THE Covid-19 pandemic has turned running into a mental and emotional respite for so many people.
Back when public parks were closed, I would see runners everywhere, on roads and uneven pavements around the city, in the morning and late afternoon.
As a runner myself, I perfectly understand what this activity does to your mental state. Whenever problems or uncertainties bogged me down, I would go out for a run. It helped lighten my head and gave me the clarity of thought I needed, something that was elusive if I did not sweat it out.
If you are new to the running game, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is a perfect running companion.
For those new to the Garmin Forerunner series, here's a lowdown. The entry-level Forerunner 55 is an improved version of the Forerunner 45, and at RM940, costs less than the latter when it was launched.
More complex and expensive are Forerunners 245, 745 and 945. I expect the 55 will also lead to Forerunner 255, 755 and 955, all improved from their predecessors.
NEW WATCH FOR NEWBIE
With the tagline "Call Yourself A Runner" and a model whose physique looks like someone who's new to running - or someone, who like me, has not been logging consistent mileage — the watch is meant to accompany a new runner along his or her running journey.
I like it for many reasons. At 37g, it's almost weightless. Its face is round with chronograph-like buttons. I like the masculine feel. It makes me feel like a more serious runner than what I actually am.
I long to go back to those days when a 21km weekend run was just a routine but age and raising a young child have their ways of shelving your own interest, no matter how you try to get your life back.
I like it that it's smart enough to detect my movements without prior instruction. The general exercise recommendation is 150 intensity minutes a week and the Forerunner 55 will calculate exertions you make, whether it's brisk walking, climbing up stairs or walking uphill without you having to start these activities as recorded exercise.
Those who regularly exercise know the importance of including all kinds of movement beyond running, so having a running watch that detects this is important, at least for motivation.
Otherwise, an unplanned walk to the grocery store or coffee run doesn't count as intensity minutes.
EASY ACCESS
The watch is not touch screen. There are five buttons on the watch for you to access its content.
This is very helpful because experience has taught me that one wrong touch on a touch screen watch could delete a good 10km run, just like that.
The colour contrast and display isn't amazing, but that's fine by me. I just need a watch that syncs with my movement.
It also displays your VO2 Max, which is the measurement of your fitness, and my motivation to build my stamina. You can also see your heart rate, step count and calories burned.
I like it that the watch looks like a basic piece of accessory but it is really smart and useful. There's even a workout suggestion if you are looking at improving your mileage.
One weekend, just before I wanted to run for the second consecutive day, it reminded me to rest or cross-train, to prevent overuse injury.
But a week later, it asked me to complete a certain distance with a certain pace to build my mileage. You can dismiss this, of course, and run the distance or time you want.
It's a simple but smart tool, and new runners would be motivated by the statistics and would definitely be encouraged to run consistently