Leonard Mc
Hello,
as i have mentioned before i am kind of a beginner runner. Im doing quite well, already have placed running in my every day schedule . Ive read about all these training /GPS running watches on the market and i think i should buy one. I would love to track my training and i also saw that some have set programmes but im so confused on picking the right one for me. Please help!
Thanks!
Answer
Ahh, the watch search..
Been there, done that, love to share.
First off, it totally depends on what stats you are looking for and how much money you willing to spend.
There are watches that track distance, calories, pace, time and heart rate if you get a heart rate monitor (i would advise that, specially as a smoker).
There are watches that track all the above while cycling or swimming too. In fact there are even watches that have even a barometric altimeter, compass and a hunt/fish calendar..Ok yeah i know, not for running, but still its amazing.
As Apollenaire stated above me, i swear by garmin too.
If you want to expand your training to cycling and swimming, i strongly recommend the Garmin Forerunner 310xt. Its as far as i know the only watch out there that can deliver on all 3 modes and is 100% waterproof. http://www.runningwatchesreviews.com/whrm-review-the-ultimate-tool-or-just-another-stop-watch/
If you want to just have a watch to track your running and all that in a really really really simple way, id get the Forerunner 110. Its made just for running and is as easy to use as a stop watch.(plus it looks too cool and comes in many colors) http://www.runningwatchesreviews.com/garmin-forerunner-110-gps-sport-watch-with-heart-rate-monitor-review-think-pink/
Note: if you do get a heart rate monitor and you dont like the strap , good thing about garmin is that you can buy a polar strap and it will work fine with the garmin transmitor, but the polar transmitor doesnt work with a garmin watch.
Take care and keep running!!
Ahh, the watch search..
Been there, done that, love to share.
First off, it totally depends on what stats you are looking for and how much money you willing to spend.
There are watches that track distance, calories, pace, time and heart rate if you get a heart rate monitor (i would advise that, specially as a smoker).
There are watches that track all the above while cycling or swimming too. In fact there are even watches that have even a barometric altimeter, compass and a hunt/fish calendar..Ok yeah i know, not for running, but still its amazing.
As Apollenaire stated above me, i swear by garmin too.
If you want to expand your training to cycling and swimming, i strongly recommend the Garmin Forerunner 310xt. Its as far as i know the only watch out there that can deliver on all 3 modes and is 100% waterproof. http://www.runningwatchesreviews.com/whrm-review-the-ultimate-tool-or-just-another-stop-watch/
If you want to just have a watch to track your running and all that in a really really really simple way, id get the Forerunner 110. Its made just for running and is as easy to use as a stop watch.(plus it looks too cool and comes in many colors) http://www.runningwatchesreviews.com/garmin-forerunner-110-gps-sport-watch-with-heart-rate-monitor-review-think-pink/
Note: if you do get a heart rate monitor and you dont like the strap , good thing about garmin is that you can buy a polar strap and it will work fine with the garmin transmitor, but the polar transmitor doesnt work with a garmin watch.
Take care and keep running!!
Looking for customer reviews for Garmin 010-00658-30 Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch?
satiety
Where can I find reviews and opinions online for Garmin 010-00658-30 Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch
Answer
Garmin 010-00658-12 Forerunner 405 with ANT+ Sport Wireless Technology (Green)...customer reviews..
Impressive Hardware, Poor Software, Non-Existant Support, May 5, 2008
By Matt the Coffeeman "matt875" (Chicago, Illinois)
Update: after two months of using the 405, I have some additional observations. Based on my experiences, I would lower the star rating to 3 stars. The decrease in rating is due to incredibly poor software and support from Garmin. The hardware is still extremely impressive, despite the software failings.
Software and Support:
The Garmin Connect (which allows you to track your training progress) is nothing more than a beta with limited functionality and slow response times. Moreover, it is still very buggy. The software which automatically uploads the computer data to Garmin Connect just suddenly stopped working a month ago.
Hold times to get in touch with Garmin telephone support is 45 minutes. Email support is terrible - it has taken a full MONTH to have two email exchanges with support. All this and the problem has not been fixed.
Moreover, the software is poorly designed. You have to constantly monitor Garmin's website for software updates (there is no "Check for Update" feature). If a problem occurs in the software, there are no features to aid in resolving the problem.
Hardware:
First impressions: the form factor is nice, but you need to be aware that the watch is somewhat "thick". If you are wearing a button down shirt, the 405 will not fit comfortably under a sleeve cuff. However, looking at it from above, it looks like a normal watch. Wearing it while running will probably not draw a second look from other runners. This is also a downside since you want people to notice your shiny new 405.
Setup - this took only a few minutes and was very easy. TThe 405 walks you through a brief tutorial. Overall, setup was very easy.
Navigation - this takes a few minutes to get the hang of. Once you have the buttons down, it is quite easy to navigate. The sensitivity of the touch bezel is adjustable for your taste. I've played with the 305 in the store and the 405 actually seems more intuitive to navigate.
Initial lock - finding the satellites takes a few minutes the first time. It will lock on much faster if you are not moving. Subsequent times to find the satellites was much quicker.
