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Ask Slashdot: Smart Electronics For a Marathoner?
New submitter IMightB writes: My question is basically what is the best smart watch style device for runners. Must have features GPS, bluetooth and music storage for roughly 5 hours of use during a marathon. Pretty much everything else is a nice to have. My wife has recently decided to enter her first marathon and unfortunately, the other day during a training run her 7gen iPod Mini gave up the ghost due to moisture accumulating in the armband and her Garmin Forerunner 15 only lasts about 3 hours with GPS on (despite Manufacturer claims to the contrary). She would like to consolidate devices down to something with a watch style format and start using a bluetooth headset. I currently use, and really like, a pair of aging Jaybird JF3's for a bluetooth headset and will probably recommend to her whatever Jaybirds current equivalent is in their lineup. But the watch portion is eluding me still. Based on my current research, the Sony SmartWatch 3 may be the only one that fits my wife's 'Must have Requirements' Are there other options available? Can anyone with marathon or distance running experience share their thoughts on this subject? Thanks in Advance.
I hear of runners running (no pun intended) into trouble when they are out practicing while wearing headphones. If she's just getting started, do you really want to prioritize on that?
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Does not exist. I've never heard of a Garmin that only has a 3 hour battery life, I think you may have gotten a lemon. I don't think Apple makes a nano/shuffle with bluetooth so she may end up using her phone for music. The GPS on the phone apps is not as good as Garmin or the other running watches so you will end up with at least 2 devices. I recommend the Garmin 220 for the watch, I don't have a good answer for music.
Timex Ironman 50 lap watch:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Timex-...
That watch trained me through at least 10 marathons and a couple Ironmans. I had a Garmin GPS watch + Heartrate monitor for a while, but I found myself paying more attention to it than just paying attention to my body.
50 splits so I can get splits for each mile of the marathon. The "Flix" backlight was handy for night runs so a flick of the wrist turns on the light. Battery lasts for years, and the watch is 100% waterproof (which is more than I can say for the Garmin - I had to send it back for repair twice when water got inside)
Must have features GPS, bluetooth and music storage for roughly 5 hours of use during a marathon.
Music/podcasts are great for training but generally frowned upon in actual races, I think a lot of big marathons actually ban them since people not hearing could be a safety issue.
I've personally never had an issue getting bored during races and for training I just bring my phone and a pair of bluetooth headphones for podcasts.
Garmin Forerunner 15 only lasts about 3 hours with GPS on (despite Manufacturer claims to the contrary)
That sounds like a warranty issue. I don't know about the 15 but my old 301 lasted through the entirety of a 10.5 hour ultra.
That being said if I were to get a new watch I might be tempted to peak at the smart watches.
I stole this Sig
those aren't runners, they're swimmers that can't find a pool
Most organized sporting events (marathons and bike races at least) ban headphones.
So while great for training, they are worthless for the event. Some people rely on music for motivation, which is fine, but I would suggest you get used to it without.
And when training, keep only one ear bud in, I cannot tell you how many runners did not hear me yelling on your left to pass and then they get frightened and pissed when I do pass. sennheiser make decent sports earbuds.
And I suspect you got a lemon Garmin. I used to use the forerunner 300 I used before I got my edge 810. The 300 lasted me a good 8 hours. The 810 lasts me about 5 hours when I used live tracking (paired to phone provides realtime tracking for family or friends, good for long solo rides for safety).
I came, I conquered, I coredumped
GPS watches won't help you stick to a route. They will show you the route run after the fact though. They are more about showing current pace and HR so you don't blow up during your marathon or so that you can stick to specific pace/HR zones during training.
Perhaps...you could just go out and run?
Seriously. I've done multiple marathons, the Disney Goofy Challenge, a number of triathlons including two Ironman races, etc... You don't need all this fancy stuff. Just make sure you keep a phone with you (or your wife in this case) in case you have an emergency, bring ample water and snacks if you're out for long training runs, and enjoy the time. Get away from computers, TVs, phones, etc. Enjoy being outside. If you and your wife are running together, then enjoy the time together, working to a common goal, away from all of the hustle of normal life where everything is connected.
