The Running Thread - 2016

[DVCFan1994]

QOTD: What type of device do you use to track your runs? What do you like and dislike about it?

ATTQOTD: Currently a Garmin Forerunner 620. When I first got it I loved the Bluetooth/wifi features, as well as the race predictor, virtual running partner, and all the other data. What I dislike is I am always having some sort of issue with it and after it loaded my run Saturday it turned off. Got home to charge it and it wont take a charge. It does for about 10 seconds and then stops, stats looking for a GPS signal and then turns off. Very frustrated!!!!

This QOTD is very timely for me! I have a Garmin 225 which I have a love-hate relationship with. Luckily for me, other responses below seem to address some of my issues, so I am hoping this QOTD might help me decide what do to

I've used a long line of Garmin products for running, but I currently use a Garmin Forerunner 225, and I love it. The biggest likes of the 225: the optical heart rate monitor (no more chest strap!!), the battery life, the physical size. My dislikes are very minor: only 3 data items per screen (would really like 4 like the 235), and sometimes it can still take a little while to acquire satellites.

You mention battery life as a love. It is the hate part of my love/hate relationship with the 225. I can not keep bluetooth turned on, or I need to charge it daily or at best every other day. The problem is particularly noticeable if I make use of LiveTrack, which I do for races if my family is there to see me as well as some long runs. I am curious if you use the bluetooth features? Or do you turn bluetooth on and off frequently? I would like 4 data lines, but three has been fine, and I have never had an issue with satellite reception. I love the optical HR, hated the old chest strap. So really for me the only issue is the battery.

I'm currently using a Garmin Forerunner 235. I stepped up from the Forerunner 220 last Christmas and love the 4 data fields and on-wrist HR monitor. It is also much faster than the 220 when it comes to acquiring satellites. I also love the ability to set run/walk intervals and customized auto-laps so I get data-smoothed pacing information. Bluetooth syncing with my phone is also very convenient. The only nit-pick I've had with it so far has been that the optical HR monitor has turned itself off before a couple of runs, so I missed out on that data. Overall, I highly recommend it for a running watch.

I purchased my 225 at REI which has a VERY liberal return policy, which means I could bring my 225 (6 months old) and say it is not working as I hoped due to the battery issues, and get a refund then purchase the 235. So I am curious, how have you found your 235's battery life, and do you keep bluetooth turned on? I know one difference with the 235 is the phone notifications etc. which require bluetooth to stay turned on. I don't want to go through the hassle of a return if I am going to have the same issues with battery life.

 

[LSUlakes]

The 235 is on the top of my list right now. My first step is to get Garmin on the phone and see if there is a solution to this watch. The 620 has been a PITA from day one and now this issue makes me really dislike it. Yet $300+ makes me like it a little...

 

[Slogger]

QOTD: What type of device do you use to track your runs? What do you like and dislike about it?

I had been using a Timex Ironman w/GPS but it wasn't the easiest device to get along with.
I have been using the RunKeeper app on my iPhone for the past 14 months with no real issues. I keep my phone with me for music anyway.
Only complaint is that the GPS drains the battery quickly. Not good for really long runs over 2.5 hours. Guess I need to run faster!!!!

I purchased a Garmin Forerunner 15 at Costco about 6 months ago. Used it for a HM last month and started training with it two weeks ago. It's basic but gets the job done. No real issues with satellites, mine is pretty quick. The Garmin Connect part is nice Still learning how to use it.

 

[roxymama]

I have a Garmin 220 watch. There's not much I dislike about it. I am not a huge user of the data while I run...I've found I am more consistent when I'm not staring at my pace. And I freak out less at races when I don't fixate on my time, but just glance every now and then. But I do love that I can sync the data into my phone post run and then pour over all the details and charts to see if what I felt matched what actually happened.
My hubby has another model (I really don't remember what it is...he uses it more for his swimming and tri training) but he has to sync it to a chip that is plugged into his laptop to see that data, so I am happy that I can just have it dump right into my phone.

