Runners: GPS watch?

c3nterstage
c3nterstage Posts: 46
in Fitness and Exercise
If you run, do you use a GPS watch? What kind?
«1

Replies

  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    Garmin 205. Nothing fancy. Does everything I need it to.
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4266-runners-r-us
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/94-long-distance-runners
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/47-happy-feet-runners-unite
  • cushygal
    cushygal Posts: 586 Member
    I use the Garmin 305. Love it!!
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
    I have an old Garmin Forerunner 201. It's discontinued now, but it still works great. I would suggest any Garmin product. Don't pay for a lot of bells and whistles you won't use. There are a lot of features that sound neat but in reality don't get used. I would stick to the low end.
  • TylerJ76
    TylerJ76 Posts: 4,375 Member
    Garmin 910xt.

    Love it, get to use it for my swimming/biking as well.
  • DGK12
    DGK12 Posts: 117
    Garmin 205 = awesome sauce!! :-)
  • jon40084
    jon40084 Posts: 175 Member
    Garmin Forerunner 405CX - love it - use if for cycling these days but started out with running
  • k80mac
    k80mac Posts: 63 Member
    I have a Garmin 210 forerunner and I love it. GPS, Calories, laps, zone programming. The only thing I wish is that it had more detailed data about how long at a certain pace or within a certain zone. Right now I get high/low HR and average pace. I like detail.
  • Vicky_Is_In_Glee
    Vicky_Is_In_Glee Posts: 34
    I use GPS meter on CardioTrainer ;)
  • PrincessLou71186
    PrincessLou71186 Posts: 741 Member
    Erm... slightly of topic, but, if you have a smartphone, you can download an app called runkeeper than tracks your progress using GPS and has a website to go along with it. Tracks things like, speed, distance, incline etc. Has charts, graphs and maps on the site. Plus, you can use your phone for music.

    Anyway, sorry for hijacking.

    When it comes to watches, I hear Garmin is one of the best.
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
    Garmin Forerunner 205.
  • bobbi_jo2
    bobbi_jo2 Posts: 118 Member
    I also use my smartphone, but use app called Endomondo. It keeps track of distance, speed, etc.
  • kevin3344
    kevin3344 Posts: 702 Member
    I'm in a Run Club and most of the runners are split between a Garmin and an app like RunKeeper or iMapMyRun.

    I have iMapMyRun on my iPhone and have used it for a full marathon and some smaller races. I don't run without it normally.
  • getsveltEagain
    getsveltEagain Posts: 1,063 Member
    I have a Garmin 210 forerunner and I love it.

    I agree.... just got mine a month ago and don't know how I lived without it :wink:
  • scott091501
    scott091501 Posts: 1,260 Member
    Garmin Forerunner 305. Wish I had something waterproof though.
  • kimi233
    kimi233 Posts: 271 Member
    Erm... slightly of topic, but, if you have a smartphone, you can download an app called runkeeper than tracks your progress using GPS and has a website to go along with it. Tracks things like, speed, distance, incline etc. Has charts, graphs and maps on the site. Plus, you can use your phone for music.

    Anyway, sorry for hijacking.

    When it comes to watches, I hear Garmin is one of the best.

    This is what I do to, so I can listen to my music and keep track of my run. And I wear my body bugg to keep track of calories burned.
  • jeffrey2584
    jeffrey2584 Posts: 88 Member
    Garmin 305
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Garmin 310XT
  • jaxCarrie
    jaxCarrie Posts: 214 Member
    I have the Garmin Foreunner 110 (Ladies)....LOVE IT. Very very easy to use. My husband has the Forerunner 305 - it's ancient but he swears by it. one thing I will say about Garmin's though...their HRM straps aren't as comfortable as Polar's....just my opinion.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    If you run, do you use a GPS watch? What kind?

    I usually preplan my route using GMap Pedometer site, you can manually set it or set it to give a route for cyclists or runners.



    That is interesting regarding the iphone info from some posters above though, I may look into that.
  • katozdad
    katozdad Posts: 296 Member
    Don't know about any watches, but my Andriod smart phone tracks my workout whilst providing some cracking tunes at the same time. Best app is Endomondo.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Erm... slightly of topic, but, if you have a smartphone, you can download an app called runkeeper than tracks your progress using GPS and has a website to go along with it. Tracks things like, speed, distance, incline etc. Has charts, graphs and maps on the site. Plus, you can use your phone for music.

    Anyway, sorry for hijacking.

    When it comes to watches, I hear Garmin is one of the best.

    I hope that isn't hijacking, if it is, I guess I'm your accomplice. But I do the same thing. I have a android phone with a sport case for my arm, and you can use the free Google Tracks app. It's awesome. I tracks time and distance, puts your route on a map, shows your average speed and top speed, average elevation and total elevation gain, and also keeps separate numbers for total time vs total time actually moving . It can then upload all this to a spreadsheet or Google Maps so you can view it on your cpu. And I can listen to my music or podcasts (or even take a call) without bothering the tracking. It will also sync with one of the bluetooth heart monitors but I've never tried that so can't speak on how well it works. I love it tho. When I run the same course I can not only see my time but I can see where on the route I'm slowing down (or stopping) and if I decide to run a new route I can easily compare it to my old routes.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    one thing I will say about Garmin's though...their HRM straps aren't as comfortable as Polar's....just my opinion.
    Do you use the hard plastic or the newer fancy fabric Garmin one (the one they call premium)?

