Friday, March 8, 2013

Top 5 Things I do while the Garmin finds a Satellite

Sometimes it seems like my Garmin loads really fast, and other times it seems to take FOREVER.  so what do you do.  Usually I am standing around outside ready and anxious to head out on my run, but I don't want to start before it has found satellites.  Heaven forbid some of my run might not be documented or I might not know how fast I am running. 

1. Stand there with my wrist up above my head hoping that getting it as close as I can to a satellite will help it load faster.  An arms length could make a big difference don't you think? Sometimes I wander around aimlessly and other times I hold as still as I can so the satellites can find me easier.

2. Lately I have taken to doing lunges while I wait.  Yesterday I did 162 of them (no kidding) before my Garmin and the satellites managed to find each other.  Usually I only get to about 80 or so and then feel like I have to do 20 more to make it an even 100.  Sometimes while doing lunges I hold my arm with the Garmin on it over my head so it can be a little closer to the satellites while I bob up and down.  I didn't yesterday so maybe it really does help.

3. Turn on some music on the iPod and start working on my dance moves.  I don't usually do this when I think there will be witnesses, although the UPS man caught me once.  He already thinks I am crazy though for running up and down these roads so much.  He does always have a treat for Cola though when we see him stopped somewhere.  Yes I put my arm above my head occasionally while dancing.. you know to speed up the connection to the satellites.

4. If it is really cold and windy out I will race out with my Garmin held above my head and put it  in my car and run back inside for about 5 minutes while I do some pushups and squats to help me get warmed up.  Although I do find when it is that cold out it is better not to go back inside because then I don't want to go back out and freeze.

5. Occasionally I do get impatient and just start running.  I know where a quarter of a mile is so I will run to my mailbox (a quarter of a mile) and then see if it is loaded, this way I know how much distance to add to my Garmin distance.  Yes I hold my arm up now and then while running too.

What do you do?  Tell me you think it loads faster with it help up to the sky too.
Finally did you enter my awesome compression socks giveaway?

35 comments:

  1. haha those are some creative ways to wait for the satellites to load. I'm definitely one of those people who just stand there either as still as possible or holding my arm up. Occasionally I start walking to get my legs moving, but now I may have to try one of your techniques to pass the time

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  2. Those are creative ways! Does your Garmin find the satellites while in the car? Which one do you have? I just upgraded from the 410 to the 610 and it finds them inside & out. It's pretty nifty!

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  3. Oh my word I am cracking up!!! I absolutely do this while I'm waiting for it to connect! At least you live in a rural area and don't have neighbors coming out in their bathrobes looking at you like you are a kook! I stretch while waiting....of course with my arm held high above my head!! I've also been known to talk to it (mostly words that are none too kind). You never know how far a little sweet talk can go!

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  4. Ha! Those are great!! I usually chat with my group, consult my map so I don't get them lost, or do a little active warm up. Run happy :-)

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  5. Love the dancing and the car ideas! If I did 100+ lunges, I would not be able to run!!

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  6. If I'm alone, I occasionally talk to my Garmin. "Look, I know neither of us is fully awake, but we gotta get this run done. Come on." or "I don't want to do speed work, either. Zac (coach/leader of the running group) thinks I'm half Kenyan. I think I want a nap. Let's get it together, and get it done."
    Cartwheels do NOT help speed it up. But they do make people laugh.
    The worst is when you find satellites quickly, but have to go back inside for a last-minute bathroom visit, and then it loses them and takes FOREVER to find them again.
    I should try lunges next time. Thanks for the idea!

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  7. I HATE having to wait for my Garmin to find a satellite. It is so annoying! What I have been doing is setting it outside and then going back in and getting dressed etc. By the time I actually ready to run, it usually is too.

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  8. If I know the distance I'm running and the route exactly, I'll just start running. Otherwise, I just play with Bungee in they yard until I get synced up.

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  9. I've never tried the arm above my head thing... I'll give that a try. I have noticed that the colder it is outside, the longer it takes for the Garmin to find a satellite. I wonder why that is? My neighbors already think that I’m a bit cracked for running in the cold and snow, so I guess that I could do a little dancing in my driveway while I wait… Ya… that wouldn’t embarrass my teenagers at all. :)

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  10. I think my neighbors wonder why I stand in my driveway looking at my wrist for 5 minutes. I try to prentend I am getting the mail or inspecting the siding sometimes, so I don't totally creep them out.

