The Running Thread - 2016

[BuckeyeBama]

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.

It may be too late for this advice since your strap is probably pretty old/worn by now, but the reason that the Garmin chest straps rub skin raw is simple - they absorb sweat and get coated with a fine layer of salt. If you rinse it after every run - EVERY run - this problem disappears. You also need to wash it with detergent once/week, but the daily rinse can be with only tap water.

 

[opusone]

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.

I would definitely return it if possible... doesn't sound like the norm for the 225.

 

[RunDisneyDad]

I'm still rocking the Garmin 610. Its been a good watch...I love being able to see miles and paces (duh) and seeing stats on Garmin Connect. Unfortunately its old and starting to circle the drain, but I'm going to keep using it until it dies. It still tracks fine and holds its charge so overall no complaints.

 

[Anisum]

Congrats on a big PR!

Thank you! It wasn't that big, just over 18 seconds but I'm very proud of it considering where I started a year ago.

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

I use my Garmin 230. I've only had it since March but I like that I can see my pace throughout the run and that it tells me what time it is (I like that it's on my wrist) and that it doesn't kill my phone when I'm on long runs. Before my Garmin I used runkeeper which is great but I generally stick my phone in my pocket so I had to use the speakers to hear where I was at. Really what I don't like about my garmin is that it takes a while to find my location. Also that if I want to upload the data from my runs while I'm away I have to use Bluetooth to connect it.

 

[FFigawi]

I'll echo @FFigawi as I also use the Garmin Forerunner 920XT... The only feature it is missing imo is the ability to create swim workouts.

Ah, but it does have that now with the new firmware update. You can create them in Garmin Connect and send them to the 920 with the app or with the web site.

 

[Kathymford]

ATTQOTD: I love timely questions! I use my Apple Watch running Strava from my phone, but as I've previously mentioned, I'm looking into getting a running watch also. I would wear both. I like wearing the Apple Watch for getting the activity tracking credits and to see my text/email notifications. What I really want is the Garmin 235, but since I wouldn't be wearing it all the time the idea of spending $300+ really did not appeal to me. I was really close to pulling the trigger on a TomTom Cardio Runner, but maybe I should just buy the one I really want. lol.

Does anyone have any experience with any of the TomTom models?

 

[opusone]

ATTQOTD: I love timely questions! I use my Apple Watch running Strava from my phone, but as I've previously mentioned, I'm looking into getting a running watch also. I would wear both. I like wearing the Apple Watch for getting the activity tracking credits and to see my text/email notifications. What I really want is the Garmin 235, but since I wouldn't be wearing it all the time the idea of spending $300+ really did not appeal to me. I was really close to pulling the trigger on a TomTom Cardio Runner, but maybe I should just buy the one I really want. lol.

Does anyone have any experience with any of the TomTom models?

One other option ($220) that was just announced, but you will need to wait a month or so before it's available: Garmin’s new Vivosmart HR+ (now with GPS)

Garmin's website says 3-5 weeks.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

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

Great question and loving the input!

Garmin 620 here. Haven't had trouble with it, thankfully. The running metrics are not particularly enlightening, but totally cool and I check them occasionally. I use the HR strap, and have been pleasantly surprised that it hasn't been that uncomfortable or chaffed so far. I'm very interested in the 735XT, especially as I'm thinking about triathlons after Dopey next year.

But, I am a slave to the thing. @DopeyBadger mentioned in his Wisconsin Marathon recap that he 'removed the blind' in mile 25. I'd like to get better at relying on feel, instead of the device, but still want to keep track of my data. Anybody else try this, and does it work for you? (And how do you do it, exactly? Thanks!

 

[Miranda]

ATTQOTD: I used to use RunKeeper on my phone up until last May. After Tink, I finally got myself a Garmin 220. I was tired of killing my iPhone battery with the app, plus I didn't like that I couldn't get the run/walk notifications without my headphones in. Most of the time I have my headphones, but sometimes if I forget to charge them, or just want to take them out for a race like at Disney, then I had no way of knowing the alerts. Plus I didn't like having to carry the phone in my hand if I ever wanted to check the stats. I like that the 220 has a vibrate option, so I can get my vibrate run/walk alerts and still listen to music or podcasts.

I switched to Strava for my run tracking last year because it was completely annoying to import the Garmin stuff into RunKeeper. You used to have to upload the maps from the watch manually up until like last fall, when they finally added syncing from Garmin Connect, but by that time I'd already switched to Strava, and discovered that I much preferred the UI in Strava anyway. I really like how it keeps track of all your runs on the same routes together.

 

[Kathymford]

One other option ($220) that was just announced, but you will need to wait a month or so before it's available: Garmin’s new Vivosmart HR+ (now with GPS)

Garmin's website says 3-5 weeks.

Very interesting option!! Thank you! In that write-up it says I should be looking at the Vivoactive HR too, but I had excluded that from my final list for some reason and I don't remember why now. Ha. Back to the reviews I go!! Ha.

