Running with a Garmin

For the past month I've been experimenting with the Garmin Forerunner 405CX. It was a Christmas gift to myself after MultiSportFit.com trainer Sal Palmieri recommended that I invest in a sports watch with a heart rate monitor (I will explain and review MultiSportFit.com in a future post).

Now I've never been one to be super analytical with statistics, time, pace, etc. Hell, up until the last couple of years I usual ran naked sans watch at whatever pace and time "felt" good. So I was super hesitant to buy a Garmin because number one, they are ridiculously expensive and number two, I'm afraid of becoming "that guy" with his workout charts and annoying watch beeping constantly.

I narrowed down my options fairly quickly. I knew I wanted the Garmin name brand. I've trusted Garmin in other activities including Aviation, Fishing and Hiking so I'm partial and loyal to them. I don't want a Star Trek Communicator on my wrist so that eliminated a lot of the Garmin sports watches. I'm really only interested in pace, time and distance so the Forerunner 110 seemed the logical choice. It's the minimalist GPS watch and a heart rate monitor is optional (which Sal seems to be really interested in heart rate data) so it looked like it is the obvious choice. Then I saw the Forerunner 405CX on sale marked down to about the same price as the 110, probably because Garmin launched a new model at an ultra ridiculous price. Long story short; I hesitantly purchased the 405CX on sale for $199.

After three weeks running with this watch I think I'm in love. It was easy to set up on my computer, which it wireless uploads the workouts I've completed without me even asking. And, the best part? That data is synced with not only the Garmin website, but also others like DailyMile.com, MapMyRun.com and MultiSportFit.com. That right there saves me SO much time. I will admit that I haven't even read the instructions manual and I've only focused on the things I care about like time, distance and pace. The heart rate information is interesting (at one point I had a heart rate of 50 while sitting on the couch!). The mapping is mind blowing. Garmin will overlay the route of the workout to Google Earth and when I zoom in I can see things like me crossing the road to get away from someone walking a poodle.

I'm sure I'll learn more about it and myself as time goes by, but for now I'm stoked. It seems like the right choice and if I ever want to use all the other amazing features this watch provides it's there for me.