 

[Baloo in MI]

QOTD: What type of device do you use to track your runs? What do you like and dislike about it?

With running I am pretty low tech. I record my distance with my phone and my times with my watch. I also run a lot of designated routes making it easy to track milage. But I do not own a garmin or any type of gps watch or device. I can be a little cheap and with the costs of shoes and all the other gear running in a four season climate I just never seem to be able to commit to the cost. And given that I talked my wife into the cost for the next two Dopeys I do not have a lot of room for extra expenditures... Maybe someday.

 

[Slogger]

My Maine Coast HM went so poorly. I finished, but it was terrible.

We have not been having super warm weather until the past week. Most runs and races have all been in like the 40's and low 50's up until now, and today there was not a cloud in the sky, and since this was on the coast, probably 85+% of the course was completely unshaded beach roads. The temps were up in the 70's by the time I finished in a slug-like 3:05:34 (so so far off my already slow PR of 2:45).


But then around mile 11, some ladies that I'd been yo-yo'ing with a little but left behind at the aid station around mile 10 finally came up behind me and were passing me and one of them gave me a hug and was like you got this, and she was encouraging me and asking me if I'd been taking enough fuel or salt (I had run out of fuel, I should have brought a 3rd pack), and she told me to stick with them. She gave me a shot block and really is the only reason I got across the finish line as soon as I did. I was really in a bad place when they came up on me and dragged me into their pack.

Congrats on finishing. Sometimes things just don't go as planned and you have to "slog" through it. The abrupt change in weather would be hard to adapt to. Glad that you had some guardian angels look after you on the course to help you finish.

Get rested and recovered and hopefully your next event will be better.

 

[roxymama]

I finally ran/walked yesterday after nursing an injury for a few weeks and my foot doesn't feel 100% today BUT it feels pretty good all things considering. My cardio/fitness didn't seem too off, just I was more cautious than anything. I'm gonna keep baby stepping back into my normal routine.

My husband ran a 5k along the lake that I did not ...but he PR'd!!! He's on a bit of a PR roll lately. So at least my house is still accumulating medals and times even without me

 

[camaker]

I purchased my 225 at REI which has a VERY liberal return policy, which means I could bring my 225 (6 months old) and say it is not working as I hoped due to the battery issues, and get a refund then purchase the 235. So I am curious, how have you found your 235's battery life, and do you keep bluetooth turned on? I know one difference with the 235 is the phone notifications etc. which require bluetooth to stay turned on. I don't want to go through the hassle of a return if I am going to have the same issues with battery life.

I haven't had any issues with battery life on my 235. I have to charge it roughly once a week to support 4 runs/week totalling 20-25 miles. Bluetooth stays on the whole time, although I do not use the phone notification features. Not sure what else I can really add. I found the 235 to be a really nice upgrade from my old 220 (which didn't have the battery issues your 225 has had). From what I've read, it sounds like you may have just gotten a unit with a faulty battery. Unfortunately, the only way I know to determine if it's the battery, the watch design, or your usage profile is to go through the hassle of a return and see if the problems recur with a new unit.

 

[princessallison71]

QOTD: What type of device do you use to track your runs? What do you like and dislike about it?

I keep it simple with a Garmin Forerunner 10. It's super basic, but it does the job without breaking the bank. I can typically get to 20 miles before needing to charge or sync the watch. I also really like the Garmin connect app, so once I sync the watch I can look at all my data on my phone. It's also water resistant up to 50 meters, so it's safe to wear on runs in the rain. My only issue is that occasionally the GPS won't connect for 5 mins. This is an issue maybe once every 15 or so runs.

