It is easy to take technological innovations for granted, especially once these innovations become common-place.
Here are five technological innovations that are worth continuing to appreciate as a runner or walker.
Innovation #1 - Cellphone Although many runners and walkers misuse cellphones while training or racing, there are many valuable reasons to carry a cellphone.
And the number-one reason has to be for obtaining help in the event of an emergency.
Innovation #2 - GPS Watch GPS wrist units, also known more simply as GPS watches, have given runners and walkers accurate tracking of average pace, overall pace, accumulated distance, lap splits, direction, actual route covered (by longitude and latitude that can be mapped to street segments covered), duration, and altitude changes.
And they have given runners and walkers the freedom to start a run or walk headed in any direction and know exactly where to turn around to cover the desired total distance in a workout.
Innovation #3 - Interval Timer Micro-level pacing entails repeated, back-to-back intervals of higher and lower paces -- such as running for five minutes at a 10:30/mile pace and walking for one minute at a 14:00/mile pace.
And walkers use micro-level pacing to have faster and slower repeating intervals of walking.
Those who use micro-level pacing in their runs or walks swear by the recovery and injury-prevention benefits.
And an interval timer makes it simple to know exactly when to speed up or slow down.
Although you can find dual-interval interval timers in some watches and GPS wrist units, one of the best interval timers takes a triple-A cell, has a large display, and can be clipped on to one's hydration belt like a pager.
(Remember those?!) Innovation #4 - Technical Fabrics Technical fabrics have made it possible for runners and walkers to exercise more comfortably in warmer and colder weather, given the way that these fabrics pull perspiration away from the skin so that the perspiration will evaporate quickly.
In contrast, cotton can hold twenty-five times its weight in water.
This means, for example, that a cotton T-shirt can be some two pounds heavier at the end of a workout than at the beginning of a workout.
Innovation #5 - LED Blinker An LED blinking light, also known more simply as an LED blinker, can save your life when you are running or walking on the road or trail.
An LED blinker's battery lasts a long time, its visibility can exceed that of many incandescent blinkers, and its variety of blinking patterns lets you pick a pattern that will draw others' attention to you.
Here are five technological innovations that are worth continuing to appreciate as a runner or walker.
Innovation #1 - Cellphone Although many runners and walkers misuse cellphones while training or racing, there are many valuable reasons to carry a cellphone.
And the number-one reason has to be for obtaining help in the event of an emergency.
Innovation #2 - GPS Watch GPS wrist units, also known more simply as GPS watches, have given runners and walkers accurate tracking of average pace, overall pace, accumulated distance, lap splits, direction, actual route covered (by longitude and latitude that can be mapped to street segments covered), duration, and altitude changes.
And they have given runners and walkers the freedom to start a run or walk headed in any direction and know exactly where to turn around to cover the desired total distance in a workout.
Innovation #3 - Interval Timer Micro-level pacing entails repeated, back-to-back intervals of higher and lower paces -- such as running for five minutes at a 10:30/mile pace and walking for one minute at a 14:00/mile pace.
And walkers use micro-level pacing to have faster and slower repeating intervals of walking.
Those who use micro-level pacing in their runs or walks swear by the recovery and injury-prevention benefits.
And an interval timer makes it simple to know exactly when to speed up or slow down.
Although you can find dual-interval interval timers in some watches and GPS wrist units, one of the best interval timers takes a triple-A cell, has a large display, and can be clipped on to one's hydration belt like a pager.
(Remember those?!) Innovation #4 - Technical Fabrics Technical fabrics have made it possible for runners and walkers to exercise more comfortably in warmer and colder weather, given the way that these fabrics pull perspiration away from the skin so that the perspiration will evaporate quickly.
In contrast, cotton can hold twenty-five times its weight in water.
This means, for example, that a cotton T-shirt can be some two pounds heavier at the end of a workout than at the beginning of a workout.
Innovation #5 - LED Blinker An LED blinking light, also known more simply as an LED blinker, can save your life when you are running or walking on the road or trail.
An LED blinker's battery lasts a long time, its visibility can exceed that of many incandescent blinkers, and its variety of blinking patterns lets you pick a pattern that will draw others' attention to you.
SHARE
