ipod, Polar, Garmin..etc. what is the best for beginner runner?

6 Comments

1. banjaxed says:

   April 5, 2010 at 5:02 pm

   navman makes a great exercise GPS , I use one for walking
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2. I_know_all says:

   April 5, 2010 at 5:29 pm

   Its just so much easier to get on a treadmill and run. Most treadmills have built in personal trainers. If your like me and cant stand treadmills then just run outside. Dont carry any fancy equipment. You dont need it unless your going hiking in the woods or something. If your just trying to loose weight or just keep fit, just run for about 5-7 miles daily (not too hard), or you can do a hard 2 mile run.
   References :
3. hilltopper495 says:

   April 5, 2010 at 5:56 pm

   i use the Garmin forerunner 301 its great and easy to use.
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4. thecrazyone says:

   April 5, 2010 at 6:26 pm

   POLAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   just get one of the simpler ones and they are awsome!!

   get one with the wearlink system cause u want the least amount of plastic on your skin cause you’ll get blisters.
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5. Sam says:

   April 5, 2010 at 6:58 pm

   I run about 3 marathons a year, and I never use a heart rate monitor (HRM). Like you said, it is inconvenient to wear, and the strapless version is often inaccurate. Also, it seems like a lot of unnecessary information. A few of my running buddies get the HRM’s, but they often stop using them or ignore the results after a while. If you see full or half marathon runners, I estimate that only about 5% or less use HRM regularly. Oftentimes, they’re the ones finishing towards the end..

   Personally, the information that I am most interested in are the distance that I ran, the elevation profile of my run, and the pace (overall average and broken up into 1 mile intervals). You can get that information for the Garmin Forerunner 205 ($250), and I love it.

   If you already have an iPod Nano ($30), the Nike+ also provides the same features, and they are surprisingly accurate enough to have comparable results to the GPS. Plus the price tag is very, very appealing.
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6. Chompiras says:

   April 5, 2010 at 7:24 pm

   The iPod Nano is excellent for running. There’s nothing wrong with running with music, and it’s great because it can give you more motivation. You can also use it with the Nike + iPod which has many good features. It can give you your mile splits and I believe you can synch your times to your computer.

   I don’t think you should run with any of the hard drive based MP3 players (such as the iPod Video) because not only are they bulkier, but running could damage the hard drive and other components.

   I have never used the Garmins, but I don’t think they are worth your money. They are bulky, and if you want to know the distance of a certain course you can just go on USATF’s America’s Running Routes website to map any course in the US. It is very accurate, and it is powered by Google’s maps.

   Also, if you plan to run with an MP3 player make sure that you don’t use earbuds because you will find that they will start sliding off your ears once you begin sweating. You can get light headphones at any electronics store. I would recommend visiting your local Apple Store.
   References :
   Map A Course: http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/
   iPod Nano: http://www.amazon.com/Nike-iPod-Sport-MA365LL-B/dp/B000JVFKH8/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0270372-2452427?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1180377586&sr=8-1
   Nike + Ipod: http://www.amazon.com/Nike-iPod-Sport-MA365LL-B/dp/B000JVFKH8/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0270372-2452427?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1180377586&sr=8-1