The Running Thread - 2019

I have the Garmin FR 35. It's fine for my purposes, I really just wanted to be able to time and measure splits with GPS. Any issues I might have with the watch have more to do with me never having read the users' manual than an actual defect I'm sure. At my level of (not very) seriousness in training I can't imagine ever needing something with more functionality.
 
ATTQOTD: I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3 (no music or Garmin pay). I upgraded to this last summer from a FR 235.

Likes: it doesn't look quite as gadgety - I got the rose gold version with a white strap, so it almost looks nice. I like the touchscreen a lot. The screen is nice and bright. I like the vibrating alarm. Reasonable HR accuracy - I find it loses accuracy when it's really cold out or I'm really sweaty. (These last three points also were true for the FR 235.) I wear it constantly, except for about 30 min/day when it is charging.

Dislike: for some idiotic reason, the elevation gain/loss shown on the watch are bogus. I say that this is idiotic because if you go onto your activity later on the Garmin website (NOT the phone app), you can turn on the correction to see the real elevation gain/loss. Why isn't this put into an update on the watch? Dunno. From what others have said on this board, I could send the watch back and get a replacement without this issue, but then I'd be without my watch for however many days.

Second dislike: I just discovered this recently. To do a manual lap, you have to double-tap the touchscreen. I mostly use this for fast-paced interval repeats, and trying to double-tap correctly when you're going into or out of a fast interval is a pain in the butt.

Even given these dislikes, I like the VA 3 much more than the FR 235.
 


Apple Watch 3 and Garmin 235 although my daughter has pretty much claimed the 235... I've been really intrigued by the Active Training on the New Garmin watches. I am curious how much more accurate training load data is with the inclusion of Barometric Altimeter data. I'm sure it depends on how much elevation change you have on your runs.
 
@jennamfeo please add me to the list. I have ran races in AZ, CA, FL, IN and WA

Okay I think I am caught up on everyone that gave me their states. I do want to mention that this list is of states you have ran at least one mile in -- not just specific to states you have raced in. :)

I'll post the updated spreadsheet this afternoon to give people some more time. I am impressed by all of y'all!
 


Okay I think I am caught up on everyone that gave me their states. I do want to mention that this list is of states you have ran at least one mile in -- not just specific to states you have raced in. :)

I'll post the updated spreadsheet this afternoon to give people some more time. I am impressed by all of y'all!
Can you add me to the list please? Florida, Hawaii and South Carolina. Thanks!
 
QOTD: Since I have GPS watches on my mind, what are you currently using for tracking runs and what do you like and dislike about it?
ATTQOTD: I have been using an Apple Watch 3 LTE since January 2018.

Positives: I never carry a phone when I run and having cell service on my watch allows me to text, get calls, get weather data, etc. on my run with no phone. The biggest positive for me is the ability to stream music while on a run with no phone. I have found the Apple watch GPS to be accurate and consistent with measured distances which I know was a complaint from former Apple watch users but I have not noticed distances being "off". I also find the heart rate feature to be accurate and consistent to my baselines. Finally, it is also stylish and my day to day watch. I like that I have one watch for both running and wearing around.

Negatives: The only issue for me is using cell service, streaming music and using GPS puts a strain on the battery. The watch is fine with runs up to about 17 miles but for the few training runs I have done longer than that, I have to turn the data off mid run or the battery will die. I can still listen to the music loaded on my watch but just cannot stream. For the marathon, I brought my phone to take pictures anyway and with the watch tethered to the phone for data, I had no battery issues when completing the marathon.
 
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I just have a Garmin 15, nothing fancy, as I only want pace and distance. I can set intervals if I need too as well. I have upgraded to anything more as I haven't seen the need.

ATTQOTD: No goals. I punted on 5K and HM PRs during winter/early spring. Peachtree is coming up, so maybe my main running goal is to meet some DISers there!

Speaking of Peachtree, today I started gearing my training toward it: hills and more hills! 813 foot elevation gain in 6 miles.
Oh my! So, I'm signed up for the Peachtree 10k and have seen it has hills. I feel I need to ramp my hill training up even more now after reading your post! I have never ran it or been to Atlanta (except the airport & maybe drove through it as a kid). Like, am I going to be eaten by hills during it?
 
ATTQOTD: I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3 with music and also love it.

I upgraded from a Timex Ironman last year so it was a big difference. I don't run with a phone, the the music paired with my Trekz Air headphones are a great combo. My only complaint is that if I don't have the band on pretty tight, then I sometimes will get high HR readings for a mile or so, and then it will somehow return back to correct normal readings. I experimented a bunch with different screen combinations and different lap settings and have now settled on exactly what I want. I have not had issues with my sleeve "touching" the touch screen.
 
ATTQOTD: I current use the Nuke Run Club app for tracking my runs. I also us Scosche RHYTHM+ for heart rate tracking.
 
Okay I think I am caught up on everyone that gave me their states. I do want to mention that this list is of states you have ran at least one mile in -- not just specific to states you have raced in. :)

I'll post the updated spreadsheet this afternoon to give people some more time. I am impressed by all of y'all!

I guess you can add me too. FL and GA.
 
ATTQOTD: I have the Garmin Vivoactive 3 and love it. I have had the elevation issues that someone mentioned earlier but that’s it. Love that it’s so lightweight compared to the 225 I wore before and the touchscreen.
 
I bought the Garmin 235 a few months ago. I'm sure there are plenty of things I haven't realized it can do yet but it's been doing what I need.
 
ATTQOTD: I have the Fenix 3 HR and love it. THere is more stuff on it that I have never used, but have been very happy with it. The optical HR bump is the only thing I have against it.
 

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