Marmot Transcend Pants

Got myself a pair of Transcend convertible pants from Marmot today. This was an online purchase off Jabong. It cost me Rs 3683. On Amazon it was a lot more expensive. I guess about Rs 5.5K. Insane to spend so much more there. 

It was a pure impulse purchase. I was a little over joyed to see official Marmot on sale on Indian websites. So ordered it, though I didn't have much need for them in the near future. Got it in khaki colour and in size 34. 

First-Wear Impressions

The fabric is soft and nice to touch. It's light in weight. The fit is a little loose. Have I grown even thinner or is it some Marmot speciality? Have to measure my waist. But my 32 Levi's fits me perfectly well. I wore the Marmot with a belt and it was fine. I might need to buy a canvas belt for treks. I am not returning it for fit. Length is fine too for trekking. The two cross pockets on the side don't have any zip. There is a zipped pocket on the right leg and two backpockets with velcro closure. 

The legs have zips on the side at the bottom so that one can wear or take it off with one's trekking boots on. 

The nicest thing about the pants is their convertibility. When you wear the full length you don't feel the zip round your lower thighs (unlike my Indian pair of convertible pants). Taking the lower half off to make it into a pair of half pants is a breeze. You don't need to struggle with the zip. 

I think I am going to enjoy this pair as a regular outdoor wear and not for trekking only. 

I shall revisit this after using the pair for a few years and give a long term review :-)

August 26, 2017

I wore these pants in two of my recent outings in 2017. Now is the time to give a short opinion about the experience. I wore them first for a few days during my Desert National (DNP) trip in February. Next I wore them to Roopkund. These are two extremes.

At Ganga dunes near Sam, DNP. February 2017

The trousers performed very well. I never had to bother about anything related to the trousers. It was roomy and airy in the desert. In the trek it performed well, particularly in the rain (basically a snowfall that turned into a rain). It started snowing in Roopkund and by the time I came back down to Bhogwabasa, it was raining hard. While I had my Marmot Precip on top, I had only the trousers for my bottom. It dried on my body within no time after the rains stopped.

Once again on the last day of my trek, I got completely drenched on the journey from Neel Ganga to Wan. It dried once again in no time. I think from now it will be my go to pants for treks or any rough journey, even the "with family" ones.

My only grouse is storage. There should have been more zippered pockets. Things can tumble out of the short cross pockets and they don't have any zip. 

Good Year Tyre Inflator/Compressor

First Use Report

The unit on the coffee table of our drawing room 

Before my Jaipur/Ranthambore trip in October 2016, I bought a Good Year tyre inflator or compressor from Minku of Indo Radial Club. The model is RCP B2. A 6 inch-ish round disc like thing in the typical blue and yellow colour of Good Year. It's about a couple of inches fat and weighs around 500 gm. This cost me Rs 1300, which is much cheaper than the Amazon or Flipkart price. I purchased it on the last day before the trip, as a safety measure.  In case I had a puncture I could pump in some emergency air and drive for some distance. Somehow, this time I felt more scared about tyre punctures than I ever have. So I put it in the boot just in case. Bought it so late that I couldn't even check to see how it works.

Fortunately or otherwise I didn't get a chance to inflate my tyre in either any emergency or non-emergency during the trip. After coming home from the trip I tried to use it for inflating Mampu's cycle tyre. But I realised that that particular valve (called Woods valve) needed a kind of adapter that I did not have. The adapters given with the inflator are for footballs and balloons. 

The Presta valve of my Merida road bike with the cap off

Woods valve on Mampu's Hero

Before going ahead let me explain that there are broadly three types of valves that are used in bicycles today. And as luck would have it I have all three types in three different bikes. My road racing bike has what is known as a Presta valve. It's for very high pressure tyres. The other type is called the Woods valve (it is also known as Dunlop or Dutch valve). This is what most traditional bicycles in India have. My daughter's Hero has this type of valve. The third type is known as Schrader valve. My MTB bike (the old Hero made new) has this type of valve. This is the same as a car valve. Therefore without using an adapter I cannot inflate any of my bicycle tyres except the ones in my MTB.

This morning, before going out to cycle I realised my MTB bike didn't have enough air pressure. So, I jumped at the opportunity to test my new tyre inflator :-) It's a fairly simple procedure to follow. First you fasten the inflating hose on the valve of the cycle. This hose sits on the back of the unit in a nice round groove for storage. Then you put the jack on the other end into the cigarette lighter holder of the car. This jack is long enough for the unit to reach all the four wheels of the Duster. Now you start the ignition of the car. Then switch on the yellow button on the inflator and it rattles to life. 

