As a runner I have been wanting this piece of technology for the past year. I am so happy I have finally received it as a Christmas gift. The Garmin Forerunner - once you have it, you will never run again without it! This watch does does everything I will ever need it to.
It's also available with a heart rate monitor. I was lucky enough to receive that also. I am very happy to say that this Garmin watch has definitely lived up to my expectations.
It measures your distance, pace, calories burned and the duration of your run. You also have the option to track laps automatically or manually. The whole watch is extremely customizable to your liking. I especially like the auto lap feature because it allows me to know my mile splits, how long it took me to run each mile of my run.
The watch comes with software which allows you to transfer all data from the watch to the computer. It's extremely user friendly, but there isn't much to the program. It will keep track of your runs and it also includes a map that will show where you specifically ran.
The satellite is very precise and there is no calibration required. I read a tip somewhere that it helps to turn it on and leave it by a window before using. It has to load the satellites before it can be used and this speeds up the time. It's usually good to go within 2 - 3 minutes.
The heart rate monitor is a strap that gets wrapped around your breast bone. I was worried it would be uncomfortable, but surprisingly I can't feel it at all. I actually forgot to take it off the other day and only realized it when I was about to take a shower. It's adjustable and very easy to put on.
I was worried about the watch being really large. It looks huge in the pictures and I have a tiny wrist so I thought it was going to look ridiculous. It's actually not too bad though and doesn't seem so big in real life. The only con about the watch are the buttons and navigation within the actual watch. The buttons are slightly difficult to push and it can get irritating when setting up the watch and trying to navigate through each setting.
My favorite thing about this watch is the fact that I can run anywhere I want without having to map it out first. I used to map all my runs out online before I went and I would strictly follow them in order to achieve the correct mileage, but now I don't have to worry about that. I feel like I can finally run free and my watch will do all of the work for me!
I'm sure there are many things I still have yet to figure out. It takes some time to learn what every single thing does, but the basic functions can be used with ease. I recommend this watch to any serious runner, it really is all that it's cracked up to be.
Do you love your Garmin Forerunner? Would you go out and buy one?
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Comments (7)
I would get one if I had $180 to spare.
Does this base its calculations on a flat running surface, or can it take terrain/ grade into account also?
It does take terrain/grade into account. It also can be found as cheap as $149 on amazon. The price continues to fluctuate so it's good to keep an eye on it.
I usually attach it to my handheld water bottle strap because even with a sweat band, the watch strap is uncomfortable for my wrist because the face is so large. Sometimes I like to run without it so I feel freer but if I'm training for and getting close to race day, this watch is a must.
I thought about asking for one for Christmas but I realized it would be lavish and just not needed - I would rather spend that money and get a weighted vest for training. One of the only reasons I considered getting one was to count the distance but doing that on mapmyrun.com is easy and cheap plus it helps me from getting lost (if I don't map out my exact route I'll be in the Artic chilling with polar bears right now). But then, to each their own.
if I were a serious runner, I'd consider it.
but I guess I'm not, so... yeah...
12 marathons and counting.. I hardly even run with a regular watch these days.. I'm currently training for my 2nd Boston, so speed does matter to me. In the end, keeping track of the stats isn't important, it's about pushing my body to its physical limits.