What's on *your* GPS watch?
7lenny7
Posts: 3,498 Member
I have a Garmin Forerunner 305 and I think I have the screens close to being set up to display I like, but I'm interested in hearing from other runners and what they have displayed. Perhaps I'll see something different that makes more sense for me.
On my "default" screen (which I have up 98% of the time)
Pace
Pace - Lap
Distance
HR
On the next screen I have
Pace
Pace - Avg
Pace - Lap
Pace - Last Lap
On the third screen I have:
HR
HR - Avg
HR - Lap
Time Elapsed
On my "default" screen (which I have up 98% of the time)
Pace
Pace - Lap
Distance
HR
On the next screen I have
Pace
Pace - Avg
Pace - Lap
Pace - Last Lap
On the third screen I have:
HR
HR - Avg
HR - Lap
Time Elapsed
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Replies
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I only use one of my screens for now, but I've got:
Elapsed Time
Distance
Avg Pace
Instantaneous Pace
I probably should set up a screen with clock-time because sometimes I'm running and wondering if I have time for another mile or if I need to head home! =P0 -
I have the FR 220, which has 3 displays on the main screen. I use: Total Time, Total Distance, HR. I can scroll to a second screen with more parameters, but I rarely use it. If I do not wear my HRM, I put Pace in that field, but I kind of like not knowing my pace as I run. Of course, I always have a general idea of my avg pace by knowing my distance and time, but I found that my running improved greatly when I learned not to get hung up on my pace and just try and stay in my desired HR zone.0
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I have three parameters. On my usual screen they are elapsed time, current pace, and distance. I have another screen which just has lap time and lap pace on it. I often use that one while racing (especially marathons), so I can focus on the mile I'm doing at the time and not think about the total time.0
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On the first screen I display:
1. Total time
2. Distance
3. Lap time
On the second screen I have:
1. Overall pace
2. Distance
3. Lap pace
I don't like to see my paces while I'm running, because I get too numbers-motivated rather than focusing on effort and feel. But on longer runs or races, I like to distract myself by doing time math and estimating pace, overall time, etc. so I keep the paces on the second screen to double-check my mental math
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kristinegift wrote: »On the first screen I display:
1. Total time
2. Distance
3. Lap time
On the second screen I have:
1. Overall pace
2. Distance
3. Lap pace
I don't like to see my paces while I'm running, because I get too numbers-motivated rather than focusing on effort and feel. But on longer runs or races, I like to distract myself by doing time math and estimating pace, overall time, etc. so I keep the paces on the second screen to double-check my mental math
I'm the same way. I go too fast just because of the time instead of how I feel. I've gotten in trouble more than once.
My coach actually said the mental math thing is good. It is a distraction that keeps those negative thoughts from creeping in. Guess your brain can't do two things at once.
I am also terrible at mental math while running. LOL. I've made some pretty terrible calculations both in estimated time left to make a PR and distance.
OP
Good question. I'm still figuring mine out.0 -
I have a Garmin 620, with 4 fields available.
Screen 1:
1. Total distance
2. Total time
3. Current pace
4. Average pace
I use this most of the time, mostly to know when I need to slow down. It's vital when I'm pacing the 8:30 pace group, to keep from being too far off target. My pet peeve with Garmin is that it insists on saying "best pace" when it ought to say "fastest pace." If I'm targeting a pace of 8:30, a reported pace of 6:55 is *NOT* my best pace. It's either a data glitch (may they be few!) or a total lapse of discipline on my part (may they be fewer!).
Screen 2:
1. Lap distance
2. Lap time
3. Lap pace
4. Last lap pace
I look at this mostly when doing intervals. For workouts like, 2 miles @MP then 1 mile @T, I'll just let autolap tell me the miles and use this to see the results by mile. It's more important for shorter intervals, track work, and irregular intervals like 4 x (0.5 mile @I with 2 minutes recovery).