Schrader valve of the Restored Hero MTB

I kept an eye on the pressure gauge, which is an easy to read round dial. It's an analogue dial and not digital. It rose steadily from 20 psi to 40 and then 60. Within a few seconds really. I am sure with a large SUV tyre it will take much longer. But that's fine. I am sure the more expensive units will do the job faster.

As I see it, the only issue with the inflator is the tremendous rattle and noise. I held it in my hand. I don't know how safe or unsafe that is. If I have to rest it on the floor, I would like to put it on a well padded surface. Like a small piece of reasonably thick foam. Otherwise the noise will drive me crazy.

The other negative about the inflator is that the jack which goes inside the lighter holder is not smooth. It takes some effort to drive it in and pull it out. I guess with use it will get easier.

Mechanical products such as these need to be regularly used to remain in service. If I leave it in the boot of the car, untouched for two years it will not work when I need it on the highway one fine afternoon in the middle of nowhere. So regularly inflating the bicycles with it is one of the options. I also have an old football that cannot retain its pressure for too long. I guess I will fill it with air every once in a while. Just to give the Good Year some exercise.

This is the first use report. Let me see how well it survives a year of regular use. I shall revisit this page after a year and update with a long term use report.

Report After About A Year (September 5, 2017)

One does not need the tyre inflator every now and then. I did not use it for a long time. Thank God.  I had loaned it to Malcom during his last Goa trip. He also did not need it. The other day when I saw my rear tyre sitting almost flat on the road at the parking lot, I knew I will need to use the inflator. Apart from attracting the attention of casual onlookers on the road (Calcutta has no shortage of them anywhere) it did its job pretty efficiently, albeit slowly. The pressure was down to 10 psi. To pull it up to 30 psi it took about 5 minutes. Slow. But that's fine for I need this back up only once in a while. I had to use it a few more times before I finally repaired the tyre.

Among the cons - apart from being very slow, it rattles a lot. Gets hot a bit after a few minutes. Best would be to let it rest on a towel or foam. I held it in my hand, which was fine.  

I think this is a must have accessory for any car - whether you are going out on a long drive or short city drives. If you have tubless tyres you need it. Tubeless tyres don't go flat right away, unless they are ripped apart. They can retain pressure for a few days even with a nail or screw. This is ideal to have for such small leaks.

Hush Puppies

My older Hush Puppies had given way quite a few months ago. There was a big hole on the sole of my left foot. Finally I changed them in early October before the Pujas. A pair of new Hush Puppies. Their retail price is Rs 7000. But using Bhowmik-da's name I got a 20 per cent discount at the Oberoi arcade Bata. Their store manager is one Mr Sudipto Dev Burman. Bhowmik-da put in a word through to him through the GM HR of Bata.

The shoe feels a little heavy at first. But it is very comfortable, like most Hush Puppies are. There is a certain bounce in it that was lacking in my previous Hush Puppies. But then this is much pricier than them.

November 6, 2016

I had given my two older pairs of Hush Puppies for repair at Mr Mochi's on Darga Road. Today I brought them back. I had spent Rs 500 each. The older pair needed an inner lining change also. However, they said the cobbler who does it is not there and it cannot be done. So they charged me a total of Rs 900.

The shoes look like new. Absolutely no doubt about that. It's a fantastic job for the money. However, they weigh quite a lot more than the originals. Also they feel a little wider and loose on the sides.

I got them repaired basically to have a spare pair ready for the rainy days or for days when I want to take the motorcycle out. Also it is a good idea to give your regular pair a little rest once in a while. They last much longer. These will serve the purpose. I intend to wear them by rotation.

November 10, 2016

Today I bought a pair of Hush Puppies sandals for myself from Bata for Rs 2160. Again by courtesy of Bhowmik-da I got a 20 per cent discount on it. The MRP is above Rs 2600. The pair looks exactly like my previous pair, which served me for a good five years or so perhaps. That was Dr Scholl's though. This feels just a tad tighter than that. That was dark tan. This is pure black. Let me see how long this lasts.

Eheim Classic 2217

Last night I set up the Eheim Classic 2217 filter in my 2 ft tank that I intend to build as a planted tank. As of this morning (less than 12 hours now) it's working silently. There were a few first timer's mistakes on my part but it is doing its job. Let me tell you - a 2217 is a complete overkill for a 2 feet tank. But this is what I have and I cannot help the overkill. I don't want to buy a smaller filter just now. 

