In April 2017, at the age of 37, I bought a Garmin Fenix 5.
A powerful gadget, no doubt — but also expensive enough to serve as a personal challenge: “Time to move.”
At the time, I had no idea this device would slowly, quietly reshape my health, habits, and even mindset.
From Iron to Inertia
From 2003 to 2007, I was deep into weight training.
Later came boxing, a bit more cardio, some 30–60 minute jogs at around 5:50/km pace. I started wanting to track those runs — to compare, improve, compete with myself.
I used phone apps like Sports Tracker and Endomondo. But by 2012, life changed.
I was all-in on my career — working, learning, pushing. 80% work, 20% sleep.
Exercise disappeared.
Enter the Fenix
By 2017, I realized: I needed something serious to get back on track.
So I got a Garmin Fenix 5 — flagship model, pro-level tool, and yes… pricey.
But that made it symbolic.
If I bought such a powerful gadget, I owed it to myself to use it.
It worked. Just knowing I had that watch made me move.
Also… my ultramarathoner friend had an old Suunto — I couldn’t just sit while wearing a better toy 😄
Turns Out, I Was Training
Years later, someone casually asked if I worked out.
I replied: “Not really.”
Then I looked at my Garmin Connect.
Over 1700 workouts — walks, runs, short strength sessions.
I was floored.
The watch had tricked me — in a good way.
It turned movement into a habit. I’d created a routine without even knowing it.
My Mistake: Going Too Hard, Too Soon
Unfortunately, I made a classic error.
I’d sit all day like a statue, then suddenly run 30 minutes all-out,
on concrete, often in HR Zone 4 or 5, totally ignoring my joints and mobility.
The result?
A meniscus injury that kept me from running for nearly 2 years.
But I Didn’t Quit
I kept the Fenix on my wrist and promised myself:
This time, I’ll train smarter.
That mindset shift is what led me to Garmin Coach.
👉 My 3-Year Journey with Garmin Coach
The Fenix 7 Era
By 2022, I was running more and needed more.
The Fenix 5 began to struggle — especially in forests, where GPS signal fluctuated wildly.
One moment it showed me running at 12:00/km, the next at 4:00/km — even though my pace was steady.
It was frustrating.
Also, I had more body awareness. My back was often stiff.
I needed yoga, mobility, stretching.
So I upgraded to the Fenix 7, and it was like entering a new universe:
- ✅ Multiband GPS — finally accurate in the woods
- ✅ Preloaded workouts — yoga, pilates, mobility, strength
- ✅ Truly reliable sleep and HRV tracking
- ✅ Garmin gamification system — levels, points, achievements
Gamification — Used Intentionally
Now, some people mock the points system.
But let me be clear: I used it consciously, as a tool.
Just like Charles Duhigg described in The Power of Habit, I created a trigger → behavior → reward loop.
I knew that seeing those badges and points would push me to open up yoga or pilates.
Without that structure? I would’ve never touched mobility in my life.
As a result:
I’m now consistent. I do things that used to feel boring or unimportant.
That’s real behavior change.
Sleep, Alcohol, and Facing the Truth
The Fenix 7 shocked me again with its precise sleep and HRV analysis.
This wasn’t vague “wellness” nonsense — this was real data.
It caught every micro-wake, tracked REM, and showed me how I was really recovering.
It even offered suggestions — how to improve my evening routine, how to get better rest.
And I took it seriously, especially during a period when I was struggling badly with sleep.
I adjusted, experimented, and — for the first time in my life — I started really caring about my sleep quality.
Then came the alcohol revelations.
All my life, people told me alcohol was bad. Killed brain cells, harmed the heart, wrecked sleep… but I never truly cared.
Why would I? I felt fine two days later.
But now, with Garmin showing me my own destroyed REM sleep, spiked resting HR, and crashed HRV — I couldn’t deny it.
Even one big glass of wine had visible impact.
And that did what no lecture ever could.
Since March 2023, I haven’t had a single drink.
Not because I had to — but because I saw the data, and I chose better.
The Comeback
Fast-forward to 2025.
- I run regularly
- I train calisthenics and strength
- I stretch and do mobility
- I sleep well — and track it
- I don’t drink
- I feel physically better at 45 than I did at 25
- And as a side effect, I lost 14 kg (at one point even 18) — without chasing weight loss.
(Frankly, I even prefer a rounder, fuller face 😄)
And while yes, I’ve reached Level 6 on Garmin Connect with nearly 1000 points — that’s not the flex.
The flex is: those numbers reflect real change.
They show who I became.
Final Word
One gadget. One shift in mindset.
A second chance at long-term health.
I was reborn like a Fenix from the ashes.
And this time — I’m staying in flight.