Ask Slashdot: Smart Electronics For a Marathoner? 169
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.
moto 360 sport (Score:1)
I am an avid marathoner I am looking for something similar. This is what I have my eye on http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/watch/Moto-360-Sport/moto-360-sport.html
I'm not a runner, but... (Score:3, Insightful)
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Three posts in and we already have the obligatory "Why would you want to do that?" response. Some things never change.
Re:I'm not a runner, but... (Score:5, Informative)
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 [napavalleymarathon.org] and running on streets with headphones is not just a bad [orlandosentinel.com] idea [runnersworld.com], it's outright stupid. [livescience.com] 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.
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many races ban headphones
I wondered about that with footraces, I know bicycle road racing prohibits such things even in ITTs. There's also the concept of 'dont' do anything different in training than you'll do when racing'.
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Good to know, I'll have her check into this. The two half marathons shes done have not banned them.
Re: I'm not a runner, but... (Score:2)
There are also trails, I could cite examples in my locality, where predators look for zoned out people to bonk and steal their gadgets. Running along in your "zone" at mile 17 with your ear buds in is just asking for trouble.
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I never wear headphones while running, whether I am training or running, no matter where I'm running.
On roads, it's just dangerous.
On trails, in a park or in wilderness, I'd rather listen to the environment.
In races, it's especially discouraged. You should pay attention to the pace of fellow runners, and you have to listen to any alerts the organization might issue.
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I wholeheartedly agree! Show me some science backing up this crazy belief that running with headphones is more dangerous than sitting on a sofa watching TV while eating a bag of chips. I always hear this belief but I never see any real hard facts. This is like being afraid of sharks when you are more likely to die slipping in your bathtub.
The fact that phones and music are banned in many marathons and branded Ironman events agravates me. Why can someone have a wrist computer and a bike computer but not a
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Even without data to back it up, it does seem reasonable that a bike would be dangerous with headphones on. You're sharing the road with cars, and you've moving very fast. There's less room for error, and if you have to ditch, you hit the ground pretty hard.
It's tricky, since there's so much wind noise that it can be hard to hear cars coming anyway. Frankly, I just don't feel all that safe on a bike, and I prefer running. Worse, I find cycling duller than running, since I can't let my mind wander as much; I
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Show me some science backing up this crazy belief that running with headphones is more dangerous than sitting on a sofa watching TV while eating a bag of chips.
We're comparing running with headphones vs. running without headphones, not running vs. sitting on couch eating junk.
Here's the study [bmj.com] that produced the figures mentioned a few posts above. Headphones are definitely an extra risk. We may choose not to be worried by that risk and we can say it's small compared to other risks, but let's not say the extra risk is zero, because that's false.
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Ha OP here? My co-workers outed me this morning, because I posed to them the same question. They don't believe that I have a wife either! My wife is amazing and she does what she puts her mind to. For example, she's conquered all the official and un-official 14ers in Colorado.
The question I pose to most ./ers is: Can your wife do that?
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I hear of them running into trouble without wearing headphones. Since we no nothing of the circumstances in which she will be running how can we question the prioritisation?
One device to rule them all (Score:2)
Re:One device to rule them all (Score:5, Informative)
Re:One device to rule them all (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
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Indeed. I thought it was weird that a Forerunner would only have 3 hours of run time.
I bought one a decade ago that had at least 10 hours. And given Garmin's market, I don't think they'd create something that would last only 3 hours.
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Garmins support is also excellent. They are known to warranty for a small fee devices that are way past their warranty end date. Depends on the circumstances, but there is no harm in trying.
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Good to know, I'll check out doing a full reset as another poster mentioned. If that doesn't work, I'll try Garmin's Support
Thanks!
Apple Watch (Score:1)
Just get one. I know you want one. Stop making up stories about a "marathoner wife". We are geeks, we understand.
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Track your speed, etc. as well as make sure you stay on your planned route
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1: Plan route & stay on it.
2: Subtract start time from finish time to get travel time, divide route length by travel time to get speed.
If you can't stick to a route without getting lost or can't do basic math you shouldn't be allowed outside without adult supervision.