This filter had been sitting in my house for quite a few years. Unopened. I had felt daunted by the complexity of setting it up. The useless user manual did not help matters. I realised most of the youtube videos by amateur hobbysts are even worse.

Last night something snapped in my head and I told myself "I must crack this damn thing" and went about learning the game. First I took all the items out of the box. I did not even know how to take out the top head. Do I turn it or pull it up? Is there any knob or switch to click open? I had no clue. Of course I read the instruction manual. As I said it is completely useless. It is just meant to cover the company's backside against legal claims and has mostly "safety instructions" and hardly any useful  "how to set up" instruction. 

For help I turned to youtube once again. Of course I had tried it a few days ago too and was disgusted by what I found. But this time I managed to at least understand that you need to pull the top up, holding the canister between your feet as you sit on a chair or stand. This you do after opening the five clips of course. 

After this I took a hard look at all the items. They made absolutely no sense to me.

This guy here, I realised soon, has a professional video on setting up the 2217. I watched his video several times. But I later realised that this guy over here, though amateur and without a crew, has perhaps a more practical video which gave me the confidence to cut up all the tubings etc (that part seemed quite intimidating to me). Actually where he scores over the pro is in showing the whole thing in one shot holding the two pipes - inlet and outlet - in two hands and explaining all the sections. That was the point where I knew exactly what is to be done. 

None of them is complete on its own. I suppose watching both several times did it for me. 

After cutting the tubes up and joining the various sections the more intimidating part of priming the pump came. I used the suction method where you actually suck on the outlet side of the tube. I had the bucket ready where I put the pipe in when water started coming out. After this I attached the spray bar and put it inside the water. 

I made a small mistake here. The spray bar's holes were pointing downwards. When the water flow increased after some time (after all the trapped air from the canister had gone out), it became too strong and kicked beat up a bad cloud (I have ADA soil). I stopped the filter by switching the power off. Turned the spray bar to point the holes to the top. I even turned the valves on the outlet side to close it a little so that the flow is gentler now. As I said 2217 is an overkill for a planted aquarium. 

I will probably bring in one of my four-footers from my other house and set it up here in my flat. For that aquarium I will use this filter. Probably I will need to buy a smaller filter for my two footer. 

Marmot Guide 700 fill Down Jacket

If you are a serious trekker in the Himalayas you need a down jacket. Period. You may not be able to afford one. But there is no question about its necessity. At its weight and packed size, it offers the maximum possible warmth. I have never owned one but always wanted to have one. Till the other day it was a dream for most Indians including me to find a good down jacket here in India.

I am eternally grateful to our friend Sophie Richter for buying and bringing this jacket over for me from Germany a couple of years ago. It's my first down jacket. I have used the jacket in one high altitude trek so far. Sandakphu to be precise, where we faced sub-zero temperatures (picture above). This is not doing full justice to such a fine piece of equipment but such is life. When you have all the equipment to trek, you don't have the time or convenience to do it. I wish I had all this when I was a student.

Anyway, back to the jacket. Ever since putting this on, I have become a fan of Marmot. It is a wonderful jacket at a reasonable price (of course it was bought for me in Germany, possibly at a discount). It is very warm. Wind proof. Light. The material feels a little delicate but that might well be because it is my only prized possession of its kind and I am extra protective about it.

It folds neatly into a pack in its own internal chest pocket. When packed it looks just like a lady's purse, albeit a little bulgy. I do not see going for any high altitude trek without this.

I don't want to sound too fanboyish but this is a perfect jacket for hiking in middle Himalayas. I have not yet been able to find a fault with it except perhaps the colour :-). It has a hood with a drawchord. Most around town down jackets don't come with hoodies. It also has two front pockets for putting your hands in. They are zippered. There is an internal pocket too which is for packing the jacket in during hiking trips. The materials have fancy names and are supposed to be high quality. Only time can tell if they are so. The zips are obviously very high quality and move up and down without a hassle.

I am most definitely going to take this to Chadar in January 2016 and after that I should be able to give better feedback on its thermal abilities. Sandakphu was not really the ultimate test for the jacket. I intend to use it in Chadar as a thermal mid layer and top it up with my Marmot Percip over it. That's a water proof rainwear. I only hope that it can withstand the abrasive effect of the straps of the rucksack.

Generally the more affluent trekkers in the west use such jackets for warmth after they reach a camp. During the actual hike they use hardshell jackets. I do not want to increase the load in my rucksack and in extreme cold like Chadar I would rather use this for walking than add another jacket.

