I use a GPS watch but I ran for year with a regular stop watch. I actually prefer a regular stop watch but I spent $400 on my GPS watch and it feels dumb to leave it in the drawer. Having said that, I would not buy another one. It's such a waste of money. It has not helped me improve. If anything, it has turned running into an "app" rather than a fun activity. Sights like Strava have ruined certain aspects of running.My watch has a heart rate monitor and I have also had a watch with a strap HR. I keep it off except for once in awhile when I am curious. It has not helped me at all as I find HR monitors are only useful when you have had proper testing to determine your CURRENT TRAINING ZONES which can change over time depending on age and current fitness.Your body tells you all you need to know. If it feels hard, it's a hard run, if it feels easy, it's an easy run....it doesn't matter if you're supposed to be a 147.232387232 bpm for your easy runs. An easy run might be at 120 one day and 160 the next depending on weather, health, coffee, alcohol, age, etc.
monitoring wrote:
I'm curious about the use of HR monitors and GPS watches. I have never used either, so I was wondering if I could hear input from runners who were i) training at one point without these technologies and ii) adopted these while still training. Did your HR monitor and/or GPS help you improve? Do you think you'd improve less if you were forced to train without them?
I'll admit that I'm pretty skeptical, but I also tend to be rather conservative about new technology. But, perhaps I'm missing something - am I? Do you find these things useful, or are they just (possibly) fun but superfluous?