GPS Watches : Yea or Nay

No go. Most decent runners only trust the watch when it confirms what they already think, with regards to pacing, so the watch is pretty useless.

You really should only get a GPS watch after you have saved 6 months reserve salary and have no debt other than a mortgage.

For the more autistic of us, GPS watches are great.

Not neccsasirly for interacting with during a run, but for the data it collects. Especially when you plug the data from it into something like Training Peaks.

I like the Performance Management Chart, even at the hobby jogger level it helps prevent over and under training and predicts peak performance.

DataDataData wrote:

I like the Performance Management Chart, even at the hobby jogger level it helps prevent over and under training and predicts peak performance.

LOL!

Don't extrapolate your jogging to elite runners.

GPS watches - what a load of crap.

In my day, we paced out all the distances manually, writing down the distances in our journal and stuffing it in our leather satchel. And we didn't whine about it like the kids of today.

All runs were uphill - there was no such thing as downhill back then.

Don't you people know that GPS watches are just a way for the government to track where you are going? Of course, when I was young, the government always knew where I was - in Europe, fighting Hitler. You young kids today with your biPods and AxeBoxes - playing your silly games - THE HUNS SHOT MORTARS AT US!

Stay off my lawn!

Well I like my GPS watch. I have had one for over a decade.

People are not very good at judging distance or pace. Most think they are running faster than they are. Heck it was common for my fellow nonGPS runners to be 0.5 miles on the guess as to how far we ran that day. You think you are running 5 and running 4.5. Do that every day and it can add up

Plus, it saves me time. I know folks who use mapping programs--so I run then I have to come home and spend time plotting my run. Waste of time IMHO.

I can also upload the run so I have a record of it. I am bad about keeping a training log so uploading helps me out a lot.

As someone who coaches a few folks, I can look at their files to see where they ran and keep them accountable.

The beauty is that you can choose not to use one, and I can choose to use one.

mobile phones: yay or nay?

I love my Tom Tom Runner GPS watch. I don't wear it for every run, but it's really handy when you just want to wander on a long run and want to know exactly how far you've gone. It's especially great when I travel. $100 is worth it. Some people will tell you that you should always run for time rather than distance unless you're racing, running a time trial, or doing intervals on a track, but some of us like to know the distance even on a long run.

tired of slowtards wrote:

DataDataData wrote:

I like the Performance Management Chart, even at the hobby jogger level it helps prevent over and under training and predicts peak performance.

LOL!

Don't extrapolate your jogging to elite runners.

Nice. I like you!

ROFL Where did i say that ?

Angry old man in cardigan wrote:

GPS watches - what a load of crap.

Stay off my lawn!

Yeah well I got one for Xmas you know and - I really need to have a dump, like right now. Hope U don't mind :)

Garmin 15 with HR monitor?

Just run for time, dude. Badger miles all the way. If you really need to get particular with pace, run a measured loop or use a track.

If nothing else they provide a very easy way to log your running.

My Garmin 205 lasted less then 2 years before needing a battery.

It was okay for accuracy however. Google maps works just as well. Also mapmyrun.com

So I am a no vote.

Let's see... Meb wears one. Meb won Boston. Meb won NYC. Meb won trials, Meb has an olympic silver medal. Are you better than Meb?

Then get a gps watch!

Shawn H wrote:

It's really handy when you just want to wander on a long run and want to know exactly how far you've gone.

This. It makes recording mileage much easier, especially when not following roads or paths with mile markers.

Also, knowing instantaneous pace can be useful for trying to hold a specific pace during a run.