At home I keep the jacket hanging in my wardrobe. This has perhaps helped it retain its loft. It looks all fluffy even after two years of non-use.

This jacket may not be enough for you to go to 8K peaks. But for lesser mortals like us who trek around the Himalayas in the 15 to 18,000 feet region, this should be good. I do not know what these terms 700 fill or 850 fill mean (you can google it up and get very confused). But this jacket certainly has better loft than my 850 fill sleeping bag from First Ascent, a reputable South African brand. But I don't know, if that is because the sleeping bag was sitting packed in a shop for a long time.

There is an official Marmot store in Kathmandu now. I don't know if this particular jacket is available there. But to read about it at the official site click here .

Buying A Down Jacket In India

As of now Columbia is the only large international brand that is officially available in India. They have decent down jackets for women but nothing as of now for men. There is another store in Rishikesh called Adventure Axis and they stock a wide choice of items. I have bought a sleeping bag from them and the experience was very good. After a telephonic discussion I paid into their bank account in advance and gave them my name and address. They immediately put the item on courier, whatsapped me the courier details. The bag arrived on the second day.

They have some good brands to choose from. And the prices of the items are more or less at par with the retail prices abroad. However, they don't stock the top of the line popular American name brands like Marmot or North Face or Mountain Hardwear etc which are famous in India. They mostly have Rab, which is a very reputable British brand. Most of the Indian expeditions by HMI or other institutions use Rab products. So Rab is good. In fact if you visit the HMI Museum in Darjeeling you can see Rab there kept as mementos from Everest and other 8K expeditions.

Apart from these two places I am not aware of anything else. There might be some specialist stores in cities like Bangalore and Pune and Delhi or Chandigarh. I am not aware.

Kathmandu now has a lot of big brand stores. Marmot, North Face and Mountain Hardwear are there I know. I am sure there are other branded stores there too. Another plus for Kathmandu is the thriving second hand market. Most of the expedition teams sell off their equipment after an expedition. Many gift their stuff to the sherpas who in turn sell them off to the shop keepers in Thamel. That's a very good opportunity to pick up good mountaineering equipment at a bargain price. But of course, it will be a used product and many people have reservations about wearing sleepig in something that has been used by unknown people, which is understandable.

However, the available options now are definitely far better than in the mid 80's when I started hiking in the Himalayas. But I am sure my children will have even better options. I am sure these big name brands will soon be available in India officially. 

Running To Stand Still

The Background

I have been running consistently for the last month and a half !!! Every alternate evening. Started with 20 minutes and 2.33 km. As of now it stands at 3 km in 23.30 minute. Not such a big deal, you might say. And I agree. What is remarkable about this feat, to me, is I have been totally injury free during this period. For me that's a record of sorts. I cannot remember running so consistently for such a long time without any injury (since my college days).

The first time I tried running after college - about 7/8 years ago, when I had just quit smoking and decided to manage my diabetes more aggressively - within a few days I came down with serious injury in my knees that kept me off running for several months.

I realised wearing good running shoes with proper cushioning and fit was important to stay injury free. This is just as important as supple and strong leg muscles, not to speak of correct form and not trying to over exert yourself. If you have lots of strength in your legs, you could run with anything on like we used to in school or college. But we are not talking about super fit athletes here.

In 2010 I got two pairs of Asics almost simultaneously. One from England and another from Canada (both made in Vietnam though). The English Asics (I don't remember the exact model name) was size Euro 42.5 or UK 8, which I then thought was my correct size. I ran wearing it and the first day was the last day of my run for quite a few months, as once again I got seriously injured.

A few weeks after this the Canadian Asics came. This was Euro 42 or UK/Indian 7.5, because size 42.5 wasn't available in Toronto at that time. After wearing it I realised, for the first time in life, that my actual perfect fit is size 7.5. This pair of red Asics (I think it is model GT 2140) was a really good pair. In terms of fit and cushioning nothing could have been better. It was far superior to the English Asics, which is good but not meant for people like us with injury prone legs.

I kept this shoe for my on and off experiments with running or skipping etc. I followed a running programme and ended up running for half an hour. That was a big confidence booster for me back then. For, when I started I could barely run for one minute. I can't remember why I stopped running. Possibly out of sheer boredom of doing the same thing over and over again. I remember, I used to go round the lake in half an hour. I have measured the distance now. It is 2.6 km, which I run at 20 minutes now. 

However, 5 years is a long time for a pair of shoes, even if you have not been running every day in them. The pasting at the front had gone off once which was fixed by Mr Mochi. But I still love them as these are the only running shoes that I have (or had till September 13, 2015).

