Helping others, my Garmin Zombie Badge journey

I love to help people. It's often why my posts on here end with 'Hope this helps'. And it's also why I started the blog post 'Reaching level 4 on Garmin and the badges I earned along the way'. It was merely an opportunity to share with others what it would take to get, at that time, the coveted 4 on your Garmin profile.

What I wasn't expecting was the influx of requests to help get the Zombie badge, which then led to a specific blog post 'How to earn the Garmin Zombie badge in 3 steps', which is easily the most popular by searches (and shortest) post I've made.

The unique attraction of the Zombie Badge is that you can only get the Zombie Badge from someone who already has it. A simple mechanic to get people connecting and engaging with their Garmin profile in pursuit of that oh-so-sweet fitness internet status.

This post then is to share what a wonderful experience it's been and to hopefully demonstrate that if you can spend some of your time thinking of and helping others you may be rewarded more than you'd expect.

I noticed you have the Zombie badge

Jill C, 31 July 2020

I believe Jill C was the first person to connect with me specifically for the Zombie Badge. I was likely giddy with excitement. Helping someone else because of a silly little blog post. How bizarre, yet how wholesome? And then it happened again in September, 2020. And then again. And then others were using my post as a means to spread their own Zombie Badges. It wasn't like my post had gone viral, but it reconfirmed to me that spending time writing a short article was making a difference to at least some people.

When will my badge come through?

I guess it's human nature and a reflection of modern technology and apps that we expect immediate service. I've found it quite amusing that at times I have people asking me why the badge hasn't appeared yet, when will it appear, or why haven't I synced to make it appear. I expect them to be anxiously app-watching waiting for my next sync to release that precious Zombie Badge. Fortunately, these interactions are rare, but it was interesting to see practically that my blog post had moved from 'Hope this helps' to an SLA expectation of delivery.

I feel so bad

On a daily basis I will accept connections and challenges from anyone, and at least once a week I'll have a light conversation with someone about the badge or training. Some people browse the blog further or my Garmin activities and comment on my little adventures. And then rarely still, but so sweetly, the conversations might continue.

To connect with others over a common interest is a genuine thrill, but sometimes I feel so bad. I sometimes miss connection or challenge requests. And I then worry about how that person feels. Do they feel rejected or put out of place? At best will they try again? Or at worse have I re-affirmed in their mind that it was a silly idea to even try and connect? I now make it a practice that as soon as I see the request come in, I connect. And it's the same as soon as I see a comment as well. But I have bad days and miss requests - Garmin also times them out after X hours - and when that happens I wear a sad face.

I still get giddy

I still enjoy the small thrill of connection. The browse of their profiles and adventures. The odd comment that starts a discussion. I'm not as into Garmin Badges as I was when they were first introduced, but I'm glad I was able to create that first post and experience the hundreds of connections I've made; many of which I've retained over the last few years.

Hope this helps.

5 things I learned at the Centurion Running Wendover Woods 50k

It was way hotter than expected

 Having done the 50 mile version there wasn't much for me to learn, or so I thought

1. James Elson offered to "get everyone off" at the start, which was new
   
   
2. Even though the day hadn't been all that warm, the temperature in the cloud-covered evening was far hotter than expected. If I was running the event again I'd start in a vest, and I certainly wouldn't have brought my merino buff
   
   
3. I usually pack some back-up energy gels for when things are getting tough, but I really shouldn't have bothered - there's no need for any additional 'what-if' items. If you really want them, add them to the drop bag
   
   
4. Mud trainers were a god-send. If I'd attempted them in my regular Summer trail trainers, I'd have quit. There's plenty of really loose mud - and don't hope that a Summers day will dry it all out
   
   
5. It's a bacon sarnie at the end, not hotdogs. I was crushed.

The Wendover Woods 50k in 2021 was run in the Summer alongside the Wendover 100.

Would I run the Wendover Woods 50k again? Yeah, I think so. As a Summer run, and I'm finding that I'm more of a warm weather runner than ever before, it's a great evening out. Wonderful crew, organisation, marking, course, and a decent medal too. But those hills may make you regret your decision.

Did I mention that it was hot? #SteamRising

Maidenhead to Henley 50k circular ultra marathon

I've run this route a few times and it's a good mix of all the experiences a runner is likely to face. It's got road, trails and gravel. There are hills, flats, fields, streets, bridges, gates and a few ice cream stops. It's easy to navigate, can be run in either direction and you're never all that far from an Uber should things go awry or if you fancy an early finish.

The Maidenhead to Henley 50k circular ultra marathon

The route outline in 7 steps

1. Starting from nearly anywhere in Maidenhead, run to the river Thames
2. From there head North towards Cookham along the Thames Path
3. Carry on West around to Henley-on-Thames continuing along the Thames Path
4. Take a short stop at Henley for drinks and food
5. Run up the big hill heading East out of Henley, then take a right (South) at the top and head down towards the A4 (there are plenty of routes if you plan ahead)
6. Once on the A4, take a left (East) until you come back to Maidenhead
7. Navigate yourself back to wherever you started

Copy the GPS file from Garmin and create your own route.

10 things I learned from bar to 100KG squat with StrongLifts

I'm a wuss when it comes to the Winter, which means far less running or cycling and much more time in the gym. Generally, Winter is a time for weight training, plenty of core and leg work, and to keep the fat down enough that I can start training again in Spring for the Summer running events.

This year however, I wanted to try something else. Enter StrongLifts. A 5x5 weight-lifting program that's easy to follow, uses an app to walk you through the exercises and weights, and then tracks your progress. Plus it then plans our your next workout automatically too.

For someone who works from home, and is always busy, the reduced effort required to decide on my work out is a real benefit.

