Tallchick, I wonder if you'd mind telling us how the new soft strap is working out for you. I bought my Garmin watch and strap secondhand and I'm finding the strap to be too big. I twist it to try to make it fit but it usually slips down regardless. It's very uncomfortable as the hard bits poke into my skin. I would gladly buy the soft strap if it was more comfortable and worked well.

 You can also get a shorter strap for the monitor that you already own. That would be a much chaeper route if its just the strap length that bothers you.

At 6'1" tall and not terribly "willowy" (34" circumference) the new strap seems to fit perfectly.    Glad you figured out a way for yours to fit Hoppity!

I didn't even have to rescan on the new strap/HRM--I just put it on, turned on my watch and there was the heartbeat.  Good to know I'm not a vampire.

Ran 12 miles on Saturday, average HR was 130, my Maff is 133 (180-47).  I felt so good I could have kept going!  I'm not sore, didn't need a 4 hour nap afterwards, or any nap, and the only bump in the road was when it was starting to warm up from 34 to the 50s I ate a few Clif shot blocs and got a stomach ache.  I was drinking water but I guess those things just don't agree with me.  About 2 hours in I ate some buffalo jerky and that made me feel good.  I guess I have to stick with real food but was thinking I needed electrolytes.  Guess not.

Very excited to have had a pain-free, LHR long run with no soreness afterwards.  I am totally sold on this LHR training!