After running consistently for more than a month I realised that I would need a new pair of running shoes very soon. These Asics are not very durable. They have lasted for such a long time because I have not really put them to good use. They are already getting bald in patches at the bottom and the ankle collar will soon give way.

I started my search for a new pair in right earnest. We now have some great brand stores in India where good international quality running shoes are available. There are quite a few online stores also that sell them. But I soon realised that no one keeps size 7.5 here in India. Not Nike. Not Adidas. Not Asics. I somehow made up my mind that I have to wear size 8 but then I thought let me try running in my English Asics once before buying size 8.

I ran for one night last week wearing this pair that I had been wearing only with jeans for around town outings. Very soon I realised while size 8 is not really a serious issue, I risk injury due to bad cushioning. In fact that evening I had some pain in the Achilles' tendon and my calves got stiff. It was serious enough for me not to consider exercise at home the next day and see youtube videos for message techniques. Of course the next evening I ran/walked 3km but that's only because I am in a much better physical shape. A few years ago I would have come down with some serious injury.

The most important learning for me from this episode was that I wouldn't mind size 8, there is some play in the forefoot area but that's manageable. What is not acceptable is bad cushioning. I have still not reached that level of fitness where I can just about wear anything and run 5K.

So I decided to check out the Asics at Reliance Footprint in Axis Mall - a good 20 km plus from home.

The Gel Nimbus 16

At the Reliance store I checked out two different models. The Gel Nimbus 16 and Gel Cumulous 16, which is cheaper by Rs 2000. The Cumulous had a softer feel but the toe region was pretty roomy. Blame it on size 8. In terms of fit it was quite like my English Asics. But its cushioning is definitely better. 

The Gel Nimbus, in comparison, felt a little stiffer. But ultimately I chose to take it as it turned out to be narrow at the front which reduced the forefoot play. I was a little concerned about the stiff feel under my feet. Not quite an "on top of nimbus cloud" feeling. But the guy at the store insisted on the Nimbus for its narrower fit. I took the black and orange colour combination - which is the same as my KTM bike :-)  Of course it was the only option I think.

Back home I felt really eager to try the new pair out. So out I went with them and ran my first 3K on a hot and sultry evening. I ran it at 23 minutes and some seconds, which is the best so far. For a more detailed analysis of the run click here . Till that evening I had run two 3Ks but mixed it with a short walk of around 200 meters after 2K. I would take a little more than 25 minutes to do this. But with the new pair I ran all of 3 kilometers and in a little over 23 minutes. The most important part of this run was I shaved off a straight 1 minute from my second kilometer. 

Coming back to the shoe, it fitted me perfectly. There is no complaint whatsoever in terms of forefoot play. The fit of this particular size 8 (Euro 42.5) is quite different from the English Asics (the blue ones in the picture above) or even the fit of the Cumulous of the same size. Although there is space beyond my toes, I cannot move my toes around. Which suits me perfectly well. 

The cushion feeling under my feet improved after a kilometer or so. I guess that was all the break-in that it needed. It gave a good firm yet bouncy feel. I know it is a ridiculous thing to say but that is how I felt. I do not see myself getting injured in the legs due to bad shoes, if I am wearing these.

As I gather more kilometers on this model I should be able to give better opinion on it, particularly its longevity. As of now, I quite like the feel. The sock liner has a premium feel to it. The lace is fairly long.

The Gel Nimbus 16 is a slightly dated model. Asics has already launched the 17th edition. But Reliance sold me the 16 at a price that is over Rs 2K more than the price you pay on Jabong. But then I wouldn't be able to wear and check out the fit if I was buying online. Also, most online reviewers prefer the 16 over 17. So, I am pretty happy with these now. 

Diary of a Fitness Watch Owner

August 25, 2015 

I got my first fitness watch, the Garmin Forerunner 15, yesterday by courier from Flipkart. However, this evening I ran with it for the first time - straight off the box, without even so much as charging it. The unit is fairly intuitive and I could pretty easily set it up. Worked out the basics in a matter of seconds and I was ready to go almost instantly. Of course I had read the manual and a few thorough online reviews in advance. That helped. Click here to read one such review . But the unit is also pretty intuitive even if you don't read anything in advance. You will just need a basic understanding of how to operate a modern electronic gadget.

After setting it up, which is essentially keying in my personal data like age, weight, height etc and choosing whether I want the figures in metric system or FPS system, I put the wrist strap on - something about which I was more than curious. The strap is of better quality than the one on my Timex Ironman. The watch feels a little chunky. But since it is not very large, it's okay for me. It is also fairly light. You wouldn't feel it after a few minutes.