Screen 3:
1. Heart rate
2. Average HR
3. HR %Max
4. Cadence
I rarely look at this screen. I used to look at it for heart rate while cooling down; now that I also have a Vivofit 2, I can set the Vivofit to show heart rate and not use another field on the 620. That will change with cold weather, when the Vivofit will be under the long sleeves.
I'm still open to changing what's on the screens, if it becomes apparent that something I don't have now is more useful than something I'm showing.0 -
I have a Garmin 620 and have trimmed the displays to:
1) Distance | Total Time (I use this one the least)
2) Heart Rate | Cadence (I tend to use this one mostly, especially in the first five km)
3) Heart Rate | Pace (use this one often, especially when running tempo)
4) <off>
I prefer having only two values on a screen - makes them larger and easier to see at a glance.
Every km the watch tells me what my average pace was for the preceding km and total distance so I don't feel the need to refer to either of those values in a screen.
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Thanks for the feedback so far! Interesting to see how other runners approach this. I imagine this is something that will change as my running experience increases.
I should mention for those that aren't familiar with it that the 305 has 3 screens you can scroll through, and each can have up to 4 values. I'm considering reducing the number of values I have displayed so they're easier to read (fewer values = bigger digits).
I should start making a mental note after each run which field I used the most, which field I didn't, and which field I wish I had easier access to. I'm also thinking about making one screen a race screen, but then I race so rarely that it would be easy enough to reconfigure the fields just for a race.
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I should start making a mental note after each run which field I used the most, which field I didn't, and which field I wish I had easier access to. I'm also thinking about making one screen a race screen, but then I race so rarely that it would be easy enough to reconfigure the fields just for a race.
Yes, over time you may notice that something else is more useful. The last change I made was on my screen two, where I swapped out Last Lap Time for Last Lap Pace. It didn't matter when all the laps were one mile long, but it matters on variable length laps. What you notice will probably be different, and based on your own needs and interests.
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With my Garmin 225 it will tell me my mile times once I hit them so I never use the lap time field. My main screen has cadence, pace & HR which I typically use for training and easy run. I've run most of my courses so many times i know the length of the run so the distance in training isn't necessary. The secondary screen has distance, timer & average pace. This is the screen I most often use for races or tempo runs. I had a 305 before but never used the 4 function display because it cut the timer to hh/mm after 1 hour so i never knew the sec position. Not a big deal but a small pet peeve i had with it when in the 4 function mode.0
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I use Pebble watch to display Endomondo from my phone. One screen - time, distance, hr. Every half mile I get a pop up showing time for the previous half mile (I use this to gauge my pace without having to think
). I prefer to keep things simple. 0 -
I have the Garmin FR220.
Screen 1:
Distance
Pace
Cadence (very important to me)
Screen 2:
HR (I have the Scosche monitor that I wear on my other wrist)
Average Pace
Timer
I keep Screen 1 displayed at all times. I may briefly switch to Screen 2 from time to time if I'm wearing the HR monitor or to check my total time.
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Garmin 920xt:
For a regular run I use Instant Pace, Lap (mile) Pace, Distance and Time
If I am doing intervals then I use my second screen which has Instant Pace, Lap Pace, Lap Distance and Lap Time.
Depending on the workout I may or may not turn off autolap.
Screen 3 has my HR, but I generally don't pay attention to it, which is why it's way out there all alone on a third screen.0 -
Screen 1 has:
Total Distance
Elapsed Time
Current Pace
Heart Rate
Screen 2 has:
Average Pace
Total Ascent
Average Cadence
It's not very often that I look at Screen 2. And for trail runs on screen 2 I have Average Pace, Total Ascent, and Elevation.0 -
^^^ I wish I had elevation, partly for route finding.
If I had to buy a watch again, I'd probably get a tri watch with up-loadable GPS directions and an altimeter. I did not anticipate how much I would come to enjoy running in the mountains. When running in new areas it'd be nice to have course directions at times.
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FR220
screen one:
distance
pace
lap time
screen two:
timer
calories
avg pace0 -
^^^ I wish I had elevation, partly for route finding.
