paleoironmom

I highly recommend getting a GPS watch if you don’t already own one.  They make training so much easier as you can simply look down at your wrist and see your time, distance and pace.  They also help you stick to your training goals since many of the watches allow you to download and track your workouts.  For me personally, the biggest benefit of having the watch is being able to look down and see your current pace.  This ensures that you aren’t going out too fast during a race and that you are keeping the right pace during your training.

Garmin Forerunner 110

I have always owned Garmin watches.  They are simple to use and allow you to track your mileage, heart rate and time among other things.  This is the first Garmin I owned and it is great if you want a basic model for a good price.  It requires very little set up and is easy to navigate.  It shows your current pace, distance and time all on one screen.  You can use a heart rate monitor with it as well but you have to switch to another screen to see your reading.  This is very simple to do. You simply have to press one button to toggle back and forth between the displays.  The battery life on this watch is around 7 hours and you can upload your workouts onto your computer to track them.  This watch has been discontinued by Garmin so you can find some really good deals on it like here

Garmin Forerunner 220

This Garmin is the upgraded version of the 110.  The Forerunner 220 has all the same features as the 110 but has a high-resolution display and a longer battery life (10 hours).  This watch also allows you to automatically sync workouts  to your computer using Garmin’s training software, Garminconnect. It also allows you to upload workouts to social media sites. This watch can be found here. I highly recommend this one if you are wanting to use the watch solely for running.

Garmin Forerunner 910XT

Last year I upgraded to the Garmin 910Xt. This watch literally does it all!  It is is  a great watch if you are multi sport athlete as it allows you to switch between running, swimming and biking mode. You  can set it up to automatically switch if you are doing a triathlon race.   This watch has tons of great features for running.  First, you can change the display so you can see time, pace, distance and heart rate all one screen.  This watch also allows you to customize your workouts based on things such as heart rate zones or intervals. I do a lot of interval training when I run and this watch is so helpful because you are able to program in specific interval workouts based either on time or distance.  Swimming features include distance in both pool and open water and stroke count.  In the cycling mode, this watch will track time, distance, speed, pace and more.  This watch also allows for automatic uploads of your workouts to your computer.  Garmin recently came out with an updated model this year so the watch I have has dropped in price. You can find it here  This watch can really do it all! (Here is the updated version if you are interested)

Heart Rate Straps

I also recommend upgrading the heart rate strap.  Some of the cheaper models come with a strap that has a huge plastic piece across the chest.  This is uncomfortable and can cause rashes especially during the summer when you’re sweating a lot.  This  strap here is much more comfortable as it only has one small  plastic piece where the actual monitor is located.  This strap also adjusts tighter which is good for smaller framed female athletes.

As stated earlier, I’m a huge Garmin fan.  I’ve always been very happy with their products, computer software and customer service.  Any of the 3 watches I listed above would be a great investment.  If you are interested in watches other than Garmin, I don’t really have enough personal experience with them to give my opinion.  This  a great site that reviews different brands of watches.  Check it out, if you aren’t sold on a Garmin watch.

Happy Training!