I found that I ran for a total distance of 2.33 km in 20 minutes. I had been running this distance for a few days but had no clue about how far it was. I had thought it was perhaps 3 km. The first kilometer took about 8 and a half minutes. There is a soft beep when I hit the kilometer mark - a lap, in Garmin's language. That's by default. I cannot change the lap distance except to make it miles. I didn't. I am fine with a lap distance of 1 km. There was another beep at the 2 km mark. So it means every time I cross a kilometer, the watch is going to beep.

I was also a little curious about the quality of the backlight because I run mostly in dimly lit conditions of Dhakuria Lake in the evening. I discovered the light is good quality white LED, unlike the old Ironman that uses Indiglo technology which is pretty useless. When the lap beep comes on, the light also automatically glows for a few seconds showing you the time and distance. Otherwise to turn the light on you have to press the on/off switch.

For the first run I didn't put the heart rate monitor. I will do that tomorrow. 

Back home I put it on the computer to charge. It immediately turned itself on. After I downloaded the software it does the syncing of data automatically and downloads them all to the computer. The watch stores seven runs. After that it automatically deletes the oldest data. There is no system to manually delete data from the watch, like you can delete photographs from a camera one by one. But if you have a computer you need not bother with that.

September 6, 2015

I have been using the watch for a couple of weeks now. I have more or less understood it and now I know it enough to serve my basic needs for which I bought the watch. There are more features but I haven't really explored them all as I don't need them. I am not a "power user", so to speak.

Let me describe what I do on a typical day when I go out for a run (I call them run days). This will give the reader a fair idea about the watch. Before wearing my running T-shirt I put the chest strap on that has the heart rate monitor. It is silicone in the front and nylon on the back. The nylon part is slightly itchy. But I am getting used to it. I make the electrodes area a little wet before wearing the strap on my chest. Then I wear the watch on my wrist and I am ready to go.

I get out of the flat and switch the watch on. It immediately connects with the HRM and then it tries to get the GPS. The HRM does not have any switch as such. I guess it is always on when connected. When it is cloudy it takes an inordinately long time to connect to the GPS. You can deactivate the GPS but then it cannot calculate your speed or distance etc. We are not discussing that because that's the mode of choice if you are running at home or in the gym.

Once the GPS is activated, let's say near the Lake, I go for the start/cancel button and press start. You do this with the blue button on the top right with which you start the GPS. As soon as I start the watch I also start running.

The beats per minute of my heart during a typical evening run. It reached a peak of 163 at 1 km (that was my fastest 1K at that point of time) and 161 at 3 km. The sharp drop is after I stopped running and started walking. 

When I am running it tells me a few things - A. Time and distance in Km. It even shows the meters in tens. Like, it can tell you that you have run 1.03 km in 7.09 min. It also tells you your heart beats per minute (BPM) and the heart beat zone in which you are running. There are other things also that it tells you like the time you have run and calories burnt, your speed/pace etc. I do not use any of that data. I just check my time and distance and beats per minute. I have noticed that I go very close to my highest permissible BPM.

When I end my run (nowadays at exactly 2.5 km) I immediately stop the watch and save the run. Back home I attach it to the computer (after thoroughly drying the connectors on the back) and switch the comp on.

The beauty of the watch is not the watch itself but the computer software and the analysis of the run that it can show you. You have to download Garmin Connect first. That's the software that syncs the watch with the computer. It automatically downloads the data from the watch and gives you a complete analysis of the run. It tells you things like total number of steps that you took, the total distance you travelled, the heart rate, time, elevation, speed (km/hour), pace (minutes/km) etc etc. It even shows your chosen route on google map with a red line and you can see how your heart beat or speed changed as you moved along that route. Pretty impressive.

On the first day I discovered that I run a distance of 2.33 km in 20 min. I soon pushed myself to 2.5 km in 20 minutes. Next I discovered that I was doing my 1 km in a little more than 8 minutes. I soon pushed it down to 7 minutes for the first kilometer and 20 minutes for the entire distance of 2.5 km.

The computer tells you about your personal records like your best 1km or 5km. Or your longest distance covered etc. Every time you better it, you get an alert on the watch.

View of a section of the things that you can see. There are lots of other things too

Do we really need all this information? I guess if you are a fit athlete and were running for personal fun then you don't really need all this. But for us in the 50+ category, staying motivated is very important. This watch certainly helps me stay motivated. Every alternate evening I look forward to my runs (I run only on alternate days) and want to see if I bettered my previous record. I am already running 2.5 km at sub 20 minutes.

