Looking for a decent running watch

[abpanther]

Just getting back into running, don't wanna spend too much on it, just a digital watch with maybe a heart rate monitor, anyone bought one recently? What's good value or the best place to shop?

Thanks

 

[Thomas]

Generally you get what you pay for.

I don't have one, yet, but a guy I run with has a Garmin. A bit exxy (around $350) but superb. Measures heart rate, cadence, GPS and has all the bells and whistles. The output it generates is awesome. You can really track your runs and see where you start to falter etc. I looked at his marathon stats and you can see where he hits the wall at the 36km mark.

I'm probably going to get one of these.

 

[sooperdooper]

check E-Bay... great spot to shop for watches etc

 

[Jimbo]

I bought a Polar RS300X a couple of weeks ago to replace my old F11 which was getting a bit tired. I bought it at Rebel Sport for $237.50 (5% MBF discount), and I'm very happy

Data recording and recall is great, as is the weekly fitness test. They've also moved the start button from the side to the top of the watch, which means you're not going to accidentally start a training session from bumping the start button with the top of your hand. There is nothing more annoying than looking to see what the time is, and finding your watch has been recording nothing for an hour and a half...

You can also get a GPS attachment for your shoe if you want, but it's an additional option. I haven't bothered yet, but might in the future

Be careful buying through eBay though, because you probably won't get a warranty

 

[Danish]

do you have an iphone by any chance??

Nike sell an app for $2.50 which tracks your pace and routes via GPS. Its what I use and works a treat thus far. Has some wanky features (announcing your runs on facebook and cheering in your ears whenever someone "likes" it :lol but overall a great program for the ridiculously low price.

Doesn't monitor heart rate obviously but you can pick up a heart rate monitor pretty cheaply these days.

 

[Thomas]

I have both Sportstracker and Cardiotrainer for Android on my Samsung phone. Both great programs which interface well with the PC. My only gripe is that the GPS isn't all that reliable.