What is the pros/cons of GPS watch?

I love the data. I'm a data junkie. On a daily basis, I run how I feel. I don't care what the heart rate says... I run. I don't care what the pace says... I run. I don't care what the distance says... I run. I like to look at the data after I'm done running. GPS is great though, when my coach says run X miles at X:XX pace.

If you want something for intervals, you don't need a GPS, you need a easy to use chrono from Kohl's.

I run with a garmin everyday, but keep the face to time of day, so I can't see any info. I just collect for later.

Besides having the data, I've also found that it's not a bad idea to race with a Garmin -- if your chip malfunctions, you can download the race info and provide it as evidence that you ran the full course in the time you claim. For some reason, I was missed by the finish mat three times last year - in each case I had finish photos, but it was also nice to know I had the Garmin info.

I have a Polar RS200 that I can and do configure to beep for pace specific track work the way you describe for your old Casio. This is handy when running in the dark on a poorly lit track.

I was given a Nike GPS watch about 4 months ago and frankly I wouldn't recommend it for serious run training. My understanding is that the Garmin watches are better, but have no personal experience. I posted some of the reasons why I don't like the Nike product in this thread:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=4441039&thread=4440955

I use the Garmin 210. Its a tool with various pros and cons and uses.

I agree that the data is nice and I do keep it all logged and annotated as I feel is useful. It can get crazy if you let it. It can be very useful if you let it.

My favorite part is the Interval programming you can do. I use it so I can focus on my running and recovery and not have to look at a timer. It works for Fartleks too.

A lot of the anti-GPS talk here is of being a slave to it and mileage. So don't be. Eventually those guys all say that you can just run the same route over and over so you know your miles (which they say not to worry about, but they all know the miles they run.) or to just go back after your run and map it online so you know how far you ran. That's just asinine. Why do I have to make it more complicated and boring when I have a tool that lets me run how and where I want?

Overall, I say get the Garmin not the Nike.

hks321 wrote:

What benefits are there? I am really afraid I am going to OCD on the paces even training runs. I stop wearing watches even when I was in college for distance runs.

Do you guys find it helpful to have current pacing available all through out the run? How do you not drive yourself crazy?

I was pretty anti-Garmin/GPS until I finally caved and bought a Garmin Forerunner 205 for $90 last year. At first I used it on every run and found myself looking at it way too often. I always knew how slow I ran on my easy days, but it's one thing to know and another to actually SEE it on the watch. It kind of disappointed me. So far that's really the only con of having the watch.

Now I only use the thing for tempos and some long runs. I used to be tied to running all of my workouts on a known mile loop or on a bike path with mile markers. Now I'm able to just go wherever I choose for workouts...and that's been really nice. I'm able to explore a little bit on my long runs and still get in what I need to get in.

If you're afraid of becoming a slave to the GPS, do what I do and only wear it during runs where the pace and/or distance will matter. Go without it on easy days.

The Casio Marathon Training Watch WS110H-1A is by far my favorite watch. I got it on ebay from gdt-sales (39.98).

The feature I especially like are the dual countdown timers! They go up to 10 hours, with (on/off) automatic repeat, and it measures seconds!

Most countdown timers only measure in full minutes, ridiculous!

The watch is very light (33 grams), nice looking, the buttons are well placed, and precise, and it's a reasonable size, not huge like gps watches. You can set a split to beep at certain times on the stopwatch mode, and it's very easy to switch back and forth between modes, while the others keep running.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CASIO-WS110H-1A-TRAINING-MARATHON-TIMER-WATCH-LAP-MEMORY-50-ALARM-CHRONOGRAPH-/270859206637?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item3f10777fed

Gps is not accurate. The buttons are clunky and don't always work very well. They are way overpriced, bulky and cumbersome. In a lot of cases you have to upload the data, you can't get it directly from the watch, there are way too many button pushes, and they are complicated to use.