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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.
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If you're going to be a nerd about it, you can use a Forerunner (for instance) to track a lot of things, like where in the run you might get stopped or where you encounter hitting a wall in your stride.
If you're just going by beginning and end time and distance, it doesn't give you near the amount of data you can use to improve.
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That's going to tell you your average speed over the entire distance.
It's not going to tell you if you're keeping pace.
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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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Which is why the Apple Watch is a terrible choice for runners (no GPS).
New iOS devices mostly unphased by water (Score:2)
The iPhone 6 lasts over an hour underwater with no issues.
The Apple Watch is the same, you can wear it in the shower and to clean it they recommend running it under the tap. They also say you can wear it in the rain...
So why would anyone worry about a little sweat?
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Caustic sweat is my superpower.
If I wore a watch, it would have to be gold or plastic. Plastic watches with metal setting thingies (crowns?) have knubs after 3 months. Stainless backs aren't. Cheap metal bits are pitted in days.
It's weird, Dad has it also.
AppleWatch backs are not metal. (Score:3)
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.
Re: New iOS devices mostly unphased by water (Score:2)
Same here. I'm slowly eating into my tungsten carbide wedding band.
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sweat isn't water
it's acidic and contains salt
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That's correct, but I've been using my AppleWatch since June when exercising several times a week, without issue. I just rinse it off in the sink after a workout.
Yes sweat is heavily damaging, but the AppleWatch is well coated and sealed (as extensive testing has showed).
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If Garmin could add GPS and a bit of music storage to the VivoSmart I would recommend it to her in a heartbeat. As it is, the only apple device that I have in my possession is a PowerBook supplied by work. Everything else in my house is linux with the exception of a Yoga 2 Pro. (home desktop/mythtv, android phones, roku, openelec RPI etc etc etc)
So suggesting an over-priced status symbol for hipsters like an iWatch, which doesn't do GPS, is like saying you should get a Bugatti Veyron to do daily com
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So suggesting an over-priced status symbol for hipsters like an iWatch, which doesn't do GPS
How do you explain that it as a Maps app... with directions...
The answer is, it does use GPS when you have an iPhone with you (which I do when I run because why would you not have a phone with you in case of emergency?).
It's humorous you would complain about "hipsters" when you appear to be someone too uninformed (about the Apple Watch or Running) to even offer practical advice.
Even if you use the watch alone, it can
tomtom spark? (Score:1)
Haven't tried it yet, but seems promising. gps, heart rate and 4GB of storage, should last long enough for a marathon.
Runner's watches are slightly different than the usual smartwatches, as they have built-in gps and better battery life than ordinary smart watches, which rely on your phone fro music and gps.
I use a Polar m400 for gps while running, and it lasts about a week with daily 6mile running (gps tracking). Unfortunately no music on that one.
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TomTom Spark impressions [dcrainmaker.com].
I use an earlier version of TomTom Cardio, which is really great. In case you'd want also want to have optical heart rate monitoring (which the TomTom Spark hs) then it's pretty much the only choice, as most other optical heart rate monitors are quite inaccurate when it comes to sports, see D.C. Rainmaker's review of them on the same site.
Timex Ironman (Score:5, Informative)
Timex Ironman 50 lap watch:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Timex-... [ebay.com]
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)
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Excess running damages the heart.
Excess Bacon damages the heart too. I'll stick with the excess running and see how that works out.
Think different (Score:2)
Consider a single earpiece, a Motorola Elite Flip or Silver. Excellent battery life, good audio if only in one ear, and a free ear might be handy. But I really like my BackBeat Fits.
Several battery cases are out there for iPhones.
An NXE armband might work better against moisture. Find them in TJMaxx, or of course the usual discount haunts.
You have a broken forerunner. (Score:2)
I have the same watch but with the hiking firmware. The Foretrex and I get EASILY 6 hours out of it.
You need to contact Garmin and have it sent in for repair, you have a bad battery in yours.
Pebble or TomTom Runner (Score:2)
Excellent question. While I'm not a marathoner I am a half-marathon runner and have some experience with this.
