also got two Craft shirts:
As for shorts, I’ve got three pairs. One from well-known Swiss brand Ronning that I’ve had for years (when the label was still cool). And two identical Nike ones that I bought in a fashion outlet in southern Switzerland.
As well as that, I’ve got two pairs of long Skins leggings for winter that have been a feature in my wardrobe for a long time. One for a good 15 years; the other for even longer:
When the sun actually shines, as it has in the last few days, I run with an Ortovox cap and those sunglasses that fellow sports editor Patrick Bardelli has had his eye on since last summer.
In cool, damp weather, I don a CMP Campagnolo running jacket,which isn’t in our range and actually comes from the aforementioned fashion outlet.
What else? On yeah, headphones. However, I gave up trying to listen to energetic music while running, as the beat hardly ever matched my rhythm. Instead, I listen to podcasts no matter what speed I’m running. I use Shokz’s OpenRun Pro, which sports editor Siri Schubert reviewed and found to be very good.
But there again, I owned them way before I started training for the Greifensee half marathon.
This might look like a lot of kit. In a way, it is. But the «only» things I bought new during the last four months are the shorts and the running jacket I picked up in Ticino, along with the sunglasses, two new shirts and now the trail running shoes. I reckon it could have been worse.
Oh, and I almost forgot. Last time I told you I was going all in with my diet. I got to thinking about the half marathon and the best thing to eat during the race. This is another area where I took my inspiration from Siri and her experiences and tests. So I ordered a whole load of power gels from different manufacturers, which I’m now constantly trying out:
I haven’t tested all the gels yet, but so far the Peak Punks are my favourite. Not only do they taste nice, they also have a decent amount of gel per pack and a pleasant consistency that doesn’t require water.
Main trial run ahead – perhaps
Since April, I’ve been toying with the idea of taking part in a shorter fun run before the Greifensee half marathon. It’d be a good way to put into place all the preparation for the day and experience being on the starting line. That’s why I’ve signed up for the Madrisa Trail in Klosters at the beginning of August. It’s an 11 km route from Klosters to Monbiel and back.
I’ll let you know next time how it goes.
If you want to know what Claudio and I have already achieved – or not as the case may be – in the last three months, you can read our previous updates here:
Header image: Oliver Fischer
Oliver Fischer
Teamleader Editorial
Oliver.Fischer@digitecgalaxus.chGlobetrotter, hiker, wok world champion (not in the ice channel), word acrobat and photo enthusiast.