And the Winner of the Free Soleus GPS 1.0 Is...

CONGRATULATIONS 

to Trish Imiela of Ferny Hills DC Queensland, Australia,winner of the Soleus GPS 1.0 Running Watch! And a huge thanks to all who entered and who support the blog. 


A Big Thanks to Soleus for providing such an awesome giveaway! If you haven't already, be sure to visit their website and check out all their products including the GPS 1.0.


If you haven't had a chance to check out my review of the Soleus GPS 1.0 Running Watch, click here.


Your support and readership of the blog means so much. If so inclined, a vote of support for RunnerDude's Blog at The Top 100 Running Sites would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your readership!


Note: While Soleus requested the product review and provided the GPS watch for testing, I received no payment for completing the review, nor was I encouraged to write a positive review. The review results are strictly based on my experience using the Soleus GPS 1.0.

Soleus Is In the House!

Garmin has reigned king over the GPS running watch market for years. Not so much because they're the best, but rather they've been the only thing available. Not knocking Garmin, they have a good product (except I did have a horrendous time with a 405 that was a lemon from the get-go and never worked right), but they are a bit pricey. 

If you're looking for a basic GPS watch to measure your distance, speed, pace, and calories burned that's not going to bust your budget, there really hasn't been much available....until now. A new competitor has entered the market--Soleus. The Soleus GPS 1.0 Digital Running Watch is very much affordable ($99) as compared to Garmin's lowest priced GPS watch the Forerunner 110 (not really sure of it's price because on the Garmin website it's listed at $179.99 on one page and then on the page where you order it, it's listed at $229.99).

I've been testing out the Soleus GPS 1.0 for a little over a month now and I've really enjoyed using it. It has everything I need. It's very simple to use right out of the box. It's provided accurate pace and distance each time I've used it. I have really small wrist and the other GPS watches on the market always felt so huge and bulky on my wrist. The Soleus GPS 1.0 is about as close to the size of a regular sports watch that I've seen. It fits well. I think both women and men will be surprised and happy with the size and feel when wearing it. Another cool thing about the Soleus GPS 1.0 is that you can input your personal data to help you track calories burned during your workout.

More specifically, the Soleus GPS 1.0 comes with the following:

• GPS: high-sensitivity receiver

• Distance: current & total in Miles or Km

• Pace/Speed: current & average

• Calories Burned: current & total Kcal burned

• Chrono: 1/100 second resolution

• Data Storage: 100-lap memory

• Water-Resistant: 3 ATM

• World Time: 106 cities covering all time zones

• Rechargeable Battery: USB rechargeable lithium-ion

• Weight= 2 ounces

Fits my small wrist well and is very light!

Some GPS users who like downloading all their data so they can analyze their runs, may not like not having that ability with the Soleus GPS 1.0. It does have a certain amount of memory to store each run's data so you can look back at past runs directly on the watch.

What it doesn't have in data "downloadability" it makes up for in reams with it's high sensitivity GPS receiver. The runs with my clients take me into all kinds of terrain much of which is thickly covered with trees, even a tunnel! So having a GPS that can quickly find the satellite and keep it is a must and Soleus delivers on both. Love that!

The Soleus website provides great easy-to-follow videos on how to use the GPS 1.0. This really helped me get up and running very quickly.

Soleus GPS 1.0 - Basic User Guide from Soleus UK on Vimeo.

So, if you're thinking about getting a GPS watch and don't want to (or can't) take out a bank loan to get one, try the Soleus GPS 1.0. I'm very pleased with my experience with the Soleus. It does everything I need it to. It's dependable. It's small. Best of all, it's affordable!

Note: While Soleus requested the product review and provided the GPS watch for testing, I received no payment for completing the review, nor was I encouraged to write a positive review. The review results are strictly based on my experience using the Soleus GPS 1.0. 

Your support and readership of the blog means so much. If so inclined, a vote of support for RunnerDude's Blog at The Top 100 Running Sites would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your readership! 

Calf-Strengthening Workout for Runners

A reader of the blog, Wendy, motivated me to write this post and make the related video workout. Wendy contacted me and wanted to know what she could do for a "blown Achilles tendon" other than "bawling on the couch."

Wendy's situation is unfortunately pretty common among runners. When overworked, the Achilles will become inflamed which is usually tendonitis. If the inflammation isn't taken care of and the runner continues to work it, it can tear or rupture. Rest is usually the best thing when you're feeling soreness in the Achilles area, but if the pain is intense and/or continuous, you need to get an appointment with your sports doc and get a diagnosis and plan for how best to let it heal. -
Achilles problems usually are a result of problems with a group of muscles further up the leg—the calves(the gastrocnemius and the soleus). These two muscles run down the back of the lower leg and the Achilles tendon is what connects them to the heel bone. The calf muscles help propel you forward, but in runners the calves often tighten up causing the Achilles tendon to work a lot harder than it's supposed to. This extra work is what causes the tendonitis or in most severe cases, a tear or rupture.

Calf strengthening exercises and calf stretches are the best way to avoid Achilles tendon injuries. The following workout shows 5 different exercises that target your calves as well as two stretches. Once or twice a week pick 2 or 3 of the exercises and do 12-15 reps and 2-3 sets of each and before you know it you'll have calves that are working hard making you a stronger more efficient runner.



I heard back from Wendy the next day and she had good news. A trip to the physical therapist revealed it was some localized swelling and pain, but not a tear. A cortisone patch and some stretching exercises was prescribed. She'll be back running as soon as she can walk up and down the stairs with no pain. Yeah!