"Intuition is a spiritual faculty, and does not explain,
but simply points the way."
but simply points the way."
Florence Scovel Shinn
Something tells me I'd really enjoy a Garmin, but I have these lingering worries. After overdosing reading a lot of blogs lately :) ...here are some of the things I've heard mentioned from different runners: (paraphrasing here) "my garmin died on me" "my low battery signal started flashing" "my garmin went crazy by the highway" "our garmins were all out of wack" "my garmin reset itself 5 seconds before the race" "I'm surprised the electrical lines didn't affect my garmin" "my garmin is fickle" ...and there are more.
Garmins are really expensive here in Canada. We're talking about $500 for a Garmin forerunner 405, but I can probably get a 205 for a little over $200. However, I'm thinking that if I'm going to go ahead and get a Garmin, I should probably get the most recent. What I really want is to be able to know how far I've run without having to measure it with the car first. It would also be nice to know my pace, but for now there's very little variability in that area. So here's my worry, that I may be paying $500 for a tool that doesn't always work well and that leaves me feeling frustrated. Sigh...I do want a Garmin though. Is there a huge difference between the 205 and the 405, have any of you upgraded? Does anyone have any advice?
Most of you seem to love your Garmins...it is pretty isn't it? :)
Today, I completed a nice 4K tempo run at a very reasonable pace...oh yeah! Despite some major burping and cramps near the end of the run. One more lesson learned, not even a light snack (yogourt and apple) is a good idea before heading out for a run!
I had another cool encounter today...as I was just getting started I crossed this older man (I'm guessing late 70's) running, he gave me this huge wave and a big smile, it was so inspiring. This is exactly why I run, I want to be like him and still be running when I'm in my 70's. A couple of Ks later, I cross him again, this time he raises his hand and says "We should be at the Olympics" :) ...me, "Yeah, we should" big smile! This encounter, plus the much more bearable weather made this a really nice run.
Cheers!
27 comments:
I have the 405 and have rarely had an issue - most of them have been operator error and now I lock the bezel when I run.
We just got ours...I am so excited to use it!
Running is what cured me of asthma...I started running with two inhalers...and now zero.
All asthma is different..but I just saw that you run for asthma too!
I have a 305 and love it. I've never had a problem with it that wasn't operator issue. It's really big and I have small wrists, but I've gotten so used to it that I feel naked when I run without it.
BTW, I left a little something for you on my blog.
Hi Anne, I found your blog via someone's (not sure who anymore. Haha), I look forward to reading your running journey.
I have the 405 and have never had a problem except operator error, and that's a common occurance because I've head it for about 9 months and have yet to really sit down and read about the thing and how to use it. Haha. But I do really like it. Sometimes, I find it a royal pain because I get so obsessed with my pace and can't enjoy the run, so I like to leave it at home sometimes and just run Garmin-free. It feels so liberating!
I have no garmin. But that's how I like it! Hopefully someone can give you good advice :)
Great job on your run. I love seeing people when I go out :)
I think the 405 could be a great watch, I just needed to be more familiar with it. It just seems very sensitive to the touch-so yah it resetting itself ~5secs b4 the race was most likely an my error
But, for ~$200 less there's the 305 that a lot o people like (and what I ultimately bought last week...and i'm waiting for it in the mail!) Then there's the 310xt that ps love, love too...aw, good luck!;-)
I don't have a Garmin but maybe someday...{insert dreamy eyes here}
I use mapmyrun.com to map out my runs so I don't have to take the car, it gives you the elevations too. I also use it to track my miles on my profile so I know how many miles are on my kicks. Good luck. O and if you get a Garmin I'll be sooo jealous..
I have the 305 and so does the hubby. We love it! Never had any issues. I have 4 friends with the 405, all who have had crazy issues with it. So ... my vote is for the 305.
I also would't bother with the 205. Nothing but problems.
405 all the way. I've had mine for over a year. Not one problem. All my freinds with the 305 loose signals whenever we do trail running - whereas I've never lost a signal. Ever. Theirs also take at least twice as mine to locate a signal....
If your going to buy a gadget like that - I would just upgrade to the 405 straight away.
You know, I've read all of those issues Garmins, but we have never had any too major. Sure, there are a few hiccups, but it takes awhile to figure things out. We have only had a few problems with our 405 - and they can probably be blamed on human error. I don't know the difference between the two, but think you should get one!
I have the old ugly black, square cheapo 205. Alright I'd better stop insulting it before it quits entirely. Honestly, even though it's done weird things, I do think it's worth every penny.
