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Does anybody have a recommendation for a good running watch that will track my distance, speed, heart rate, etc?
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What's important to you? What price? What features for displays?
There's a lot of good choices, pick the one that fits your needs best. Garmin dominates and has a wide range of products. Polar and Timex are also players.
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I just picked up the Garmin forerunner 210 myself. I got it for $200 and so far so good and much more to explore. Optional foot pod for treadmill training and optional heart rate monitor would add to the cost. Other than the great price I also was really pleased that this looked like a normal watch instead of a brick on my wrist. A new bonus too is that the watch is rechargeable with a wall plug that comes with it. Seeing as I was only getting a new watch because I broke my last one trying to change the battery, this was a nice feature for me. You can easily compare and contrast all the garmin models by checking out their website. That's how I made my decision.
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I just bought the Garmin Forerunner 110, and it's a good basic GPS watch that will track speed, distance, elevation, route, and comes with optional heart rate monitor. From what I was told and have read, the main difference between the 110 and the 210 model is an improved GPS locking technology and the ability to connect to the foot pod. However, in my experience, I have never had any problems with my watch losing satellite signal, and the foot pod is just an accelerometer, which to me is not that useful. One drawback of the 110 is that it has very low water resistance. It has been fine for me for running or washing my hands, but other reviews have said that it does not withstand water pressure from swimming.
If you are looking for just an approximate estimate of your distance and speed, an accelerometer/pedometer might be adequate, although you lose some accuracy. Other models of GPS watches have other advanced training features and functions, but like others have said, choose a watch based on the functions that you need.
Call me old-fashioned, but I think nothing beats the old standby Forerunner 305 when you factor price into the equation. It's got the GPS, heart rate strap, works with a foot pod, etc, and is going on Amazon right now for $130 (and sometimes goes for less). Sure, it looks like a brick at first, but 20 minutes into your first run you'll have forgotten all about it and the size will never bother you again (at least, that was my experience). I fully intend to replace my current 305 with another one when it bites the dust.
+1. I'm still using the 205. I don't need the heart rate monitor. I purchased my 205 from Amazon for $99. Every so often you can find it for that cheap.
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Now that was funny. How do you manage with 5 year old technology? Is it coal-fired or something? Geezer.
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What's important to you? What price? What features for displays? There's a lot of good choices, pick the one that fits your needs best. Garmin dominates and has a wide range of products. Polar and Timex are also players.
As well as Nike
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+2 I got my 205 from GPSDirect, reimbursed, for $99 also. You can't beat the price/features.
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I like my Garmin 310. it's a bit smaller than the 305, but seems to pick up the satellites a little faster too. It has more than enough features for me to play around with. I dont use it for easy runs, but love the functionality for tempo and interval runs - love that I can do my intervals without having to step foot on a track.
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Love my Garmin Forerunner 305. Got it last November as a gift! For tracking long runs and for setting pace and distance alerts for tempo and interval runs, this watch is great.
FWIW, I sync my data only with RunningAHEAD, and use the Garmin Training Center application only to upload detailed workouts (which, now that I'm not training for a marathon, I haven't been doing for a while).
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The Garmin 210 over the 110 also let's you pick instantaneous pace or lap pace. 110 only shows you lap pace. Lame.
I use my 210 as an everyday watch too which is nice.
Love my 210. Love my 305. I've swam with my 305 just fine but don't blame me if one leaks on you.
Get the 310 if you want to swim with it. Also the 310 vibrates I think so if you listen to music and want to run intervals that's a nice feature.
The 205, 305, 310 as well as the newer 405 410 and 610s all let you do more in depth stuff like look back through courses you've run and re-run them against your old times. Upload courses to find, and even do stuff like geocaching and whatnot.Nike has a new GPS watch from TomTom. I don't know if it uploads to this site, but all the Garmin watches do...
Good luck!
Oh and 210 has interval settings and the 110 doesn't.
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I understand the fancysmancy phones have GPS in them these days, and let you see your current running course on a map and stuff.
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Of course, real traditionalist runners just carry sundials.