Last time I told you how disappointed I was with the Forerunner 50...fortunately for me there was also a Garmin Forerunner 305 in the box! Mostly because I wasn't sure which one I'd want, and now I'm really glad!
For a data geek like me, the amount of stuff you can see with this watch is amazing. It's nice to know how far and fast I'm going WHILE I'm running, and when I get back it's great to be able to map my run. Sure, you have to get past its being bigger than a breadbox, but once you have it on and get going you forget about how big it is.
To make a long review short, I LOVE this watch, even after only a few days (and 3 runs). Why? Here are a few reasons why I love it:
1. The interval timers are fantastic. I can create custom workouts on the watch with essentially unlimited timer intervals. So I can set up a 2 minute warmup segment, then start my run/walk/sprint intervals. The way the watch is set up I can easily see where I am in the intervals and how much time is left. I can store tons of different workouts, and I can program them on the computer using the Garmin Training Center that comes with the watch.
2. I can see distance and pace while I'm running. This is going to come in handy as I start to do longer runs training for the races I want to be doing.
3. The screen is big. Yeah, it means the watch is big, but I can see up to four things at once. I usually have it set to see time of day, interval time, pace, and distance. I can easily switch to view calories, heart rate (it has a heart rate monitor), and lots of other fields.
4. Garmin Connect. This is the online component that makes this watch so much fun to play with. Garmin Training Center has some simple mapping and data formatting features, but Garmin Connect links up with Google maps to give really nice maps of what you've done. It summarizes all of your workout stats like average speed, calories burned, etc. and is just plain fun to play with. Plus, you can share your workouts and look at other people's workouts to get ideas of what to do.
Take a look at yesterday's workout. I did 3.95 miles in 35:04 (that's an avg pace of 8:52 min/mile, probably my fastest!), and you can see the route I took. If you go to the player, you can even watch the little marker move around the course to show what direction I took. You can also see lots of different graphs - for instance, you can see my heart rate go up and down as I hit my walk intervals. Exciting to you, I'm sure. Heh.
I haven't found too many things I don't like about the watch. Certainly nothing to make me want to take it back. There are a couple of annoyances, though.
1. It's big. And by big, I mean really big. It's not too heavy, fortunately, but there's no way I'm wearing this watch doing anything other than running (or biking).
2. The heart rate monitor needs to be tight. I guess that's going to be something that all heart rate monitors have in common - at least the ones that go around your chest. The first time I used it I got about 2 minutes in, let a big breath out as I started a run interval, and the thing fell down around my waist. Yesterday I cinched it up tight so it stayed in place, but it felt kind of tight and awkward. Maybe for those of you who are used to wearing bras, that's not going to feel out of the ordinary. It was a bit strange for me though. :)
3. It's not a wireless connection to the computer. This isn't a big deal, but it's big enough to have a wireless connection in there somewhere. The Forerunner 405 has a wireless connection, but it's (a) more expensive, and (b) has buttons that are way too easy to accidentally push. If someone gave me the choice of either one for free, I'd still probably take the 305.
All in all, this is a great watch and I plan to keep using it whenever I run (or bike). It is a ridiculous extravagance, though, I must admit. Is any of it necessary? Well, I guess not. But if it keeps me running?
It's totally worth it.
I have a few days left on my trip and will keep playing with it. Now that I've written how much I like it, I'm guaranteed to find something that makes me want to return it. Oh well. Let's see if I can get my money's worth first!
- Bill
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