The Pebble/Pebble Time supports showing running stats on the watch when synced up with RunKeeper or Endomondo. There might be other apps available but those are the two I've used.
They require that you have a smartphone drive them, and you'd have to have enough smartphone battery to not have the phone die while using GPS for your run.
Both apps let you start/pause/stop your run from the watch. I used
my experience (Score:2)
I've tried a number of devices for fitness. Anything with built-in GPS is going to seriously degrade your battery life while it's on. Even phones drain insanely fast when using actual GPS satellite signals instead of wifi for geolocation. 2 hours of continuous high-resolution GPS tracking is going to be par for the course for this type of device.
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I've been using Garmin GPS watches, running 3 half marathons in the last ten years. One of those took me 4 hours because of foot issues. But none of them came close to using all of the battery life.
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I'm a BIG Garmin/Suunto fan, I currently use a VivoSmart for daily use and the only time it comes off my wrist is a once a week charging. It does everything I need nearly perfectly. From on-call to exercise. I also have a Suunto hiking watch from the early 00's. To your knowledge, does Garmin combine the three things I listed (GPS, Music storage/playback, bluetooth) in one device?
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No. I had been using my iPod(s), but they proved unable to hold up to sweat soaked armbands, twice. My favorite was my first iPod, a shuffle that lasted several years, but had no bluetooth. I don't know of a single device that combines your list, but I haven't been hunting for one.
A Couple Thoughts (Score:4, Informative)
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.
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Music/podcasts are great for training but generally frowned upon in actual races,
It might be better to seperate the music from the other functions. Get something like an iPod Shuffle and do the rest with a GPS/monitor device. For a bit more bulk than a watch, a Garmin eTrex 30 will do GPS, altimiter and talk to an external heart rate monitor (and record your data as you go). I know some people who will cycle a course and download the elevation data into a programmable stationary cycle. The recorded data 'duplicates' the course elevation for trining purposes.
The battery life is about 25
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I'm not saying I don't agree with separate devices, but I'm just trying to meet the requirements listed by the Boss, before I make a case against them.
Forget the headphones. (Score:5, Informative)
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).
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I've participated in dozens of races, and not one banned headphones...I don't personally wear them. I know some do, but I doubt "Most" is correct.
Marathon game session? (Score:2)
Yea, you need the game system, a collection of games, pizza, caffeinated drinks and multiple sets of batteries for your wireless controllers and head sets.... The trick is to keep everything within arms reach of the recliner you are sitting in.
Oh wait... You are talking about physically RUNNING as in OUTSIDE and more than 5 paces? Dude... We don't do that here on Slashdot.
Also, how on earth did you catch a wife that runs? I mean a real one, I thought we had lower standards than that here.... Turn in th
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How about ... nothing? (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
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Perhaps...you could just go out and run?
Why? I mean it's good exercise and all, but running is incredibly boring unless you're running somewhere, even then it's about as exciting as being stuck in traffic with a busted car radio.
*Many* people do not enjoy running for the fulfilling invigorating experience some people claim it is. Heck only a few weeks ago I was out on my weekly run and the battery went flat on my iPod Shuffle only 30min in. That was me done. I'm not prepared to run around without some nice music.
As for each other's company, that'
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Nobody "needs" fancy stuff when the goal is only to have fun, but a heart rate monitor is now pretty much essential for serious training and amateur competition. Not only it allows you to train with much better efficiency, but during competition it allows you to better manage your energy and counter the crowd effect. More fancy stuff will even give you data about your stride to correct mistakes you might not be aware while running. Analyzing your race might reveal weaknesses and so indicate what kind of tra
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All good advice once you've reached the point of enjoyment. I can assure you, no-one starts out at that point.
At the start it's a goal, usually related to performance and improvement. "All this fancy stuff" is to provide feedback that the goal is getting closer, and on what needs to be done to work in the right direction. And then, after a long time of hard work, the point where enjoyment of running for its own sake can be reached.
Very few people find enjoyment in starting out running, without feedback and
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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.