Use - After you have turned on the GPS and gotten a lock, all you need to do is press start to begin your workout. It was very easy to use. I basically forgot about it while I was running other than to check my pace every mile or so. Kept a lock the entire time (keep in mind this was in Chicago's Lincoln Park - roughly 2/3rds of the sky is clear (except for trees) so achieving constant lock-on should not be a problem for any GPS. I have not tested this downtown).
For those worried about water resistance, my first usage of my 405 was in the pouring rain. It didn't seem to notice (or care) about the rain. It can handle a good amount of water without issue.
Syncing - you need to download the software from Garmin (it's actually a web plug in). However, the manual was clearly rushed out the door. Not only does it contain typos (at one point it refers to the wrong step) but it is not clear from the manual that you need to download the USB drivers. DO NOT put the ANT USB key into the computer until you have downloaded the specific ANT drivers from Garmin (so you have to download two different pieces of software - the plugin and the USB driver). If you plug the ANT key into the computer w/o the Garmin USB driver, Windows will find what it thinks is the correct driver (which is the wrong driver). The syncing will not work if you do this. Just a heads up.
I wish I owned a 305 to compare it to. In the Garmin store, the 405 did not see that much smaller than the 305, although the 405 was clearly more elegant. Functionally, I hear that they are extremely similar. You just need to personally evaluate whether the 405 is really worth the increased cost over the 205/305. Personally, I plan on keeping the 405.
Battery Life - After playing with it for 30 minutes, taking it on an hour's run and syncing it with my computer, it only used 12% of the battery life.
.........read more reviews at:http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-00658-12-Forerunner-Wireless-Technology/product-reviews/B0011UEUOA
Garmin 010-00658-12 Forerunner 405 with ANT+ Sport Wireless Technology (Green)...customer reviews..
Impressive Hardware, Poor Software, Non-Existant Support, May 5, 2008
By Matt the Coffeeman "matt875" (Chicago, Illinois)
Update: after two months of using the 405, I have some additional observations. Based on my experiences, I would lower the star rating to 3 stars. The decrease in rating is due to incredibly poor software and support from Garmin. The hardware is still extremely impressive, despite the software failings.
Software and Support:
The Garmin Connect (which allows you to track your training progress) is nothing more than a beta with limited functionality and slow response times. Moreover, it is still very buggy. The software which automatically uploads the computer data to Garmin Connect just suddenly stopped working a month ago.
Hold times to get in touch with Garmin telephone support is 45 minutes. Email support is terrible - it has taken a full MONTH to have two email exchanges with support. All this and the problem has not been fixed.
Moreover, the software is poorly designed. You have to constantly monitor Garmin's website for software updates (there is no "Check for Update" feature). If a problem occurs in the software, there are no features to aid in resolving the problem.
Hardware:
First impressions: the form factor is nice, but you need to be aware that the watch is somewhat "thick". If you are wearing a button down shirt, the 405 will not fit comfortably under a sleeve cuff. However, looking at it from above, it looks like a normal watch. Wearing it while running will probably not draw a second look from other runners. This is also a downside since you want people to notice your shiny new 405.
Setup - this took only a few minutes and was very easy. TThe 405 walks you through a brief tutorial. Overall, setup was very easy.
Navigation - this takes a few minutes to get the hang of. Once you have the buttons down, it is quite easy to navigate. The sensitivity of the touch bezel is adjustable for your taste. I've played with the 305 in the store and the 405 actually seems more intuitive to navigate.
Initial lock - finding the satellites takes a few minutes the first time. It will lock on much faster if you are not moving. Subsequent times to find the satellites was much quicker.
Use - After you have turned on the GPS and gotten a lock, all you need to do is press start to begin your workout. It was very easy to use. I basically forgot about it while I was running other than to check my pace every mile or so. Kept a lock the entire time (keep in mind this was in Chicago's Lincoln Park - roughly 2/3rds of the sky is clear (except for trees) so achieving constant lock-on should not be a problem for any GPS. I have not tested this downtown).
For those worried about water resistance, my first usage of my 405 was in the pouring rain. It didn't seem to notice (or care) about the rain. It can handle a good amount of water without issue.
Syncing - you need to download the software from Garmin (it's actually a web plug in). However, the manual was clearly rushed out the door. Not only does it contain typos (at one point it refers to the wrong step) but it is not clear from the manual that you need to download the USB drivers. DO NOT put the ANT USB key into the computer until you have downloaded the specific ANT drivers from Garmin (so you have to download two different pieces of software - the plugin and the USB driver). If you plug the ANT key into the computer w/o the Garmin USB driver, Windows will find what it thinks is the correct driver (which is the wrong driver). The syncing will not work if you do this. Just a heads up.
I wish I owned a 305 to compare it to. In the Garmin store, the 405 did not see that much smaller than the 305, although the 405 was clearly more elegant. Functionally, I hear that they are extremely similar. You just need to personally evaluate whether the 405 is really worth the increased cost over the 205/305. Personally, I plan on keeping the 405.
Battery Life - After playing with it for 30 minutes, taking it on an hour's run and syncing it with my computer, it only used 12% of the battery life.
.........read more reviews at:http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-00658-12-Forerunner-Wireless-Technology/product-reviews/B0011UEUOA
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