Monday, December 8, 2014

GPS Accuracy Update for Garmin Fenix 2



Sadly the firmware upgrade that improved the GPS Accuracy of the Garmin 620 so dramatically didn't work as well on the Fenix 2. The accuracy is better, but it's still one of the least accurate watches I've tested and the "lost satellite" bug remains. (I'm currently testing the Polar M400 and its GPS accuracy is disappointing. In fact, the M400 is disappointing overall; Polar has a ways to go before it catches up to Garmin. I've just received my 920XT, but it's too early to have any sense of its performance.)

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

The Science of Running Shoes



I've systematically reviewed the available research on running shoes. The results may be a little surprising, but hopefully you'll find them useful. (I found over 50 relevant research papers that I've cited, but if you know of any research I've missed, let me know.) http://fellrnr.com/wiki/The_Science_of_Running_Shoes

Friday, November 21, 2014

Best running watch for ultrarunners


I've added some ultrarunning specific recommendations for running watches 
http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Best_Running_Watch#Watches_for_Ultrarunning

Thursday, November 20, 2014

GPS Accuracy and Garmin 620 Firmware



The Garmin 620 has some well-known GPS accuracy problems, which were highlighted by my detailed GPS testing that analyzed thousands of data points. I worked with Garmin on the issue, and the resulting firmware upgrade has radically improved the GPS accuracy (the details are under a Non-Disclosure Agreement.) You can see the improvement in the info graphic below, which has two entries for the Garmin 620, one before firmware upgrade one after. You can see the underlying numbers at GPS Accuracy Testing and there's an even more detailed breakdown at Detailed Statistics for GPS Running Watches. As a result of this testing I've updated my comparison of running watches, and my review of the Garmin 620



I was concerned that this firmware upgrade might have been optimized for my testing, but if you look at the two images below you can clearly see that the GPS tracks with the new firmware are far tighter and more consistent. (Note that the 620 actually has two firmware installations, one for the watch functionality, and one for the GPS. It's the GPS firmware that needs to be at 3.30 or above.)


Garmin 620 with Pre-3.30 GPS Firmware


Garmin 620 with the new 3.30 GPS Firmware

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Supplements required for the Ketogenic Diet



Unlike most other diets, the Ketogenic Diet does not provide all the nutrients required, so I've included a brief overview of the recommended supplements for the Ketogenic Diet