Hi gurus,
Im going to start running (lightly!) again.
I've got an Apple Watch, but I'm liking the look of the Forerunner 15, for its real time speed/distance/elevation info.
I've not used the Watch's Activities (or whatever it's called) app, so was wondering if I should use the Watch or get the Garmin?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Forerunner-Running-Activity-Tracker/dp/B00JRXDCCE/ref=dp_ob_title_ce
Cheers.
Don't consider the Forerunner 15. Go for the 220 (older model, less expensive) or the 225. The cheaper Garmins are prone to long delays getting GPS lock and poor battery life. Not something even a casual runner should have to put up with, hence my statement regarding Apple watch:
Apple Watch is not ready for running use.
There are some pros, like very good quality third party running apps such as Runmeter. And for casual running, Runkeeper is enough. Then there's the ability to glance down during running or even a yoga session and see your latest text message or the caller ID of an incoming call. However the AW suffers from what I have found to be fatal flaws for inclement weather (long sleeved) running...
1) Inability to lock screen in third party running apps. This makes running with long sleeves impossible.
2) Ability to lock screen in workout, but inability to export meaningful data such as cadence, intervals and any split interval other than miles.
3) Inconsistent battery life during runs. Switch off heart rate during runs still might not be enough to guarantee AW finishes a run with it's brains intact. Example: battery died after about 4 hours when I ran a full marathon and I lost all the workout data taken over those 26.2 miles! Even with the screen locked, perhaps my sleeve was still waking up the watch during the marathon.
4) Even when used with an iPhone, AW distance measurement is suspect. When I wear my AW and my Garmin Forerunner 220, I get about 5% longer distance recorded on the AW which dramatically throws off pace calculations. That's the difference between a 8:15 a mile pace and an 8:40 a mile pace. In other words basically useless for anything beyond basic fitness tracking and step count.
5) Cannot wear AW loose without it losing contact with my wrist and asking for my unlock code. This can be solved by removing the unlock code but then I lose the ability to use my AW for ApplePay. This can also be solved by wearing my AW tight but I tend to like things on my body loose when I'm running (with the exception of my compression shorts and compression socks). The combination of a loose AW and long sleeves can lead to the watch thinking you've been putting in the wrong unlock code for the last half-dozen miles and wiping itself to defend your data against theft by your sleeve!
6) Teeny itsy bitsy tiny icons that are impossible to hit while running, especially with sweaty fingers. Your sleeve got you on the stock reports instead of pace? Try getting back into runmeter without walking or ven stopping and focusing intently on your watch.
Now there are quite a few reasons to choose Garmin for running, even if you already own an Apple Watch...
1) One. Big. Red. Button. Ironically the same location as the digital crown on the AW. It wakes the Garmin, starts your run and stops your run. Yes that's right. No staring at a display you have to actually read to determine what state the Garmin is in and no time wasted wading through menus just as the gun goes off to start running. And you would have thought Apple could figure out this whole one button thing after decades selling a one-buttoned mouse!
2) Long battery life (if you choose the 200 series model or higher, I'm not sure about the rest and a friend had the Forerunner 10 and had horrible battery life). We are talking days on standby and enough power reserve to jog/walk two marathons before even thinking about charging.
3) Trailing pace displayed every mile accompanied by a vibration and a beep. During the marathon, at each mile marker it sounded like a symphony of Garmin beeps followed by everyone glancing down at their wrist.
4) Simple non-touchscreen display. No way to swipe into a game of solitaire or stock reports during a run. Thank GOD! This is also a good reason to avoid the higher end Garmins as they suffer from mankind's obsession with all things touchscreen. Give me physical buttons when my hands are sweaty or when it's raining out.
5) Garmin connect. This iOS app has surprisingly mixed reviews but it has worked flawlessly for me, posting my run data to the web where I could either browse it online or download it in several file formats. And when I say data, I mean lots of data including cadence, splits, elevation gain/loss, speed, average pace, elapsed time, gps map, calories (if you tell it your weight), and even average stride length.
