Can we talk about Garmins for a minute?

[Honeibee]

I think I want one but I'm not sure which I should get. I'm training to "just walk" (Hee hee Cam!) the "07 Half. I don't think I need GPS capabilities, but then again, why not? You never know.

And if not a Garmin, what else do you have?

And, most of all, do you love what you have or wish you had bought something else?

Thanks everyone!

Judy

 

[DisneyGirl]

I'd like to hear opinions on the same thing!

Actually, why you chose the one you have/ would you have gotten a different one/ etc.

Thanks!!!

 

[TiffJ]

Definately get a Garmin if you can.Great toy & great training tool. It keeps you on target for you pace & distance. You dont have to go back & drive where you walked to find out how far. I love mine!!!!!!!! And I "only" walked too.

I got the Garmin Forerunner 201. The only dif between that & the 301 is the heart rate monitor. It has to be strapped around your chest. Jogging bra does enough of that for me. Don't need anything else

I got it from Amazon, they had the best price at the time & free shipping.

My best friend & mom also got one & love it too!

 

[MelRhoads]

I have the 101. it uses AAA batteries and you do not link it to the computer. I have had it for over a year and i like it. it is not good for being specific on a race. the course my be under or over the stated mileage and so the pace is off. i wouldn't rely on it for pace in a race. i love it for not getting lost, keeping a training log and helping me know my pace during training.

I'm curious what everyone's garmin read mileage wise for the full. Mine registered 26.8 miles. i think the extra .5 was from weaving in and out of traffic. did anyone else have that kind of distance register after the race???

Oh yeah, if you like the toys, GET ONE!! I got mine from wal-mart.com ($88.00 and it was on my doorstep the next day) but I'm mad at them over a photo issue right now and would punish them by using amazon!

 

[chimera]

I love having the Garmin. I can do any route, anywhere without worrying about driving the distance first like I used to. I found out from this board and driving distances that pedometers are dreadfully inaccurate, so the Garmin is like a miracle toy for me

DH got me the 301 for a Mother's Day gift. I would've been just as happy with the 201; the HR monitor chafes in hot weather. The really freakish thing is that I didn't wear the heart monitor during the half, but it registered heart rate in miles 4 and 7. I think it must've picked up on someone else's.

I like having the ability to upload to the computer 'cause I'm a bit of a tech geek I think both the 201 and 301 have that feature.

As for accuracy, I have a habit of forgetting to turn the darn thing off at the end of a race, so my mileage reads 13:35. I remembered it sometime after I got my medal It gave my pace as 14:21; Disney lists 14:26. I did one 5K over the summer that I turned it off at the finish. It lists mileage as 3.14 with a time of 45:15; my clock time for that race was 44:59.

 

[DisneyGirl]

Mel-- I know at my gym they put a little vaseline on the underside of the HR monitor to prevent chafing.

I don't actually own one, so I don't know if it actually works or not

 

[princessmomma]

I'm curious what everyone's garmin read mileage wise for the full. Mine registered 26.8 miles. i think the extra .5 was from weaving in and out of traffic. did anyone else have that kind of distance register after the race???

Yes, according to my Garmin I ran 26.79 miles. I was off by about 20 seconds after just the first mile, it kind of threw me off when my mile beeps would come and the mile markers were still 20-30+ seconds ahead!

 

[perfectmatch300]

I'm interested in these answers, too. I'm geting tired of trying to calculate distances with the car or my bike odometer. I know my measurements are off. So are any times I try to figure with my stopwatch because my distance measurements are inaccurate. It gets me very frustrated sometimes.

The thing is, I'n mot much of a tech geek. I can figure out simple things, but if it gets me too confused I will end up just not using it. I've seen all the things some of you do with yours and it sounds like a lot to figure out to me.

I'm really interested in reading the feedback here.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have the 101. Accept for some irritating issues with batteries not lasting as long as they should (hubby says I'm not picking the right ones)--it works great.