 

[opusone]

Very interesting option!! Thank you! In that write-up it says I should be looking at the Vivoactive HR too, but I had excluded that from my final list for some reason and I don't remember why now. Ha. Back to the reviews I go!! Ha.

The Vivoactive HR doesn't have GPS, so I imagine that is why you excluded it, but the new one (HR+) does.

 

[Kathymford]

The Vivoactive HR doesn't have GPS, so I imagine that is why you excluded it, but the new one (HR+) does.

Thank you. Again. Ha.

 

[Mickey's sweetheart]

QOTD: I've used Map My Run on my iPhone for a few years. I like having my phone with me in case of an emergency.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Ah, but it does have that now with the new firmware update. You can create them in Garmin Connect and send them to the 920 with the app or with the web site.

Really? I tried it a month or so ago and it didn't work, but noticed that there is an upgrade availabel...will try that out for sure! No more hand-written swim workouts stuck to my kickboard! Who am I kidding...I'll still go with the slip of paper in a ziplock bag too

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I'm still rocking the Garmin 610. Its been a good watch...I love being able to see miles and paces (duh) and seeing stats on Garmin Connect. Unfortunately its old and starting to circle the drain, but I'm going to keep using it until it dies. It still tracks fine and holds its charge so overall no complaints.

I still have a working 610 but the charger leads became corroded so I move on to the 620.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

One other option ($220) that was just announced, but you will need to wait a month or so before it's available: Garmin’s new Vivosmart HR+ (now with GPS)

Garmin's website says 3-5 weeks.

Only an 8 hour charge w/GPS enabled makes it unusable, IMO. All of these devices have batteries whose life is measured in the number of times that they can be recharged, and which cannot be replaced without incurring a significant expense. I would never buy or use a GPS device in such a way that it would require almost daily recharging.

 

[croach]

Great question and loving the input!

Garmin 620 here. Haven't had trouble with it, thankfully. The running metrics are not particularly enlightening, but totally cool and I check them occasionally. I use the HR strap, and have been pleasantly surprised that it hasn't been that uncomfortable or chaffed so far. I'm very interested in the 735XT, especially as I'm thinking about triathlons after Dopey next year.

But, I am a slave to the thing. @DopeyBadger mentioned in his Wisconsin Marathon recap that he 'removed the blind' in mile 25. I'd like to get better at relying on feel, instead of the device, but still want to keep track of my data. Anybody else try this, and does it work for you? (And how do you do it, exactly? Thanks!

I'm not very good at knowing my pace by feel. It's something I need to work on because a lot of times I am too fast or too slow to my prescribed pace. But I will say my best marathon result occurred when my watch decided right at the start that it wasn't going to work. After a mile or so of internally freaking out, I just settled into a pace and ran to what was comfortable but not to comfortable. It was kind of nice to not be constantly checking my watch. Of course I was running the math in my head at each course clock but that took my mind of running some too. I think finding that feel just comes with a lot of practice.

 

[opusone]

Only an 8 hour charge w/GPS enabled makes it unusable, IMO. All of these devices have batteries whose life is measured in the number of times that they can be recharged, and which cannot be replaced without incurring a significant expense. I would never buy or use a GPS device in such a way that it would require almost daily recharging.

Eight hours of GPS isn't bad... it's the same as the Garmin 610, 225 and many GPS watches. Most people only use the GPS when they are running, so maybe 0.5-1.5 hours per day if they run every day. As a normal running watch and around-the-clock activity monitor, I bet you need to charge this device every 2-4 days depending on runs per week/GPS use. It seems about average for GPS watches.

 

[GreatLakes]

The Vivoactive HR doesn't have GPS, so I imagine that is why you excluded it, but the new one (HR+) does.

The VivoActive HR does have GPS. It turns on based on the activity and turns back off when you are in fitness tracker mode. I really like it and find the battery life extremely good. I have never been below 80% charge even when going past a full day wearing it. I think it is a good substituted for the entry level Garmin running watches.

I use SportTracks as my main run/swim/bike tracker in addition to the Garmin Connect site. I have the paid version and find it useful and easy to import the .fit files right from the Garmin folder. I like how it can be used to track miles on my shoes as well. You just log your equipment and it keeps a mileage total for all of your shoes. No more going back and manually adding it up while trying to remember if you wore your distance shoes, racing flats, or trail shoes on a particular run.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Eight hours of GPS isn't bad... it's the same as the Garmin 610, 225 and many GPS watches. Most people only use the GPS when they are running, so maybe 0.5-1.5 hours per day if they run every day. As a normal running watch and around-the-clock activity monitor, I bet you need to charge this device every 2-4 days depending on runs per week/GPS use. It seems about average for GPS watches.

The Garmin 610 is 5+ year old technology. The 620 claims to have 10 hours, but really gets closer to 12. The 630 claims 16 hours.