    OP: what features do you want? Just a GPS and HRM? Do you want to download it to a computer afterwards? Do you want ANT+, so you can use a footpod indoors, or a bike speed/cadence sensor, or a power meter?

    If you just want speed, distance, time and HRM (no downloading, but they keep histories), there is the Soleus GPS 1.0 and a Timex Marathon GPS. Both are about $100.
    http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/12/soleus-gps-10-90-running-watch-in-depth.html
    http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/03/99-timex-marathon-gps-in-depth-review.html

    In the last 2 categories, it depends on your budget ;) . Theres the Garmin Forerunner 405, the 310, the 410, the 610 and the 910. The 405 is the last generation, but still in production (unlike the 305 which was a rock solid watch). The 310 and 910 are everything proof, and the 910 has some fancy swimming bits. The 410 and 610 are for runners, but they still have ANT+.
    Theres the Timex Global Trainer and Run Trainer. Pretty similar to the 310 and 410, respectively, but how they download is funky.
    They range in prices for the Global Trainer @ $150 to the Garmin 910 @ $450.
  • Wreak_Havoc
    Wreak_Havoc Posts: 597
    Garmin Forerunner 305 with the heart rate monitor.
  • jaxCarrie
    jaxCarrie Posts: 214 Member
    I use the hard plastic HRM that came with my Garmin 110. I should 'spring' for the premium one - I've heard it's comparable to the Polar....but to tell the truth, I've kind of gotten off the HRM when I run...too much to look at and think about it, I know when I'm working hard (or too hard) :yawn:
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    Erm... slightly of topic, but, if you have a smartphone, you can download an app called runkeeper than tracks your progress using GPS and has a website to go along with it. Tracks things like, speed, distance, incline etc. Has charts, graphs and maps on the site. Plus, you can use your phone for music.

    Anyway, sorry for hijacking.

    When it comes to watches, I hear Garmin is one of the best.

    I hope that isn't hijacking, if it is, I guess I'm your accomplice. But I do the same thing. I have a android phone with a sport case for my arm, and you can use the free Google Tracks app. It's awesome. I tracks time and distance, puts your route on a map, shows your average speed and top speed, average elevation and total elevation gain, and also keeps separate numbers for total time vs total time actually moving . It can then upload all this to a spreadsheet or Google Maps so you can view it on your cpu. And I can listen to my music or podcasts (or even take a call) without bothering the tracking. It will also sync with one of the bluetooth heart monitors but I've never tried that so can't speak on how well it works. I love it tho. When I run the same course I can not only see my time but I can see where on the route I'm slowing down (or stopping) and if I decide to run a new route I can easily compare it to my old routes.

    Is that app also suitable for iphones do you know?
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
    Costco.com is selling the 405 with HRM strap for $159 shipped!

    Do note that HRM only works for tracking running calories. You need the 405 CX (?) or 410/610 to track other activities.
  • sharonsjones
    sharonsjones Posts: 574 Member
    I have the Garmin Foreunner 110 (Ladies)....LOVE IT. Very very easy to use. My husband has the Forerunner 305 - it's ancient but he swears by it. one thing I will say about Garmin's though...their HRM straps aren't as comfortable as Polar's....just my opinion.

    I have an old Garmin forerunner, I think its the 305, only comes in blue and red and is big! I have little wrists and is quite large on me.
    Anyways...I looked at the Forerunner 110 and I like the way they looks. Is it easy to use? Someone gave me a Garmin watch with the heart monitor strap, I cant remember which watch it is but I cannot figure out how to use it! A running watch should not be that complicated!!
  • Wreak_Havoc
    Wreak_Havoc Posts: 597
    I have the Garmin Foreunner 110 (Ladies)....LOVE IT. Very very easy to use. My husband has the Forerunner 305 - it's ancient but he swears by it. one thing I will say about Garmin's though...their HRM straps aren't as comfortable as Polar's....just my opinion.

    I have an old Garmin forerunner, I think its the 305, only comes in blue and red and is big! I have little wrists and is quite large on me.
    Anyways...I looked at the Forerunner 110 and I like the way they looks. Is it easy to use? Someone gave me a Garmin watch with the heart monitor strap, I cant remember which watch it is but I cannot figure out how to use it! A running watch should not be that complicated!!

    Go to Garmin.com. You can download the user's guide and register it to keep updated on upgrades.
  • sharonsjones
    sharonsjones Posts: 574 Member
    I have the Garmin Foreunner 110 (Ladies)....LOVE IT. Very very easy to use. My husband has the Forerunner 305 - it's ancient but he swears by it. one thing I will say about Garmin's though...their HRM straps aren't as comfortable as Polar's....just my opinion.

    I have an old Garmin forerunner, I think its the 305, only comes in blue and red and is big! I have little wrists and is quite large on me.
    Anyways...I looked at the Forerunner 110 and I like the way they looks. Is it easy to use? Someone gave me a Garmin watch with the heart monitor strap, I cant remember which watch it is but I cannot figure out how to use it! A running watch should not be that complicated!!

    Ok when I re read your post I see you posted very very easy, oops! Never mind!!

Categories