For my birthday I got a Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS system. I have been keeping track of my mileage using the route feature of this website but I wanted to have something that could tell me in real time what my pace is and how long I have run. I have a tendency to run very fast in the beginning of my runs and then get tired and slow down a lot. By using the Garmin I can set an alarm for my heart rate and for my pace so that I will not be wearing myself out too soon.
Having never used a GPS system before I was initially disappointed that it takes so long to find the satellites when you turn on the watch. On average it takes about 1-2 minutes during which you have to stand completely still – which is hard when it is 30 degrees outside (the watch will not find the satellites if you are inside). But I have now worked it into my running routine to stand outside and stretch for a couple of minutes before I run. During this time I keep one hand completely still and this is usually enough for the watch to find the satellites and get a good starting position.
At first I was also having some other issues with the watch. The software on the watch was giving me some very strange altitude readings saying that I was ascending 400 feet and descending 300 feet on a round trip. This would also result in some very high calorie estimates since the watch thought I was constantly on a slope. But downloading the new firmware from Garmin has fixed this problem as well as some other minor issues.
I am not too impressed with the auto pause function. In theory this feature will stop your running timer when you are standing still at a stoplight or getting water. But you have to hold your arm completely still to prevent it from starting the timer. It would be nicer if there was a pace threshold that you could set at which the timer would turn on or off.
Overall I really like this GPS watch. I really like the real time pace feature, this helps me to know when I am going to slow or too fast and the pace alarm helps me keep a steady pace. I also like the total mileage feature for which you can also set an alarm. This means that if you are running 6 miles you can set an alarm at 3 miles and the watch will basically tell you when it is time to turn around and run back the same way. It is also great to have a completely programmable heart rate monitor which will let you know when you are over straining yourself. Finally, at the price that these things are selling at at the moment - you almost cannot afford not to get such a cool toy.
Overall I really like this GPS watch. I really like the real time pace feature, this helps me to know when I am going to slow or too fast and the pace alarm helps me keep a steady pace. I also like the total mileage feature for which you can also set an alarm. This means that if you are running 6 miles you can set an alarm at 3 miles and the watch will basically tell you when it is time to turn around and run back the same way. It is also great to have a completely programmable heart rate monitor which will let you know when you are over straining yourself. Finally, at the price that these things are selling at at the moment - you almost cannot afford not to get such a cool toy.