10 things I learned that might help you

1. I didn't need to start from just the bar, and...
   
   
2. … I should have had a workout session to see what my 1 rep max was for each exercise and then worked from 60 - 70% of that
   
   
3. I got to focus on technique all of the time, and you won't get a better chance to get a great technique perfect when you move to heavier weights...
   
   
4. … So use the warm-up sets to get ready for heavy lifts, and get the technique right
   
   
5. I removed my ego and marked myself down as not finishing a set. This should be a personal challenge for progress, not a bragging rights ego-boost
   
   
6. I don't recommend immediately adding extra exercises, unless you've got a lot of time, and plenty of time for recovery. I did and ended up rushing between sets so I could get it all done in a lunch break
   
   
7. Plank, or any exercise time limit is 95 seconds. I've asked for it to be extended...
   
   
8. …Which shows the Owner / Dev is very open to feedback, twice I've asked for changes and he / they have been very responsive
   
   
9. It's entirely fine, and encouraged, to have breaks - I'm aiming for 4-6 weeks of work, then a week rest...
   
   
10. … And once you've had a rest, de-load your weights (reduce your weight) because you will lose some strength during that break

I'm now into my second Winter with StrongLifts and looking forward to the strength and physical aesthetic gains if helps to deliver.

Ten reasons why I upgraded my Fenix 3 to a Fenix 6X Pro

I'd like to think that I could justify expensive purchases in the court-of-wife. To prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I, Sean Parry, in good health and poor mind, took all available efforts to ensure that the purchase of a new watch was an appropriate use of the funds available to the household. But I'd be lying from the depths of my shoe soles.

I purchased the Fenix 6X Pro because:

1. I wanted a watch that would record my heart rate all of the time to give me a better gauge of my fitness as a trend - specifically to answer the question 'Am I as fit as I was last year?', which then leads to knowing that if I am or am not, then I'll know whether the next event will be more of less painful
2. I didn't want to keep charging the device, so I plumped for the larger X model that has the largest battery in the line-up
3. Measuring my Garmin 3 it came to a similar size as the 6X and I wasn't put off
4. I'd had a bit of extra cash around and knew if I didn't spend it, I'd squander it on ice creams or whatnot
5. I've been wondering whether listening to music on my long runs would help, but didn't want to use or rely on having a phone to carry
6. I was interested in the PacePro feature that would help pace me over distance, but where it would also take into consideration elevation gain and loss to influence the recommended pace along the route
7. For emergencies, it would be good to have a credit card linked to the watch for Garmin Pay as I always have my watch on me, but rarely have my phone when running
8. It was cheaper than a 6 Pro as demand seemed to have driven them higher, and I saw a sudden drop in price for the 6X - I got mine for £565 from Amazon UK
9. Based on my positive prior experience with two prior top-of-the-range Garmin watches, I know the 6X Pro will serve me well for many years
10. I like the idea of using the map features. I don't really us the map feature on the Fenix 3, but believe that the added colour and screen size, plus the trend maps might help me find better routes on my runs

What my other options were

1. Sticking with the Fenix 3, a perfectly good ultra watch, and getting an iWatch to record heart rate data
2. Getting nothing and accepting that I could get by without heart rate data, and also as the Fenix 3 was still performing splendidly
3. Look into an alternative watch brand, but risk the potential loss of consistent data collection and many years of existing data collected stored in the Garmin apps and site
4. Wait for the new Xbox to be released and give up on this running malarky

Overall I'm really happy I made the move the 6X Pro, but it is an expensive solution to a series of first world problems.

Hope this helps someone.

How to earn the Garmin Zombie badge in 3 steps

If you've been trying to find someone with the Garmin Zombie badge, so that you too can collect it, then in 3 simple steps you can earn the badge for yourself too.

Garmin Zombie badge in 3 steps

1. Follow me on Garmin
2. Challenge me (and I'll accept)
3. Get the badge

It only gets you one point (more if you win), but points mean prizes, or at least they mean you can claw your way towards the never-ending level 5.

To learn more about Garmin badges and levels, see this post that's received a lot of comments and discussion: https://simplyseanie.blogspot.com/2018/07/reaching-level-4-on-garmin-and-badges-i.html

Hope this helps someone.

Water stops, toilets, food and more along the North Downs Way

I'm a big fan of the North Downs Way, and I'm also a big fan of helping others. So to combine my two passions I've spent a few hours putting together a North Downs Way route trace in Google Maps that also includes water stops, toilets, food, steps and car parks. Also thanks to Covid-19 I'm also adding gates and whether physical contact is required.

It's still a work in progress, but I'll keep chipping away at it. I'm also open to feedback and suggestions.

Here's the Google Maps route

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1DHtZpLLTJJm4z11xMl2Z6ssVKU_hlrYl&ll=51.21286124196539%2C-0.7937997074111114&z=15

Filters

You can use the left-hand filters to toggle what content is showed on the map. Handy when you want to zone in of something of particular interest.

• North Downs Way
• Car parks, toilets, food and water
• Steps
• Gates and stiles
• Out of order / do not rely on info

Icons

There are a few different icons in use. Here's what they mean:

1. Green pin means the route starts here
2. A red pin means the route finishes here
3. Yellow star means the place has everything - water stop (paid or free), food, toilets and a car park
4. A white cup with a tear-drop means free water stop
5. A white crossed knife and spoon on a blue circle means that paid food and water is available here
6. A white lady and man on a blue circle means toilets are here
7. A white P in a blue circle means parking is available
8. A white walker in a red circle means steps
9. A white arrow and door on a blue circle means a gate (of some kind)
10. Anything grey means the information is not to be relied upon

Is there something you'd like to see added? Any and all feedback welcome.

Hope this helps someone.