 

[opusone]

You mention battery life as a love. It is the hate part of my love/hate relationship with the 225. I can not keep bluetooth turned on, or I need to charge it daily or at best every other day. The problem is particularly noticeable if I make use of LiveTrack, which I do for races if my family is there to see me as well as some long runs. I am curious if you use the bluetooth features? Or do you turn bluetooth on and off frequently? I would like 4 data lines, but three has been fine, and I have never had an issue with satellite reception. I love the optical HR, hated the old chest strap. So really for me the only issue is the battery.

I keep bluetooth on all the time (never have turned it off) which I use for syncing with my phone, and I also have activity tracking turned on, but I have never used the LiveTrack feature which I am sure would suck the battery life since it is continuously connected to your cell phone and sending data.

I run almost every day (usually 4-7 miles), and I wear the watch at all times (including during sleep) for activity tracking, but I only charge my 225 every 3-4 days unless I run a 10+ mile run, and then I will usually charge it every 2-3 days. Also, I probably don't need to charge as frequently as I do, but I don't like to see it below about 40-50% charge. With my old Garmin watches (305, 405CX, 610) I had to charge them every night if I ran, so the 225 seems much better. It may just be what you experienced previously.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

QOTD: What type of device do you use to track your runs? What do you like and dislike about it?

I'll echo @FFigawi as I also use the Garmin Forerunner 920XT...I love it for all of the triathlon features and I make use of all the offered modes. It does everything I could possibly want it to do and is fairly easy to use. I can create my running and cycling workouts on Garmin Connect and send them to my watch through my phone, likewise I can create routes for those long 100K+ rides. The only feature it is missing imo is the ability to create swim workouts. Optical HR would be nice, but I'd be curious to see how that might affect battery life. Not as big an issue if you are only using it as a running watch, but when you figure Ironman can take 15 hours, every drop of battery life is precious. Interested to see how it performs on the new Garmin 735, which is being called a "running watch with multisport features".

 

[BuckeyeBama]

QOTD: What type of device do you use to track your runs? What do you like and dislike about it?

Garmin Forerunner 620. I have had no problems with it, but most of the extra stats are meaningless for a trail runner.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

QOTD: What type of device do you use to track your runs? What do you like and dislike about it?

For Mother's Day I received the Garmin 235 and I love it so far! I'm still learning the ins and outs of it though- I'm sure it will take me a while. Right now I love making customized run/walk workouts and having that constant HR data. Oh and since this is my first "smart watch," I have loved getting my texts and notifications on my wrist! I have had a fitbit for 2 1/2 years (to track my daily steps), and I love my little Fitbit community I have going- I'm not willing to give it up yet. So right now I am wearing both, and I'm sure I look like an idiot!

 

[ebradley23]

ATTQOTD: I've used my Garmin 620 for 2 1/2 years now. I like all the extra stats, because I'm a nerd that way. I once had an issue where mine was acting up after charging. I did a reboot on the thing, and it's worked fine since. The only issue I have is with the chest strap HR monitor. I really hate it. I refer to it as my boa constrictor. It is the only thing I need to use my Sport Shield (prefer it to body glide) to keep from having my skin rubbed raw during the summer months. I forget the SS often and regret it after.

 

[GreatLakes]

I was about to get into my car to drive 6 hours to Cleveland to run the river run two years ago when I passed out (for the first time in my life). Apparently I had a negative reaction to medication for a torn rotator cuff that caused an ulcer and internal bleeding. I spent the next week in the hospital having 3 scopes and one surgery to repair the ulcer, a blood transfusion, and two iron infusions. I still consider myself insanely lucky not to have been driving when it happened and to have had someone in my office who was taking over for me when it happened.

Those two races are the main options I am considering; it might be cathartic to finally compete in the river run.

I can walk to the start line of the River Run from my house. It is area really good race and the course is perfect for a PR. It is a smaller race and feels more like a local 5K than a half. I don't mind that but I know some people want the big race feel when traveling so keep that in mind.

QOTD: What type of device do you use to track your runs? What do you like and dislike about it?

I use a Garmin 910XT and really like it. I also have a VivoActive HR I can use as a backup but just us it to count my steps at the moment.