I use a Garmin 210 and for me the big pro is that I know how far I ran. I like to be able to run wherever I want and be able to put down an accurate distance. The idea of relying on inaccurate estimated and probably exaggerated distances bothers me, because if I was guessing I would probably always guess that I ran more than I really did!

Other than that, I don't use the GPS, heart rate or any of that stuff (I do write down time, but you can do that with any watch).

The con would be letting a watch dictate everything and obsessing about what the watch says instead of listening to your body, if you are inclined to that sort of thing.

I received a Soleus GPS watch for Christmas but rarely run with it. A couple of the issues that I find irritating are:

1. Having to wait around outside while it picks up a connection. This is not fun in the winter when it is cold outside.

2. Running under a bridge or overpass and losing your signal while doing interval training. That just pisses me off.

I know the mile marks of most of my runs so I can get by without a GPS just fine. On days that I run a new route though, it is nice to see my pace and distance. I just don't need it all that often.

joho wrote:

1. Having to wait around outside while it picks up a connection. This is not fun in the winter when it is cold outside.

I put my Garmin on the windowsill while I dress and do the last minute stretching. It has the signal before I'm done and there's no waiting outside. Pleasant discovery.

I use a garmin just for workouts, long runs and races. For regular runs I leave it home - I just want to zone out on the regular runs and go by feel.

And I live in an urban area - waiting for a signal can take 5 minutes, which is brutal in the winter.

gimpy old men wrote:

I put my Garmin on the windowsill while I dress and do the last minute stretching. It has the signal before I'm done and there's no waiting outside. Pleasant discovery.

exactly what i do too. i've never had to wait outside for it to get a signal.

90% of all runners need nothing more than a stopwatch occasionally.

Thank you all for the reply. I guess its up to what one does with it. I think I will hold off until on it for another month and think about it. I will just get a cheap watch for now.

"The feature I especially like are the dual countdown timers! They go up to 10 hours, with (on/off) automatic repeat, and it measures seconds!

Most countdown timers only measure in full minutes, ridiculous!"

I just remembered that is why I got the Casio watch back in the 90s. The Ironman watch didn't have it. That seconds countdown really comes handy in a workout. I remember I used to get all fired up doing the intervals trying to go further each lap before the alarm goes off come on. Its like having a little race within a workout. I only looked at the face of the watch at end which helped me not get distracted.

measurement always undercuts me by 5-10%. i look at the uploaded map and it can be way off the trail or road and constantly cutting corners

"but it's one thing to know and another to actually SEE it on the watch. It kind of disappointed me. So far that's really the only con of having the watch."

I think this is probably what I am very afraid of the most. Finally got a serious training going after 20 plus years of layoff and don't want to get all dejected to see how much of an old fart I am now. I feel like I am going at a good clip but there is this little voice in my head that keeps saying "you're going too slow". I guess I feel like my running is going so well now that I don't want to change it. At least until I get 1 more month of high MPW in to make up for a very long layoff.

You get a series of beeps on the Garmin when you reach the end of your intervals/fartleks. Be it distance or time. You can set either in either combination. Time-Time, Time-Distance, Distance-Time, Distance-Distance. Distance from 100m to 10 miles. Time from 10 seconds to 1 hour. And at the end you don't have to press buttons. It just ends. Up to 99 (198) intervals. Pretty sweet.

Also, you can set the way your laps and pace are displayed/tracked.

Go with a watch until you think you need more. No reason to spend all that money on a hunch.

WTflippityF! You guys are so dedicated to get out and train every day but ya can't not look at the screen on your GPS?! Get the Garmin and just don't obsess over the thing - it's a tool for gawdsakes.

That's what I think I was saying. Yes, I'm still lurking.

I think most Ironmans have this countdown function now. My Ironman was about $50, 100 lap recall, and has a single countdown timer. In addition it has interval timers. They both have alarms when they reach 0 and you can set them to repeat.

I can set the first interval to 5 minutes to use as my fast pace and then set the 2nd to 2 minutes for my rest. They will repeat for as long as I want them to. I have about 8 intervals I can set and they will all repeat (for doing ladders).