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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.
DC Rainmaker has in-depth reviews of pretty much every running/cycling/fitness device made for the past decade, I recommend looking there. http://www.dcrainmaker.com/
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)
Parent is correct about DC Rainmaker. He's very thorough and accurate.
For tunes, I recommend an ipod shuffle (the ONLY apple product I use). It's perfect for sports, it's VERY cheap, the battery lasts a long time, and if it can handle my sweat it can handle anything.
Your garmin watch should not be having these problems. A 3 hour battery life is either a dud battery or something weird wrong with the software. Try a full reset. Regardless, you won't find anything better than a forerunner.
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
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 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 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?
Three posts in and we already have the obligatory "Why would you want to do that?" response. Some things never change.
It's a valid point - many races ban headphones and running on streets with headphones is not just a bad idea, it's outright stupid. Anything that reduces your situational awareness out on the road is a bad thing - especially when you're out on a 20 mile run and towards the end, you just want to get home.
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!