That's very subjective. I despise running. I love to play sports and can handle running around chasing a ball all day. But even a mile of running is torture for me. Due to a permanent sports injury, I am pretty much unable to engage in any other convenient form of exercise besides running. I could join a gym with a swimming pool (for some reason I can swim laps all day - it's like meditation to me), but there are none near me, my office, or commute. So I run. I don't listen to music, though. I end u
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I guess she could "just go out and run", care to be the one to tell her? She's done 2 half marathons so far, Destination Races - Kelowna BC and the Denver Rock N Roll half marathon and is just ramping up to do more. I'm not really much of a runner, I'm more of a Hockey Guy (As our son would say) https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com] is more my style. though after watching her run, I'm starting to feel inspired to try running a bit myself.
Apple Watch with Runkeeper (Score:2)
The Apple Watch works great for tracking running, there are a number of running apps on iOS that work with it - Runkeeper in particular will work and measure distance on the watch alone even without you carrying an iPhone with you, I think by measuring average stride when you do have the phone with you.
It also has a very good battery life and a heart rate monitor which is handy.
The only missing ingredient: You didn't mention if you had an iPhone which it requires... but you also did not explicitly rule out
must have versus nice to have (Score:3)
"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!
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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!
It's kind of implied. If you have a GPS receiver, you have a clock.
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Yeah I though so as well, I'm asking for a "Watch" after all.
Long Time Runner Here... (Score:5, Informative)
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... [dcrainmaker.com] 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... [dcrainmaker.com] I would also purchase an iPod Shuffle. If wireless is a big requirement, I would look at the iPod Nano and BlueTooth headphones.
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Really, do you want to be able to receive calls while training, or is one so addicted to whatsapp and similar stuff that it has to be used even while running?
Maybe useful to call in an emergency when I get into an accident... But that it a risk I take. In four years or running, I never needed to make a call while training.
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My daughter used to go running through a nearby park. My wife insisted that she bring her phone for safety reasons. That was years ago, but my daughter still runs with the phone. As a parent, I like the idea that I could find her (where's my phone) if I became concerned.
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* 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. ...
* I never run with my phone. It is partly because of bulk,
A lot of people seem to forget what makes the Swiss Army Knife "perfect" in the first place. But you seemed to have remembered half way through your post. All the more reason to have an all in one device that does everything including play music wirelessly.
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As I runner of just 15 years, I'm of the attitude that all you really need is a pair of shoes, and clothes don't need to be special. Keep it minimal and just enjoy the run.
Due to continuous breakdowns due to injury I switched to finger shoes (and been fine since), which are awesome for taking on business trips because they take no space in my bag. I learnt a good lesson on one trip to Shanghai though, out with the Hash House Harriers... always carry a phone and some money because there's nothing more scar
More requirements (Score:2)
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
Running Community? (Score:2)
Did you look in a runner's community forum?
http://community.runnersworld.com/forum/gear-electronics/ [runnersworld.com]
This is a really common topic there.
MS Band 2 (Score:2)
Re: MS Band 2 (Score:2)
Star Trek Communicator (Score:2)
"Scotty. Beam me to the finish line."
My running electronics. (Score:3)
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.
5-time marathoner... (Score:2)
My equipment (Score:2)
For music, I use a SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip with Rockbox installed. I've used SanDisk players for years, and they are great for running. It has the advantage of being small, long battery life, good storage (8GB, but with a micro SD card slot for a lot more music) and cheap.
For marathons, I recommend a watch to help keep your pace and to keep track of your progress. The Timex Ironman watches are pretty solid. I haven't felt the need to have additional features than what it offers.
Not a big fan of carrying
No electronics (Score:3)
As a runner myself, the only electronics I bring along are two lights.
You really want to keep an ear open for traffic.
Get one with a short battery (Score:3)
Focus on the ENGINE, not the accessories (Score:5, Insightful)
..and no, this wasn't the advice you asked for, but I think it's the advice she needs.
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Thank you,
I have never once heard her talk about cadence or really caring so much about her HR while she runs. I think for her it's more about the music and getting to the finish line, than tweaking out every last bit of performance from her body.
