I have several "items" I treasure, but only one came to mind as being something I am not the same without. Not that it "completes" me, or anything cheesy like that! However... it does encourage me!
I. Love. My. Garmin.
Love it.
I started running with a Garmin when I was training for my 1st marathon. I don't remember getting it - but as I began to use it - it changed me! Okay, so maybe it sounds "dumb" to talk about an inanimate object in this way. However... this is no ordinary object!
It measures your heart rate. There's a chest-strap that you can wear (although, I wear the strap only rarely). You can also set an alarm to "beep" if your heart rate goes over a certain rate. (My alarm when I do use it, is typically set to beep somewhere around 190 bpm.) This is a feature I use mostly in races, to slow me down when I start going too fast at the beginning! In reality, the alarm should probably be set somewhere slightly lower, but - like I said - I use this feature relatively rarely.
When I run, it tells me how far I've gone. If I want to go 5 miles, for example - I can run 5 miles without having to worry about starting at a mile marker. I can run ANYWHERE and tell the distance.
I can tell how fast I am going. Whether I am walking at a 17:00 minute-per-mile pace, or running at a 10:00 minute-per-mile pace, it tells me - almost every stride- what my "average" pace is. Admittedly, this is usuall somewhere closer to 12:45 (running) and 15:30 (walking). But, you see, without my Garmin, I would never have known these things!
My Garmin has gotten me through 2 marathons. Recently, I couldn't find my Garmin when I wanted (or needed, perhaps) the Garmin for the extra motivation for a run. 3 hours of searching and breaking-down before I could go on a run without it. I had to replace the first one I bought, so now I can run "smoothly" again.
I like my Garmin so much I bought one for my DH as a Christmas present - hoping to share the wealth (or maybe just being selfish and unwilling to share mine...)
Love: running - but only with my Garmin!
Hope: This one lasts a few years!
Do: Need to sign up for my next "race" adventure...