Have the 205 and love it.....paid 154.00 with shipping from Sears. No issues yet!
Oh come on and join the madness...buy a Garmin! I have the 305, which does most of the same things as the 405, but is $100 cheaper. Definitely not as pretty, but....it works! I couldn't live without my garmin. No really.
Good luck!
I have a 305 and I love it. It's a bargain right now and you will get a lot great information from tracking your heart rate. I have a bike attachement that was very reasonably priced and it functions as my bike computer. The Garmin was the best investment I made... no complaints from me.
I have a 405 and do like it a lot. No big issues. I am very anal about wanting to know how far I go and I used to go pretty much on routes I knew. Now I go anywhere. Last week I wanted to do a quick 4 miles and put my Garmin on and wound around town after work before me meeting. That was sweet. You can go off road. I do use it for my pace too and like that but it is the mileage that does it for me.
I haven't had any problems with my 405 but again, I haven't tried it on trials... all the reviews I read were good. It does take some getting used to in terms of the menu but after few hours playing with it I was a pro. There are so many things I love about it but mostly, it allows me to set up complex workouts and prompts me when I have to change the steps (e.g., run 10 walk 1 or run under a specific % of my MHR, or run at a specific pace, intervals, virtual partner, etc). I highly recommend it! Plus, if running is your new passion you deserve to indulge yourself... it is very motivating to see your progress as you run... the software will allow you to breakdown your workouts or compare performance between different ones...
I love my Garmin, but that's not to say our relationship hasn't had it's ups and downs. Read my Richmond Marathon Report if you haven't... both the 305 and the 405 failed me that day! Really really! One was mine and one was a friends, but still, they're technology just like anything else. They work 99% of the time, and if they happen to bomb out on Marathon Day, well, you better be prepared to run anyway. When they work, which IS most of the time, they are AWESOME. I improved my Half Marathon time by 29 minutes when I got my Garmin (and 4 months of training and some race experience, but still, 29 minutes is a lot of time). I highly recommend a Garmin, which ever one you get. I have a 305.
Thanks for being so understanding on the award. You truly make my day, whenever you drop by to "see me". I suspect that you're one of those people who always knows just what to say... and I'm glad I found you. Or, you found me. Which ever!
I have a Garmin 405 and love it. I used it while I was skiing to get the milage. I love to know my pace and distance. It is certainly not a necessity - but sure is nice.
You won't hear me ever complaining about my Garmin 305. Love it!
my boyfriend got me the FR60 LTD for Valentine's Day (I got it early so been using it for a few weeks) and I love it! You don't have to charge it like other Garmins, and it works with a wireless footpod instead of GPS so you never loose the signal (I tested the footpod on the treadmill, the pace and distance were spot on) and plus its a little cuter than the others =). And if you buy it at http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/GAR127/and buy the VIP benefits for 1.99 you save $20, and if you use coupon code CX10H011 you save $10 more! So that's $170 in stead of the $500 the Forerunner 405 costs. Hope that helps a bit! Good luck!
I have a 305 and I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOVE it! I have never had a problem with it. I totally recommend getting one.
I have the 405 and I love it! I've only had one problem when it froze up, but that was easily fixed by holding down the buttons for 30 seconds- none of the data was lost either :) I like it because its not as big as the other ones. It takes a little bit to get used to how it works, but I've always been able to get a signal super fast. I think no matter which one you get it will be a great investment and you'll love it!
Here is the link to my review of the Garmin 405, which I am using frequently now and have grown to appreciate it more than when I first started using it. Bottom line, if you are not going to be out running for more than 4 or 5 hours at a time (something ultra runners have to deal with), then the 405 is the best equipment.
http://runlonger.blogspot.com/2008/09/garmin-forerunner-405-10-things-to-know.html
Anne, my sister and her husband are devoted Garminites, but I have never wanted to start using one because I feel like it would make my running more complicated and I would be all obsessed with times/pace. When I need to know how far I ran (or plan to run) I use mapmyrun.com. I wear a wristwatch to keep track of my time. Of course, I am not running to win races or radically improve my performance - I am also running for the very good reason you mention: to be healthy well into my later years! And to make myself feel good. So I feel like I really don't need a Garmin.
Since I stopped worrying about time, splits, pace and all those I enjoy my running much more. I’ll stay Garmin free.
I would love a Garmin, I won't lie. I plan on buying a 305 when I come into some extra money, LOL.
Have you tried mapmyrun.com? Have they mapped all over the world or just the US? That's what I use and it has been really accurate when I compare it to my nike plus ipod.
Post a Comment