Running without all the crap is the best, most enjoyable, time for me. I love it. I used to run with music, GPS tracking, etc. Now, just a phone in case of emergency and sometimes not even that. Give it a try. You'll love it. And your wife will too.
I ran marathons back in the 80s and didn't have any iPod, fancy watch, etc. Just do it!
And get off my lawn!!!
You young whipper snapper! I started in the 70s, and we had to build our own electronics, which we didn't use, because real marathoners go electronics free!
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"Must have features GPS, bluetooth and music storage for roughly 5 hours of use during a marathon. Pretty much everything else is a nice to have."
Nobody else found funny that for a sport watch a clock/chronograph is not among the "must haves"? And it supposedly is a "smart" one!
I have been running for 30+ years at this point.
Some points:
* There is not going to be a perfect device. As the saying goes, a Swiss Army Knife is no replacement for a well stocked toolbox. A few dedicated devices will do the trick much better than an all-in-one device will.
* While listening to music while running can make the time go a little faster, a running partner will be a much better addition. When it is dark and snowing outside and you are warm and in your bed, knowing that someone is going to be meeting you in 30 minutes is better motivation than anything else. Training should also always allow you to talk while you run (otherwise you are going too fast). Having someone there to talk to makes sure you are going at the right pace.
* Once you have some experience with them, a heart rate monitor can really guide training. Pace can be affected by ambient temperature, wind, inclines, and other factors. Your heart rate is a better indicator of effort.
* I have not had the Forerunner 15. I have had the FR60, the ForeRunner 405, and the ForeRunner 220. All of them have been able to get 3+ hours. The 405 was the worst of the bunch, but that was a relatively early GPS watch. Even then, it got 3+ hours for the first year or so. The 220 gets 6+ hours - I have honestly never gotten the battery down very low. Even after 3+ hour runs, it is showing more than 50% left. I generally use the 220 for 3-4 runs before I consider charging it back up.
* I never run with my phone. It is partly because of bulk, and mostly because I go running to get outside and get away from the always-on world we live in. I only listen to music on my long runs, and for that I have an older iPod Shuffle.
* As others have mentioned, http://www.dcrainmaker.com/pro... is the best review site out there.
* Based on your needs, I would consider Garmin's newest watches, the 230 or the 235: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/201... I would also purchase an iPod Shuffle. If wireless is a big requirement, I would look at the iPod Nano and BlueTooth headphones.
- (c) 2018 Hank Zimmerman
I run.
..") but most watches won't have this capability.
Marathons, half-marathons, long (8 hours) orienteering competitions, whatnot.
I won't tell you what to buy, but I can suggest some more "must have" features.
1) If she is serious about her training, she will need a heart rate monitor. At least as a beginner. Experience will help her understand her body without a HR belt later, but first, she will need this experience!
2) She will do intervals, right? Some watches are better at that than others. Good, clear display is a must. Audible signals (beeps) will also help. Some people preplan their trainings ("1 km with HR 150, 1 km with HR 160,
3) GPS accuracy differs. A bad watch can lose GPS signal on open field - and never get it back. Want to run in a park? Forest? Even worse. Go read up on your device of choice before becoming a field tester.
4) As mentioned earlier, night mode (backlight on) may be needed.
5) Check the training display options. She (probably) needs a combo of pace, HR, distance & time, lap distance & time. Does Sony have it?
If you can, let her do a test run and go a full cycle - from planning to training to analysis.
For reviews, http://www.dcrainmaker.com/ is your friend. Nobody else is as thorough as this guy.
I have Garmin Forerunner 405 and Polar M400 GPS watches. Both are horrible. Garmin has worst UI one could imagine, it will literally drive you nuts. Polar has the worst software support that money can buy.
