New Year, New Watch

Oh how quickly time passes these days. I have intentions of writing in this space regularly and ideas for posts drift in and out of my head as I'm out on a morning run or going through my day, but I don't often make the time to put my hand to the keyboard for blogging purposes.

Alas, here goes. 

It's true that running doesn't require many fancy things. I could still be running just fine in my Nike tempo shorts, Target tech top, Ironman chrono watch and a decent pair of shoes (the most important piece of gear any runner needs). But new, technical running gear gets me excited to hit the pavement and trails, so I happen to have a few drawers full of the stuff. Some people have designer purses or shoes, others have running gear.

Simple, but useful Ironman chrono watch from Target

My last Garmin died a sad death about 1.5 years ago when a lovely digital arc became burned onto the screen and was never to work again. That being said, it was my second Garmin and I used it for several hundred runs and thousands of miles.

For my birthday, my parents surprised me with a new Garmin (the Forerunner 235) despite my assurance that my simple chrono watch was just fine. After all, I'm not gunning for any PRs right now or training for a marathon in the near future. But they know how much I use (and love) my Garmin when I have one, so new watch it was!

Yup, it was love at first run. The snow didn't hurt either. 

After my first (snowy) run out with the new watch, I was already in love. At any moment I could see my pace, distance covered and heart rate (max, min and average). On top of that, this watch is also a step counter, so it's been fun to see my steps too - something I've never tracked before. Pure runner bliss.

I've now had the watch for almost a month and have worn in for several runs, walks, and even as my everyday watch while I'm around the house with Henry or we're out doing errands and what not. I can tell you that I've loved every Garmin, but this one takes the cake.

While I always wanted to know my heart rate during runs, I rarely wanted to strap on the heart rate monitor I had for my old watch, so this one not requiring a strap is a-mazing. I can easily click over and see my current heart rate and my max and minimum in the last four hours. The battery life is also pretty darn impressive, not requiring me to charge it for at least 4-5 days with regular use.

And the only con for me is a minor one. There is a little green light on the back of the interface, which glows when it's not quite in tact with your wrist (like you shift it, or remove it and don't have it set down on a flat surface). A few times, I've been putting Henry to sleep and the darn thing starts glowing in a pitch black room. Not exactly the best thing when trying to put a baby to sleep, so I just try to remember to remove it before his bedtime or naps.

You can also sync the watch to your phone so you can see your incoming text messages, but I prefer to keep those things separate. ;)

Do you have a favorite piece of running gear? What is it and why?

Comments

Jenny said…
woo that looks very fancy! I'm a sucker for gadgets and I think the heart rate monitor function would be really handy.
That watch sounds so awesome! I love gifts like that because it's something you will use and enjoy but it's hard to justify spending the money on yourself. So it's nice when others spend the money instead. ;) I got a new garmin last year and I love it as it has a smaller watch face than my other ones have and it has bluetooth so it uploads my runs without having to hook it up to a computer. mine is an older model than yours so it doesn't have all the bells and whistles but when I upgrade next I would consider getting something like what you have. I especially like that you don't have to wear a HRM strap as I don't like those!!
I think my Garmin is definitely one of my favorite pieces. I started with the 405 (I think) about 10 years+ ago. It was a great watch and lasted me for probably about 6 years before finally going kaput. Since then I have had some struggles with my "new" Garmin (the 410 I think) because the strap keeps falling off and then the battery life starts to flag. However, the first time I had an issue, it was less than a year old and they replaced it! Since then I have been keeping mine together with wishes and superglue and I have to carry a charger for any run longer than 8 hours, but I still do love it so. However, I am in the market for a new one so am happy to hear that you like yours. How long does it last for continuous use, do you know?
Raquelita said…
That's a great gift! I hadn't been wearing my Garmin much for the past year or so, and I'm trying to get back in the habit of charging it so I can use it more regularly now that I'm starting a marathon training plan. I love my Garmin, but during the winter months I'm pretty grateful for my Brooks running jacket.
Leigh said…
So fancy! I bought myself a Fitbit after Christmas and it can alert you if a call is coming in. It's actually handy as I always have my phone on silent
missris said…
Ooh, pretty! I've been eyeing the same watch actually, but I have very small wrists. How does it fit? Does it feel bulky? I ask because I think you and I are similar in size ;)

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