 

[PrincessV]

Something off-topic/on-topic: My husband is running a 5k this weekend for a co-worker's charity and he had the choice to add $10 to his registration and receive a medal OR not. And as supplies last, you can decide to purchase the medal at the race for $10, cash or credit card accepted. Anyone ever heard of such a thing? It seems nice for people who would like to save some dough who do not care much about medals but also feels like it'd be a little weird to finish a race and then hand over your credit card... although I guess we do that often enough with beer, etc. ???

I would LOVE this option at Disney races and say so every time I'm surveyed by rD! I just have no interest in collecting medals and would much rather have a discount.

QOTD: What type of device do you use to track your runs? What do you like and dislike about it?

ATTQOTD: 95% of the time, I use the iSmoothRun app on my iPhone. Love that it syncs with my music, I can make any combination of run-walk intervals I can dream up, I can program it to give me fuel alerts, and it tracks my shoe mileage. I have it set up to sync with RunKeeper, too, so I can keep a long-term record. I can't think of anything that I dislike about it!

I also have two Garmins: a Forerunner 10 and a 210. The 210 bruises the heck out of my wrist, so I never use it. The 10 can only be programmed in :30 interval increments and I generally prefer :45, but it's waterproof so I use it for pool running. I'll also use it along with iSmoothRun when doing speedwork, just to be able to see real-time pace.

 

[LSUlakes]

I tried to charge it again, and all of a sudden, its charging! So we shall see what happens. Good news is if it continues to work then I am saving some cash, the bad news is now I want a new one after reading about the new stuff they can do.

 

[croach]

Use a Garmin 220 and a Scosche heart rate monitor. The Garmin does everything I need right now and the HR monitor is good bc I can wear it on my forearm. Chest strap would annoy me. If I get back into tris I might go for one of the ones you guys have mentioned or check out the new 735. What I really need to do is figure out what all the data getting into Training Peaks and Strava means.

 

[baxter24]

I use the Nike running app on my IPhone but plan to get a Garmin for my birthday in July. Everybody talking about theirs has me chomping at the bits to get one.

 

[DVCFan1994]

I haven't had any issues with battery life on my 235. I have to charge it roughly once a week to support 4 runs/week totalling 20-25 miles. Bluetooth stays on the whole time, although I do not use the phone notification features. Not sure what else I can really add. I found the 235 to be a really nice upgrade from my old 220 (which didn't have the battery issues your 225 has had). From what I've read, it sounds like you may have just gotten a unit with a faulty battery. Unfortunately, the only way I know to determine if it's the battery, the watch design, or your usage profile is to go through the hassle of a return and see if the problems recur with a new unit.

I keep bluetooth on all the time (never have turned it off) which I use for syncing with my phone, and I also have activity tracking turned on, but I have never used the LiveTrack feature which I am sure would suck the battery life since it is continuously connected to your cell phone and sending data.

I run almost every day (usually 4-7 miles), and I wear the watch at all times (including during sleep) for activity tracking, but I only charge my 225 every 3-4 days unless I run a 10+ mile run, and then I will usually charge it every 2-3 days. Also, I probably don't need to charge as frequently as I do, but I don't like to see it below about 40-50% charge. With my old Garmin watches (305, 405CX, 610) I had to charge them every night if I ran, so the 225 seems much better. It may just be what you experienced previously.

Thank you both for your input! I think I'll bring it back to REI and see what they say, sounds like mine is a bad unit. They have a 1 year total satisfaction guarantee, so I may just return it and apply the amount toward a 235, it will be a $30 difference. My normal usage profile matches @opusone pretty well, I use it for activity tracking and sleep, but I mostly keep bluetooth off and use it for only 3-4 runs a week, plus indoor activity twice a week with GPS turned off. But I have to charge every day or two with battery levels below 40%. I rarely use LiveTrack, maybe once a month, but it always drains the battery to under 20%, even runs of only an hour or so.