Adding functions...

When I got my Garmin last year, I chose the one that also came with the heart rate monitor because I knew there were additional training benefits to be gained by heart rate training.  Well its been 7 months and have I used that heart rate monitor once?  Nope.  When I first started using the Garmin (the Forerunner 405cx...awesome!) I promised myself I'd start basic and add the use of a new function each week until I could exploit everything packaged in this computer on my wrist.  Yeah, good intentions.  As I normally do, I fell into a pattern and just enjoyed watching my pace and mileage.

Found this beauty on a wall near 13th
and Pennsylvania Ave SE.  I love it!

Today I changed my pattern and added that heart rate monitor.  I know its going to take a while to get used to it, but wanted to start figuring it out.  So I started out and realized after the first quarter mile that I wasn't getting a reading.  I stopped to figure that one out briefly, and, duh...you have to enable it on the watch settings.  With the heart rate monitor working, I took off again.  I wasn't moving horribly fast.  It was a hot day, very humid and I was dehydrated.  I know my heart rate should be somewhere in the range of 150-163 if I'm working at 85%.  Mostly that's where I was, but the heat and dehydration caused me to spike to 175 a few times.  Overall, today my average heart rate was 154.  I'll get the hang off this and learn how to read it throughout my workout to maximize my cardio.  Until then, happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  5.01
Time:   43:21 (average pace of 8:39 per mile)
Location:  Capitol Hill, Lincoln Park, Stanton Park
Feeling:  drenched, it was so darn hot