Are there too many negatives about the watch? In my opinion there are a few things that Garmin could have done better. Let me list them out -

A. The watch cannot be connected to a phone. Is that a problem? Not for me. I don't run with my phone. I am very happy with the computer connection. It need not connect with the phone.

B. The GPS hunt is a long and boring process if there is a cloud cover. It often takes more than 5 minutes. So using it during Calcutta monsoon might be a little difficult. But under a clear sky it takes a few seconds only.

C. The HRM strap could have been a little less itchy on the back. But the itch goes away pretty soon. I just discovered that in the US they sell a premium HRM that comes with a better strap. So that explains it.

D. It does not tell me the cadance of my run - that is, the number of steps per minute. I cannot understand why because it can count steps and I guess fairly accurately too (though I have no idea how it does it - from the vibrations?). However, this watch can be synced to a foot-pod for measuring cadence. I do not really see myself buying that just to measure my cadence (as far as I know it is not even available in India) but I have realised that cadence is really important if you want to improve your speed/pace. So one never knows, I might get it some day :-)

I checked that even if you have the footpod on, you won't get the readings on the watch during the run. But you can get it on your computer. I don't think I need that.

September 7, 2015 

Tonight I activated a couple of features that I had not used earlier. I will test them when I run next, that is, day after tomorrow. Wednesday.

A. I activated the heart rate alarm. The alarm will go off when my BPM reaches 170 at the higher range and 125 at the lower range.

As on September 11, I deactivated the lower end of the alarm as it gets annoying when you are walking home and it constantly tells you that your heart rate is very low. I am yet to hit 170 bpm. So don't know how it will react. But I guess the same - which is the light goes on and the message flashes in reverse. 

B. I also activated the auto-pause. Apparently this will take care of the pauses that I have to take per force during crossing of the road.

Yet To Play With 

As of September 6, 2015 I am yet to play with the run/walk feature of the watch. Apparently you can programme it to beep at specific intervals to run and walk. I have not played with it yet and plan to do it next week just for the heck of it. It is a good thing to have when you are training for a long distance event.

I Am Curious To Know

I am curious to know a few things about the watch, that can be found out only after long use. First of all, I am very keen to know how scratch proof the watch is. We are used to the culture of using screen guards for most gadgets that come with a display screen. But the watch is too small for that. How well will it withstand rough use?

I am also keen to know how well the battery in the heart rate monitor lasts.

I used the watch and the HRM in rain today (Sept 11, 2015). It wasn't a heavy downpour when I was actually running but more than just a drizzle. I got quite drenched. The watch and HRM were absolutely fine. 

Should You Buy It?

Entirely depends on why you want to buy a fitness watch. I bought it because I have started running rather late in life, as part of my diabetes control efforts. I shall be 51 in another ten days or so. For me it is important not to over exert myself, in terms of my cardiac abilities. Therefore I always felt the need for a heart rate monitor.

This watch also motivates me to go out and run. Why? Is it just the style of it? Absolutely not. The Fitbit is certainly a lot more stylish. I do not know anyone to show it off to. I run completely alone and this watch helps me stay motivated by competing with myself. After wearing it, I have shaved off a minute from my first kilometer. I used to run my Kms at a little over 8 min. Last week I ran my first km at 7 minute - shaving off more than one entire minute straight. I really felt good to see it. Yesterday, I ran my 2.5 km at less than 20 minutes. My best so far. In short, I push myself because I know exactly what I am doing. I hope I don't end up pushing myself too much and risk an injury. Touch wood, I have been injury free so far.

I also love to see how my heart was/is behaving during the run. How the beats went up as my distance piled up and then calmed down as I slowed down. How long it takes for the heart rate to go up and come down etc. It is not only a lot safer, it tells me about the cardiac health also. How fast your heart beat comes down or how slowly it goes up etc are indicators of your fitness level.

If I was a much younger man, with an athletic build and abilities, I would certainly not need it. But at my level I think I do need it to stay motivated.

Personally I am also a gadget freak. I love the abilities of the modern gadgets to do things that were dream for us a few years back. I find it incredibly "wow" that this small watch knows exactly where on earth I was running, how fast, for how long, at what heart rate etc. It even creates a real life map of it. Isn't that just wow?

This is perhaps not the watch that elite athletes use or wear. I have no clue what elite athletes need to know about their runs and how much analysis of the data they do. I am sure an elite marathoner's runs are analysed threadbare by the steps. They probably use Polar products but they cost a fortune. For beginners like me this is good. Perhaps good enough.