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I have never once heard her talk about cadence or really caring so much about her HR while she runs. I think for her it's more about the music and getting to the finish line, than tweaking out every last bit of performance from her body.
OK, let me say this: 26.2 miles is not a trivial distance. Unless you've got some incredible level of natural talent and therefore it doesn't matter what you do to train for it, not paying enough attention to how you train will likely give you results ranging from 'not finishing at all', to 'getting seriously injured'. Really, honestly, please, tell her she needs to pay more attention to being properly conditioned and prepared, and less about what gadgets she's carrying. I'd also suggest shorter events and
My 2 cents (Score:3, Informative)
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=-
Smartwatch 3, if you tolerate only headphone sound (Score:2)
I have run a number of marathons. The Sony Smartwatch 3 has great features, supports Bluetooth Smart for pairing with a HR monitor (I strongly recommend Scosche Rhythm+, by the way) and tracking apps, e.g. Endomondo.
I don't wear headphones or listen to music while running (by the way, race organizers discourage headphones during races). So I want a loud alert for intervals, in other words, I want a device with an external speaker, which the SW3 doesn't have. So I just use a Geonaute 510 tracker watch (el-ch
FWIW (Score:2)
Just an anecdote... During the VA Beach 1/2 Marathon last year, my Garmin inexplicably stopped about 2.5 hrs in. It still had plenty of battery life remaining, and I was able to start it up again, but had to manually join the files once I loaded them to my computer. Same race, same watch, but this year, no such problem.
As for iPod Nanos, I've been through 3 of them, all dying, likely due to moisture in the armband. I really don't want to carry around something the size of a cell phone.
No electronics (Score:2)
Roku (Score:2)
Roku. Netflix. A decent tv. Probably your phone, so you don't have to get up to order a pizza. What else do you need?
Oh wait, not that kind of marathon.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I got those already! It's just not what the wife is looking for....
Re: Hey runners! (Score:2, Funny)
those aren't runners, they're swimmers that can't find a pool
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That's why it's a good idea to get a blinky light to hang on the headphones you hang around your neck, so the cyclists don't hit you when running.
The bike path is softer than the too hard sidewalks, as any decent runner knows.
At the very least, wear some reflective gear - I have good lights on my bike, I usually turn them down low on the bike path so I don't blind other trail users, but come on people - don't wear all black and run in the middle of the trail. Reflective gear may not be "cool", but it may help you avoid a trip to the hospital. It's gotten to the point now where I turn my headlight up to medium when I'm on unlit trails so I can see darkly clad pedestrians.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
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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My coworkers recommended that I build an arduino *something* and encase it in resin. While intriguing, I don't think it would meet WAF (Wife Approval Facter) On a side note, the ONLY piece of tech that I have ever discovered that meets an extremely high level of WAF are Harmony Remotes.
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Then you're made of weaker stuff than most successful marathoners are. Headphones == Death.
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Headphones == Death.
Okay, I'm only using your post as an example of one of the multiple posters here with the same belief.
I've worn headphones (I usually don't), and had no trouble hearing traffic, or even other runners around me. It's not too difficult to keep the volume low enough and still enjoy the music and be safe. And, it's nothing like driving with a cellphone in your hand, which...don't even get me started on those idiots.
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Very presumptive on your part to know my bias. But, to make it slightly more clear for you, I'm aware of my surroundings when I'm out running, and when I do wear headphones, it's on low volume. But then not everyone does that so, those who wore headphones and were fatalities will only confirm your belief that there's no safe way to wear them, which is nothing more than an unproven assumption. So, I'm sure we'll continue to disagree, but I'm good with that.
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Yeah, if you have a Samsung phone, the Samsung Gear S makes sense. Unfortunately, a Samsung phone is basically required to install apps. Non-starter for me.
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While she does have a S3, she doesn't want to carry her phone with her. And from all of my research, the Gear S doesn't have a built in GPS
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It does have built-in GPS [samsung.com], and, according to the reviews I've read, phone synchronization is only needed for the initial setup and for installing apps. I still wouldn't buy the Gear S even if I had a Samsung phone, because it runs a proprietary Samsung OS called Tizen - I'm not thrilled by the idea.