Running Watch & Cardio Equipment
chris1988uk
Forumite 48 Posts
As the title says i'm looking at running watches and fitness equipment for cardio work.
I have recently started going to the gym, taking part in classes and I am planning on doing a marathon next year. What i'm finding if I can do the classes but I struggle to keep pace and run out of breath easy.
Because I'm quite new to all this fitness I'm looking for both advice of what I should be looking for and at an affordable price.
I have recently started going to the gym, taking part in classes and I am planning on doing a marathon next year. What i'm finding if I can do the classes but I struggle to keep pace and run out of breath easy.
Because I'm quite new to all this fitness I'm looking for both advice of what I should be looking for and at an affordable price.
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As Smartphones can do a lot in terms of tracking outdoor distances, Using a Smart Bluetooth Heart rate monitor along with a foot pod can track running intensity when used on an app such as Strava. Or fitbits combine the gadget with there own apps to upload and see results in..
A foot pod and a HR belt is going to cost in the region of £100 which is very poor value.
Phones will give you speed announcements etc, but I'd be wary of using them in the rain.
I have a Garmin Forerunner 110, I bought it just after Christmas from Sweatshop for £89.99 less a 20% discount code, so it was about £70. I think it was great value. It comes with Heart Rate Monitor. It's grey and pink, comes in black as well for men.
My husband was looking for one too (heart condition and wants to be more aware of heart rate while running, and also pace in min/km which I have been watching when running with him). He tends to go too fast and have to walk, and he's been told to keep his exercise comfortable and constant (so sprints and walks aren't best of him).
I use mine for a few reasons. I like to time my runs and record them and it's easier to carry than a phone! Also waterproof. I also like to see my pace at a glance, so I can see the min/km pace as I set it to km. This means at parkrun I can see if I'm going to get to my target time or not. Every km it also beeps and displays the time for that km, so at parkrun I'll be adding those and trying to keep each one under a certain amount if I want a pb. I sometimes use the heart rate monitor for awareness. Last week I had a cough and wanted to be sure I wasn't overdoing it. It also lets me know that I really am doing my best even though others can go twice as fast!!
So, up to you really! Maybe some of that will help. My husband's is a Garmin Forerunner 210, probably has a couple of other features. He got it on Amazon Prime deal the other week for £89.99. I think Sweatshop/Sportsdirect do it for the same price plus postage. The 110 and 210 are discontinued watches, from when they brought out the new 10 and 15. So you're getting them at a good price, but I think they have great features!
Good luck with your running. Try to gradually increase the length of your long runs and the weekly distance. A watch like this, for about £7, will be accurate enough for timing your runs.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-F-91W-1YER-Resin-Digital-Watch/dp/B000J34HN4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1438530731&sr=8-4&keywords=timex+watch
For me, the most important thing is that it tracks accurately, the second is that I can easily access the data, and the third is that is provides me with the information I need (HR, calories burnt, GPS tracking of my route, comparison to previous runs).
First and foremost, make sure you have decent running shoes before you buy any more kit!