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  11. I take the minute or two to pick out a podcast! I wonder if it takes your longer to load since you're out in a more remote area....I cold never fit in 100 lunges while mine loaded (but that'd be a great way to get in some extra strength training :)

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  12. Funny! I hate it when my Garmin takes forever to lock on. Lately, I leave it on the front porch while I continue to get ready and it's locked on when I get outside:)

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  13. Dang! 162 lunges?! Beast!! That's awesome! I usually dance around with my wrist in the air! I'm sure that's quite the sight! LOL

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  14. Too funny! I usually just stand there like a total dud trying to wake up. Off the enter the giveaway...I need compression socks so bad!!

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  15. We now live in Honolulu which means lots of very tall buildings - takes forever to find the satellites! I'll have to try some of these tips - except the lunges!

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  16. Love this post! Chalk that wait time up to one more thing I do NOT like about running with a Garmin. I do love, however, your idea of throwing in some strength moves while waiting. Win/win!

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  17. This is so true, I love how we are all so anal about logging everything!! I'm glad mine usually only takes a minute and will find satellites when I am in the house.

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  18. Hahaha! Those are great! When it's really cold, I put it outside, run back in and put my shoes on. It's usually ready by the time I get back out :)
    When it's not too bad, I do 100-ups or some other form drill while waiting for it.

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  19. Hehe - I never thought of trying to get closer to the satellite!
    My Nike GPS usually connects within a minute, but last week it wouldn't connect at all for a couple of runs - annoying as this upsets my highly important statistics lol! I noticed the charge was low, and it worked fine after charging it fully so maybe that affects things.

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  20. I always laugh at myself when I hold my arm up towards the sky!! Like I think two feet is going to make that much differnce!!! During the summer I pick weeds in my flower bed, and in the winter I kick the snow. I know my neighbor thinks Im cracked!!

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  21. Best advice I ever received in regards to the Garmin. Turn it on, put it on your windowsill(inside), get ready to go outside. By the time you are ready, it's ready and go run. Try it, it works.

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  22. I usually put mine outside before I start to get ready. By the time I've got all my gear on, it's usually all set to go.

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  23. This cracked me up because I do the same thing with holding my wrist up to the sky like that's going to speed things up haha

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  24. lol! I wish you had video of these processes. At least you keep moving! I tried holding my arm up, once, and felt really dumb.

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  25. I also hold my garmin up to the sky in hopes it will connect faster.. haha like 2 feet would make a huge difference :)

    162 lunges?!?! Your garmin must really take a while to connect! Ive read that placing it on the ground will make it connect faster because if its on your wrist you are *probably* moving around which makes it take longer.

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  26. Haha, I can't help but envision you dancing around with your ponytail bobbing up and down and Cola sitting down waiting for Garmin Dance Time to be over so you guys can start running! I usually just stand there tapping my foot like it's going to convey to my watch that I'm being impatient.

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  27. Ha! Great techniques!!! I will stand at the door and face the garmin toward the sky (through the window).....but lately I've just been brining my iphone because I get instant gps..... I've been saving the Garmin for races only

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  28. You have me LOLing because the other day I honestly ran over a mile before it linked and started up!

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  29. Oh my gosh, my garmin does the same thing! Sometimes it quick to find the satellite but other times it takes forever and I am sure people that are driving by look at me like I am crazy waving my arm around trying to find satellite, walking back and forth down the sidewalk lol
    Cloudy days are terrible and never stand underneath a tree, limbs are distracting I think lol

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  30. Hahaha! With my old Garmin, I simply put it outside 5 minutes before I was ready to go. The newer one I have doesn't take as long. But, I have totally done the arm up in the air thing too. :)

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  31. I have a Garmin 610 and I usually only have time to put my shoes on. If there's time, though, I look around for deer in the woods.

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  32. I just about keeled over laughing at you! I don't have a Garmin (yet), but I hear these complaints a lot. Personally, I'm waiting for the Bia to come out in June. Supposedly: No waiting. :)

    Sarah
    www.thinfluenced.com

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  33. HAHA! This cracks me up. I will spend FOREVER waiting for Garmin to find a satellite. I usually stand as still as possible and wait...and wait. Sometimes, I start running and then it syncs and then I stop running and start all over so as not to lose any distance. I know exactly what you mean!! ;)

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  34. AMEN my garmin takes forever to get working and it drives me bananas! love the lung idea, how productive of you!

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  35. Hahah -- "Heaven forbid some of my run might not be documented or I might not know how fast I am running." -- SO TRUE! I have to document every run or it didn't happen!

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