old data

I bought a new Forerunner just before the marathon last fall, because my old Garmin 201 was dieing (sp?).   Every run I have ever done (with only a couple exceptions) was on that old 201, since 2004 when I started running.  What I wanted was to have all my run data in one place.  I knew I couldn’t import it back onto the new Garmin (and I didn’t want to), but I did want the logbook to all be together.

But now I had a problem.  The 201 uses a serial plug to connect to my computer.  Well, my new laptop has no serial connection.  Its all USB, except for the monitor.  I have another computer that does have a serial connector through which I could download the 201 data.  But that computer is not usable for home and I want the data on the same computer.

I tried using a serial/USB converter with zero success.  Wasted some money on one.  Never again.

I thought I could just take the Forerunner Logbook data from the one computer and then transfer it to the other.  Apparently, the Forerunner Logbook doesn’t like other files and won’t let me add other logbook data.

So then I downloaded SportTracks, which is very nice and is more flexible than the eminently lame Forerunner Logbook.  So now I had the new 205 data on the laptop, but still needed the 201 data from the other computer.

What I ended up doing was installing SportTracks on the other computer, downloading from the 201 into SportTracks there, then saving the entire set of data as a fitnesslog.  I then imported that log into the log I had already established for the the 205 on the good laptop.  Tada!  I now have ALL my running data.

Sadly, the 201 had limited memory and began erasing the GPS data for older runs as I logged in new ones, starting sometime last year.  I do have that data stored in the Forerunner Logbook entries on a VERY old desktop computer in the basement.  Since that data is forever locked in the Forerunner Logbook, I can only export it as some strange file type, which can’t be imported into SportTracks, I don’t think.

After the 201 is done charging, it goes back into the backpack of old running gear.  This is probably the last time I will ever need to turn it on.

Now I have my running times and paces for all of my running.  Aaaaand I now have my running totals for all the years I’ve been running.

Date    Distance     Time          pace       speed
2004    131.86       23:04:35        10:30    5.7
2005    662.94       104:11:40     9:26       6.4
2006    308.35       49:14:30       9:35       6.3
2007    526.56       87:13:01        9:56       6
2008    508.78       89:42:40      10:35     5.7
2009    713.37       126:51:05     10:38     5.6
2010    725.93       115:34:23     9:33        6.3
2011    6.01             0:53:06      8:50       6.8
Total   3,583.79    596:45:04       9:59       6

Unfortunately, I still don’t know how to insert a nice table into WordPress.  There are a few plugins I have tried, but they are majorly clunky and suck.  All I want to do it copy a table from XL or Word and have it appear in the post.  The best I can do it copy and paste it as a picture, which comes out all fuzzy and awful.

It looks like 2010 was the most I’ve ever run in one year.  It probably would have been a lot more if I hadn’t basically stopped running after the marathon.  2005 seems to have been my fastest year on average.  And it just occurred to me that the 725 miles I ran in 2010, may have been on the same pair of shoes.

3,583 miles.  Not too bad.  :)