How I felt when Garmin shut down!
This weekend fitness fanatics from all over the world struggled to make sense of Garmin shutting down due to a data breach in their system. In the last few years, the convenience of this special piece of technology has spoiled us all. At the palm of our hands, we are able to access data that simply was not around several years ago. Garmin Connect not only inspires our own running but keeps us connected other’s fitness journeys. I won’t lie, I felt frustrated not being able to view my athlete’s runs. However, in the grand scheme of things I was reminded this was a minor inconvenience at best. I was also reminded of how I got into running in the first place. When I started running at 13 years old, I left my door with a Timex watch on my left wrist, a pair of beat up Nike shoes and long basketball shorts. There were early Garmin watch models on the market but I was not aware of how this technology may benefit my running. I didn’t know much about GPS watches in general and honestly I didn’t care to know about them. I started running not to brag about the pace or distance I ran. I ran for the love of the sport and sense of accomplishment it made me feel. I can remember on summer days waiting all day to run when the sun died down during dusk. There was nothing more freeing than winding down a day on the back roads near my house. I experienced a feeling I had never felt before in my life. That feeling was gratification and genuine love for pushing my body to the next level. And I will admit, when I got to high school, I ended up purchasing one of the first Garmin watches. It took me sometimes 10 minutes or longer to get GPS. If we were running in the woods, there was no way GPS was going to pick up. I couldn’t depend on my watch half the time, so I stuck to the routes my mom had measured for me in her car. Also, I had an older brother guiding me in the process and showed me I had everything I needed to enjoy running. When Garmin crashed a few days ago, it reminded me that this sport is not about a distance or time on your watch. This sport is about putting one foot in front of the other while taking on the challenge of pushing your body to new limits. And while I am extremely grateful for the amazing Garmin technology we have, I also remember that it's not my watch but it's the act of running that brings happiness to each and every one of us. Running is pure and it’s not going anywhere. We must not be limited by the information on our watch. We must keep showing up and running for the love of the sport. Happy Running! *Spewak Training coaches are accepting new clients. Please feel free to reach out to us contact@spewaktraining.com to learn more about our training services.*