Any gadget is good if it serves your purpose and needs. If your need changes over time then you might need a more latest gadget. But if your need is constant then all you need is a sturdy product. I think this is going to prove itself as a very sturdy product in the long run.

There are many other fitness watches with GPS capabilities. One could explore the other brands too. Like Fitbit, Tomtom, Polar etc. If you have used any other brand please review it for me and let me know.

Review After 3 Months, 48 Activities and Over 100 km Run

The Garmin software support can be terrible. Right now I am struggling with an unsolved issue. While my unit is set to show me the units in kilometers, it is showing the laps in miles. However, all other analyses are being done in kilometers. I am quite puzzled by this. This had happened once and it corrected itself after a few days. Every day I am hoping that it will self correct, like earlier, but that's not happening.

I will perhaps do a master reset to see if it works. I have also written to the support team but not to much avail so far. They suggested a soft reset. That is, they asked me to switch off the unit and restart, which I routinely do every day in any case.

Let me see what they say when their offices reopen after the weekend.

(Later Addition: The master reset did the trick. But then I lost the Personal Records from the watch. Not that it matters but ....)

I find that Strava, where my Garmin data is also downloaded, shows the laps in kilometers. I don't know what is wrong with the unit/software. Apparently lots of other people are also facing the same problem in different models.

Meanwhile, I have got used to the itchy HRM strap. But the satellite gathering time remains a pain. It takes quite a while. I have realised that if I were to race with this watch, it would be a problem. Because a. the satellite gathering time is long (the starter might start the run before my watch is ready) b. once the satellite is gathered you are expected to start running. If you don't, within a few minutes, it will let go of the satellite connection.

The data pages are also rather limited. You can change only two screens. And you have to choose any combination of pace, time, distance and calories. I am now working with pace/time in one and pace/distance in the other. The third screen by default shows my BPM and heart rate zone.

You cannot do another thing. On the watch during a run you cannot, for example, check how your heart rate behaves relative to pace.

You cannot also set a particular distance and go for a run and it will give you a beep when you reach that distance. No. You have to keep looking at the watch to see exactly how much distance is left. It does affect your performance a little.

November 21, 2016

The unit is doing fine till date, touch wood. I have started using it to monitor my bicycle rides also. It is not meant for that though. It's meant only for running and it thinks I am running when I am actually out cycling. So it gives me all sorts of fantastic personal records like my best kilometer was done in a little over 2 minutes :-) What I do is, after the run I erase all the personal records one by one and revert back to the previous ones which were from my running. The best 1k. The best mile. The best 5k and the longest run. That's a bit of a pain to undo all these one by one. And it takes quite a few taps on the button to do all this.

April 1, 2018

Less than three years and the strap broke today. I don't know what to do. Amazon sells a lot of different replacement straps but none of them is from Garmin. I am fine as long as they aren't painful on the wrist. I have to find out if anyone in Calcutta will do the screwdriver job to replace it. Let me go to the trusted watch repair shop tomorrow.

April 9, 2018

I had finally ordered for a replacement strap from Amazon. The cheapest at Rs 340 or so. It came. The package had the strap, two pins and a needle with a plastic thumb to push the pin out to disengage the original strap. I found that I could quite easily take the old strap out by pushing the needle that holds the strap (I was a little skeptical initially that I would be able to do it). But the replacement strap didn't work for me. It is marginally smaller than what my watch needs. I am returning it.

Actually Forerunner 15 comes in two different models. One for males, which I have and another for females. The sizes are different. The male is marginally larger. This strap that I bought is for the female model. It wasn't mentioned in the headline of the product. I didn't read the product description too carefully. Otherwise I would have seen it mentioned.

Anyway. Ordered for the proper larger one again. Let me see what awaits for me now.

The material of the strap wasn't too bad. Didn't feel like the original but it was okay. I don't think Garmin sells the strap.

April 24, 2018

The second replacement strap came today. A good two weeks after the order. But more importantly, it fits my watch perfectly. The material is obviously inferior compared to the OE. But it's fine. A very close replica, I must say. It's a little softer, less dense perhaps.

I changed only the side that was broken. I have kept the other half carefully in my tool drawer. Will put it on when the original breaks again. Taking out the old broken strap and putting on the new one wasn't too difficult. The strap came with two pins. I have kept them secure too. I used the pin from the original strap in this. I am impressed by how quickly I managed to change the strap !!!