If I had to buy a watch again, I'd probably get a tri watch with up-loadable GPS directions and an altimeter. I did not anticipate how much I would come to enjoy running in the mountains. When running in new areas it'd be nice to have course directions at times.
I used the "Return to Start" feature on my 310XT to get me and my dad unlost when we were backpacking last year and had gone off trail. It was pretty awesome.
I now have a Fenix 3 and I just absolutely love it.0 -
I'm thinking a return to start feature could be useful for someone in my family ... in the city!0
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Garmin FR220
Screen 1
Distance
Timer
Lap pace
Screen 2
Cadence
Avg Pace
Heart Rate
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Fenix 3
Im using Runner Window fields with:
Time
CAD
Avg Pace
Dist
HRR%
Pace
I also use a 2 screen set up
On the first screen I display:
1. Total time
2. Distance
3. Avr Page
4. HR
On the second screen I have:
1. Lap Pace
2. Lap Distance
3. HR
4. Lap Time
but I'm not happy about the pace settings I'm using, need to set those to Inst. Page and Lap Pace.
I use pace and HR to keep my self from going too fast.
2nd screen is useful when I set up a first "lap" as a warm up. Lap data then becomes the actual run.
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My watch (TomTom Cardio) only displays three fields at a time: two small, one large.
The small numbers are always the same (unless there's an option I've missed), the only one that changes on the different screens is the large one. So not too many customisation options...
As small numbers I've set
1. Average Pace
2. Distance
, the default for the large number is
3. Total time
... and after each lap (1 km) it vibrates and shoes the average lap pace for a few seconds.
My watch doesn't have fancy things like cadence, I don't really care about calories burned, but still, having another field might be nice, either for the current pace or the heart rate - now I have to press a couple of buttons to see either of them, which I usually can't be bothered to do.0 -
Garmin Forerunner 635
For training (all on one screen):
Clock
HR - 10second Pace - Cadence
Timer - Distance
Battery - GPS Signal
For Races (all on one screen)
Pace
Timer - HR % of Max
Distance
I also have a screen I can use to control the music on my phone for both races and training.0 -
I like to keep it simple. On the default screen, I like to keep total distance and elapsed time, but I also don't like to look at it very much, so I've got it set up to beep at me each mile. BUT for any kind of interval run, I like to switch it up so that I see pace.
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I have the Garmin 620.
Timer
Pace
Average pace
Miles.
I have other screens, but this is the only one I use running.0 -
I have a Garmin FR 630 and use these on the main screen, I rarely switch to other screens:
Distance
Timer
Pace
Heart Rate0 -
I have the Garmin FR 235 and use the the Single Run Field Data Screen download from Connect IQ on the first screen. It has:
Heart Rate
Pace
Cadence
Timer
Distance
On the the second I use:
Average Pace (Total run)
Lap Time
Lap Distance0 -
@nikkiwolf
You may change what is displayed on the two smaller numbers on the display with your TomTom. I typically display my overall average pace as the main number with total distance on the lower left and heart rate on the lower right.0 -
@STrooper Thanks
I guess I wasn't clear enough in what I was writing - I changed the two small numbers on my TomTom (average pace and total distance), and typically display the time as the main number. I would just love to have a fourth number (heart rate or current pace) visible at the same time, but that isn't possible. Guess I should have though about that before I bought the watch; but this is the first GPS watch I've ever used, so I didn't realise beforehand which numbers I would find useful. For a while now I've been secretly hoping my TomTom might break, so that I would have an excuse to buy a new watch which lets me display four things at once, but no such "luck" so far
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FR 220. Had it since end of November.
1. Distance
2. Total Time
3. Pace
I don't use the second screen. I know what button to press, though, if I want to check a lap.
And sometimes, on a new course, I'll log onto the Connect app and look at elevation, cadence, etc.
I stopped using the HR monitor after the first month. I didn't find it useful for me, personally.0