But the geek in me is starting to say--hmmm...uploading would be so nice. Hubby says he will give me his 201. However, he conveniently forgot when he returned to D.C. No big deal--no where to run to baby, no where to hide! At least for one more week. HEE HEE!

Garmins are off for the distances at races b/c you have to take into account that subtle thing known as passing the competition via a zig and a zag. It isn't an error---you really did run approximately that far (there is an error associated with GPS.....but not that big).

On training runs--you will not have this much of a discrepancy as you aren't trying to pass a few thousand of your closest friends.

 

[Maherae]

This is WONDERFUL information for newbies!! Thanks so much. WISHers are the best!

 

[Kimickey]

I recieved one for Christmas and absolutely love it.

 

[solotraveler]

I have the 201 and I LOVE it. I would never want to do a long run without it. No need to premeasure courses or run the risk of falling short.

For the race, my Garmin said I ran nearly 27 miles (26.94 miles). Now a lot of that probably was getting through traffic, but I stopped looking at it for mileage around mile 8 and mainly used it as a timing device.

It might not be exactly accurate, but it will get you in the same zip code for sure.

Solotraveler

 

[xterratri]

Another vote for the 201. We(mom-NYcpa, me, sis-Stitch_lover_Sith) discussed the 301 for my sister but I think I talked her out of it. Yes, having heart rate is a nice feature but if your HR data comes from your Garmin you can only get the HR info when training outside. Living in the 'where's the snow' North, we are reduced to inside workouts much more often than I would prefer. So I think a 201(amazon.com) with a separate heart rate monitor makes more sense if you want the heart data also.

2 racing points- my 201 also measured about 26.8 for the full and the only place I got any chafing was from the plastic adjustment buckle on the heart rate monitor strap. I don't think Bodyglide would have helped there but I'm going to have to figure something out because that can not be allowed to continue. I thought I broke the scabs back open wearing it yesterday while riding(outside, in Maine, in January!!!) and we only rode an hour.

 

[DisneyGirl]

Can't you still wear the Garmin 301 inside to use the heart rate monitor-- you just won't get accurate distance readings, right??

 

[keenercam]

Another huge fan of the Garmin 201 here. I cannot imagine training without it. Having spent so much of the past 10 years of my life on heart monitors, I had decided not to get the 301 and I am glad I didn't. I just don't need that function. But I LOVE being able to look back on the history of my runs and there is so much information I rely on during training and events, including pace, average pace, mile pace, elapsed time, etc. I am sooo grateful to Carrie that she got my Garmin display back to my preferred settings before the 1/2 or I would have been stressed about not having the type of information I was used to looking for during training.

BTW, my distance for the 1/2 read 3.24 and I think that was because of passing and taking some corners wide, but the time was pretty much on track. I am glad John Bingham reminded us not to look down and turn off our Garmins at the finish line. I would have done just that. Instead I waited until I was past the finish and had high-fived Chip & Dale before I turned off the timer.

 

[wfloyd]

We both have 301's and love them. I looked at Garmin's site the other day and saw that they are coming out with the 205 and 305 soon. They are improving the antenna and changing the form of it a little. This will also lower the price of the 201 and 301 afterwards but it may also mean they will stop making those. Not sure of the exact time they are coming out though.

 

[Honeibee]

Thanks everyone! Looks like its a 201 for me!

Now...how many days till my birthday?


Judy

 

[lizdotcom99]

Judy!

Don't wait for your birthday....Amazon has them right now for $99.99 and free shipping. I have been looking for a while......Lily has been bugging me to get one, but Cam made me buy one....that's my story and I am sticking to it! Enjoy your present to yourself!!!

 

[karebear1]

How do you set these things up? Or do you just strap it on and go?

Lizdotcom- Thanks fo the tip!

 

[Honeibee]

Judy!

Don't wait for your birthday....Amazon has them right now for $99.99 and free shipping. I have been looking for a while......Lily has been bugging me to get one, but Cam made me buy one....that's my story and I am sticking to it! Enjoy your present to yourself!!!

THANKS!

(Wheres that "running off to Amazon smilie"????)