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Running for Geeks
ptorrone writes "It's certainly possible to geek out while you run and there are in fact running geeks. I started a new resource for geeks who like to jog, or who like me, are training to run a marathon. This month's features: Getting the right shoes and socks using technology, the Garmin Forerunner 201 GPS watch (also using the XML files for mapping), using the iPod/iTunes, with audiobooks as a training aid and lastly videos and photos of the 'Geek Gym' as well as the portable version for checking email, RSS feeds and IRC on the go as well as at home while exercising." If you're having trouble getting motivated, there are people who can help.
I had to give up on running a couple years back due to a chronic knee problem. No problem finding other things to geek out in, though, such as bicycling, which is my current passion. I've got a cycling computer which has temp, cadence, heartrate, etc. and tracks it for later download to my computer (it's a Cyclosport HAC4) With advances in bicycle construction technology and cycling computers it's a natural to explore and push limits beyond the sweat.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I would be interested in any technology that helps me train for my office chair races each day. I stopped running and walking years ago, now I simply roll. Its the future of america i tell ya.
I tried to exercise at what I thought was a reasonable speed, but I would inevitably get winded, give up and lose initiative. But then my girlfriend got me a monitor for my birthday and after using it I realized that my heart rate was WAY too high. Use of the monitor validated that even at slow speeds I was getting heart-healthy exercise. It also allows me to see my progress as my cardiovascular system improves and I am able to exercise harder and longer and still stay in my ideal zone. It's a great tool.
The great thing about running is that it requires so little preparation. No tires to pump, no pool to drive to, no weights to buy. Just you and your shoes.
I come home and can be out the door, ready to run, in five minutes.
I permit myself one bit of tech: a walkman. In the current case, and actual Walkman-brand walkman, but I'm going to replace it with an MP3-type player. Since I only listen to books on tape, which sound just fine at 32 Kbps, you can fit an awful lot of stuff on an inexpensive player. Perfect for three-hour-long LSD runs. (LSD=Long Slow Distance).
If I wanted something easy on me, I'd have chosen knitting.
you can spend much more power, and you have more flexibility in choosing a suitable power level
With the aid of a bunch of equipment...
you can cover a larger area so it's less boring
You don't know how to "get into" things. Running is a frame of mind, not a mode of transportation.
more flexibility in duration. Biking 8 hours a day is no problem for an untrained person, but running is.
Why do you insist on measuring the value in terms of distance travelled and time spent? And a runner can slow to a walk if he/she is tired.
you can carry some luggage easily (iPod, phone, gps, book to read while pausing, drinks)
God, none of that crap belongs on me when I'm running. Sounds like you need a whole bunch of shit to prevent yourself from being bored while performing your "hobby."
you don't need to wear silly clothing (although you certainly can)
Folks, it doesn't get much dorkier than being concerned with what your clothing looks like. Especially when you're performing an activity that causes you to sweat. "Hey, at least my sweat-soaked shirt is stylin'..." Sheesh.
a modern bike is way more interesting technically than running shoes.
Sounds like you bike because somebody told you it'd be good for your health. Everything you've said seems to imply you don't even enjoy doing it -- complaining about exertion, relief from boredom, physical discomfort, etc...
Feel free to bike, and tell others to bike, but don't compare what you do to what a runner does. It's cliche to say it, but if you have to ask why we run, there's nothing we can possibly say that will ever explain it to you.