Cranking out the Miles

My Year in Garmin Connect...

Killing time in a boring meeting, attempting to look productive, about the best thing I can do is open up Garmin Connect and tool around. I could be doing something work-related. You see, Garmin Connect is where I upload my workout activities after they happen. I am very much in the camp of "If I don't have my Garmin device or it isn't in Connect, then it probably didn't happen". I have access to more GPS devices than I have fingers, so I have no excuse to run with a naked wrist or handlebar. And if I do, I totally make something up to put it in Connect. This has to be the most vain activity I participate in. 

So last week when I felt safe I wouldn't be called out in our "Marketing Deliverables" (please verify if this is in fact a real word) meeting, I ran some GC reports to see what last year looked like. Whereas in the previous 4 years at Garmin I wasn't consistent at uploading activities, this past year I made an attempt to keep the journal up to date. The charts below show how many minutes and miles I ran, rode and sweat out. And before I'm accused of home-cooking the mathematics, if you add everything up, there's a gap outside of running and cycling that's filled with a variety of indoor and outdoor soccer games, as well as some classic racquetball slugfests with Z. 

Running: 116 activities, 542 miles, 86 hours outside (treadmills are lame...and I was kicked out of the YMCA) and a very rough estimate of 57,500 calories burned. That's an average of 4.7 miles and 44 minutes per run in 2011. 

(All serious, pretending to be The Legend)

Not in the numbers: I got lost running at Lonestar Lake in Lawrence after a photoshoot with one of Garmin's sponsored triathletes, and a four mile easy yog turned into a blisteringly-hot slog past hordes of vultures (true story) who I can only assume wanted to eat my soul. I was so dehydrated at one point, I debated jumping in the lake and swimming across to my car. Classic case of being able to see the finish line but having no idea how to make it there. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/109502829 

Favorite run: Psycho Wyco 10 mile trail run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68272808

Cycling: 31 times on the bike, 870 miles, 43 hours outside (not coordinated enough to figure out an indoor trainer), and approximately 38,000 calories burned. That's an average of 28 miles and 1 hour 23 minutes per ride. 

(Amusing myself since I was all by myself during the Team Garmin ride-out)

Not in the numbers: On my hybrid bike, I finished the Bike MS event at the exact same time as our department VP, who was riding a sweet Cervelo. Our rides were virtually equal, with the only other minor difference being that he took the 110 mile route, while I rode 78. http://myfuturestache.blogspot.com/2011/10/bike-ms-is-that-all-youve-got-weather.html 

Favorite Ride: 30 mile ride in Chicago with Melody. In all, we rode 6 times for over 90 miles during the 4th of July vacation: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/97438935 

Close Second: Team Garmin Ride-out. Rode 20 with the professional cyclists from Team Garmin Cervelo. Can't find this in GC, but I know it happened. I helped organize, and as a result was the last dude out of the gates. Caught up to a few families, but by the time I arrived back at HQ the beer was in jeopardy of not finding my belly. 

(Team Garmin pro cyclists captivating a full house in the Garmin auditorium)

Totals: 175 activities, which is roughly one outing every other day of the year. I was 30 miles shy of 1,500 and 1,300 calories away from burning 100,000 last year. While that seems like a lot of sweat equity, I more than made up for it by making a habit of gorging on Kin Lin's General Tso's, Chipotle's burrito bowls and frozen pizza's after working out. I'm that person who fuels his workouts with thoughts of cupcakes, dark beers and comfort food. Which is why I'm glad the one thing I didn't log was calories consumed. Then I'd be breaking some records.