I'd hinted in a previous comment that I would talk a bit about the electronic wizardry I'm using to help me keep running.  Purists won't care about this, as they pretty much "just run".  If you fall in that category and like it that way, don't waste your time on the rest of this post. ;)

I am a big fan of "instant gratification".  I completely understand that if I run for three months, I should feel better, lose weight, run better, etc.  But, I don't want to wait for three months to see those kind of results.  I need to know that I'm doing smthng other than wasting my time... NOW! Hence, I resort to electronic gadgetry. :)

The primary (and currently only) source of electronic wizardry I employ for running is a Garmin Forerunner 305.  This is basically a GPS crammed into something that looks vaguely like a big watch.  It also has a wireless heart rate monitor (optional - not required for running).  In the simplest sense, it keeps track of where I am and how fast my heart is beating.  It can also keep track of my times and follow a simple workout schedule to prompt me to change pace.

However, what makes it really useful is the software to analyze that data.  This can pretty much tell me everything about my run and map out my performance and improvement over time.  That's kind of a big deal to me.  The instant gratification factor comes from being able to look at where I ran and see that I ran longer, further, faster, whatever.  It's also a real bonus to me to know that I ran 6 miles the first week, 8 miles the second week, 11 miles last week, etc.  If you want to get really technical, I also know that my shoes have 28 miles on them already (I expect to get at least 300 out of them).

The Forerunner 305 comes with some software called Garmin Training Center. This is one of the products I use to keep track of everything.  It's also about the only practical way to set up a workout and send it to the 305.  Here's the main portion of what it looks like after plugging in the 305 when I get home from a run (click for biggie):

The four panes are pretty easy to deal with... the top left is a calendar showing either when you ran or when you are scheduled to do so (depending on which screen you're looking at).  The pane below that is a list of activities you've uploaded.  The top right is a map of any given activity and the bottom right is the graph of the activity itself.  There's plenty of other stuff buried on tabs too...  like stats and such.

For example, for the walk/run above, I went 5.17 miles in 1 hour 13 and a half minutes, at an average pace of 14:14 minutes per mile, average speed of 4.2 mph, max speed was 7.8 mph, burning about 642 calories, with an average heart rate of 138 bpm (max was 182), etc.  I also have specific readouts of how long (and for what distance) I was in each "zone" for heart rate and speed.

By looking at the graph, I can tell that my first leg of jogging was where I did the most work, as it was about 12 minutes and I maintained a heart rate of about 170 during that time (it was also where my max HR of 182 was, because I started running too fast).

The Forerunner and the software give me a LOT of information.  For some people, this won't be a big deal at all.  For me, it's a "must have"!  Without it, I wouldn't be running as often and I wouldn't be running as well as I am.

This is just sort of an introduction to using a GPS for running... I've already got a lot more info on this, as I'm already branching out into other software (like SportTracks, which kinda rocks).  I'll post up more details about Training Center and SportTracks in future writings.

BTW...  it should be noted that there are lots of ways you can get our training data online.  The Garmins even come with a basic service to do so.  Just be careful what you upload...  Notice that the above map is in a park in Washington, DC.  It's not a map showing my wife's regular running route, nor is it showing where the front door of my house is.  You'd be surprised at how many "tracks" I've found online with this kind of stuff in it.  There are weirdos out there... don't make their jobs too easy.  Don't be paranoid... just be aware.