Garmin - Beginner

sandford02

Hi all, just wondering for a beginner i.e. I've only started since February (couch to 5K) and have completed 2 official 5Ks and found I'm really enjoying it but what (if any) would you recommend for tracking distance/time etc e.g. garmin forerunner etc? Up until now I've been using my mobile! Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

averagejoe123

I found mapmyrun (free app) great when I was starting out. It stores all your runs and gives you your pace/splits/elevation/ calories burnt etc.

No need for a garmin at this early stage of your running career IMO. There are multiple free resources out there that will help you track your progress.

If you stick with it and start training for faster times and longer distances you might look at potentially getting a gps watch but no need at the moment. The main thing is you are enjoying the training.

Also, if you continue running after a while a large portion of Birthday/Christmas gifts will be running related.....it's great!

Battery Kinzie

If you're set on getting one, the forerunner 10 is a great starter. Can be bought for under €100 or even cheaper second hand. It does the basics: distance, time, pace. No heart rate though.

It may be worth considering if you'll want to upgrade after a while as you start to run more. I started with a forerunner 10 but ended up upgrading to a forerunner 225 a couple of months later as it has optical heart rate. I kinda wish I just started with this watch, but then again, at the time I didn't know I'd take to running as much as I did.

If you think you will want to measure heart rate, the 225 is not the only option. You could get the forerunner 15 which is essentially just the 10 but with heart rate capabilities. However, the heart rate is monitored using a chest strap with this watch, whereas with the 225 it's built into the watch and measures it off your wrist.

Lastly and most importantly, dcrainmaker is the person you want to go to for all this stuff. He gives ridiculously indepth reviews of all sorts of GPS watches.

Singer

An app on a decent phone is fine. I used Nike+ on my iPhone to train for a marathon, and it was grand. I've since graduated to a nice Garmin 225, and it's definitely better, but it's worth investing if you're going to get a lot of use out of it, or you have money burning a hole in your pocket and fancy treating yourself

This review agrees:
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-running-watch/#smartphone

Chartsengrafs

I agree with the Forerunner 10 suggestion, simple and functional. I have a tri one with all the bells and whistles and I know a Forerunner 10 would do the job just as well for what I need.

aoboa

I waited about a year until I bought a watch and used runkeeper on the phone until then.
Didn't want to spend loads of cash on a gadget until I knew I was gonna stick with it.
After I bought the watch it ruined me for while trying to run particular paces instead of listening to my body so I used cover the screen with a plaster on long runs
They're useful and a curse at the same time is what I'm getting at, especially when you're starting out.

keith16

I used to use my phone, but I do like having the watch that I can glance at very easily during my runs. That's just my personal preference however, as I like to run light and I don't listen to music so an app for me is not as good.

What I like about the watch is I can keep an eye on my current pace. I went with a Garmin Fenix 3. It's on the big side, but I also use it for cycling. I'm really happy with it.

sandford02

Thanks everyone, I'll stick with the map my run app for now and then if I'm still enjoying it as much as I am... I have a birthday coming up at the end of the summer and I'm sure my husband would love me to tell him what to buy , so start off with the Garmin Forerunner 10 seems to be the general consensus if and when I go with the watch....

uvox

Your smartphone with MapMyRun or Strava will give you more accurate and richer data than the watch will, but getting a watch and getting used to it's operation and wearing one is a good move.

As usual with user experience... "it depends"... functional requirements, budget, looks...

Garmin 10 or 15 is fine, though you can get good deals and step up the functionality if you shop around:

http://www.wiggle.com/garmin/?s=forerunner&sr=Garmin+Forerunner&curr=EUR&dest=6

After 5 or 6 years running, a few marathons, a couple of ultramarathons, dozens of road races, lots of hills and trails, finally bought my first Garmin a few weeks back. Second hand forerunner 10 on Done Deal, only want the pacing function to shave a minute off my 10km. Not sure I'd recommend it for someone after 2 x 5km runs or get that hung up about speed and time at this stage, I'd say complete a good few races first.