Of course people have been doing fartleks and intervals without any GPS, so none of the requirements is really a MUST. But if she is really into running, get her a runners' watch, not a glorified media player.
I had that same problem also (could not wear stainless steel backed watches or metal bands) but the Apple Watch back is unaffected, even though I wear it all the time working out.
Most of the back is I think glass (the round part over the heart rate sensor LEDs). The rest of the body is coated, so is in essence not metal against your skin.
The adjustment knob is similarly coated and has no issues.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Then you're made of weaker stuff than most successful marathoners are. Headphones == Death.
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Microsoft Band 2 is your answer. Standalone gps, standalone music playback, etc. you don't need to take your phone with you. It has a hr sensor and even measures altitude changes for the pesky hills. When you're done running it can show you your stats via the watch, the web, iPhone, android, or windows phone. It's a really nice little device.
First off, you need to protect your electronics from perspiration. Both my wife and I have destroyed MP3 players and I have destroyed a cell phone due to perspiration. I put mine in ziploc bags or use those plastic bubbles used for shipping things.
Best option for marathons is one of the dedicated GPS watches. I have a Garmin Forerunner 405 and it was capable of lasting through a marathon (5+ hours for me.) At present I use a running app on my Nexus 5x and use it with a Moto 360. The advantage of that is:
- choice of running/activity apps.
- watch eliminates need to pull phone out to start/stop/pause
- watch has configurable screens for whatever stats I want to see.
Downside -
- Moto 360 battery won't last through a marathon. (Maybe with the right app...)
- Requires the phone - but a newer Moto watch has a built in GPS. Might still need the phone for the HRM though.
At the end of the race when I'm hot and sweaty it can be really difficult to stop the run on either watch or phone. Touch screens don't react well to sweat tracks.
If you need electronics during running, you should plans your routes through more interesting places, where there is more to see.
As a runner myself, the only electronics I bring along are two lights.
You really want to keep an ear open for traffic.
...and try to finish the marathon before the battery dies ! How's that for an incentive ?
Non-Linux Penguins ?
As something of an athlete myself, my advice to your wife is to focus on upgrading her engine, and worry about the bells-and-whistles later. Especially running out on public roads, but out running anywhere in public, you need to be aware of your surroundings, not drowning them out with music blaring in your ears. Furthermore running 26.2 miles requires mental toughness and focus; if you're relying on something external to drown out your personal demons, who are trying to sabotage you, what's going to happen when the thing dies or your earbuds fail? Skip the music. GPS I could go either way on, but if you know the course you're running on, what do you need GPS for? A watch with a chest strap for monitoring heart rate should be all she really needs to get started, they're inexpensive, durable, and will run for months on one set of batteries. If you really want to spend money on your wife being successful at marathoning, invest that money in a professional coach to give her a personalized training plan, monitor her progress, and overall maximize the benefit of the time she spends training.
..and no, this wasn't the advice you asked for, but I think it's the advice she needs.
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
As I run long distances and marathons frequently, this is the gear that I usually have with me:
- iPod shuffle 4th gen: without touch screen and with real buttons this one is runner's best friend. It had survived rain and sweat drops and its battery lasts for more than 12h of music. Its clip and non-existent weight make it very practical to carry
- Garmin Forerunner 220 - It's battery lasts 8h (on paper) with the GPS on and I had occasions of 5-6h long runs with it with plenty of battery remaining
- Samsung SIII Neo - My old android phone, I also carry a spare battery for it. Useful for safety ofcourse and also to support the Forerunner for live tracking, Endomondo, Runtastic and other apps (Ingress !)
-=dchrys=-
Average speed on uphill sections vs downhill sections?
Fastest point on route?
Hardest (max heartrate) section on route?
Number of stops?
Duration walking vs running?
Distance to exhaustion, time to exhaustion? (When you can not complete the route as planned.)
Average intensity (heartrate)?
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