Last week, Paul found my Garmin! He didn't tell me he found it until the next day when I asked him if I could borrow his Garmin for the Baltimore Marathon Relay and he replied, "Well... look what I found when I was mowing the lawn..."
... And then he whipped out MY GARMIN!
When he said he found my Garmin while mowing the lawn, I instantly remembered what happened to it and why it was out there.
You know how the strap is broken so I have to carry it? Well sometimes it shits the bed, so I just chuck it into the yard when I run past my house. I fully intend to get it after my run, but this one time I forgot! So it was just out in my yard for three weeks until Paul finally mowed the lawn!
It "works" like it worked before, but the other strap broke off it too. I think Paul ran over it with the mower. I am getting a new one because this one is old, loses battery quickly, and doesn't always find satellites.
I found two in my price range. They are the Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35. I initially decided for the $30 extra dollars, I would like the Forerunner 35 since it can track your heart rate just by wearing it on your wrist, whereas the 25 you need the chest strap. Maybe I will get into heart rate monitoring now??? It will be interesting to see who makes my heart rate go up more... Kindergarten or first grade!? Bwahahaha!!!!
I didn't order the Garmin right away because it is a big purchase I wanted to think about. Then over the weekend I spent time with some running bloggers and Lacey @ Fairytales and Fitness showed me her Garmin, which was a Garmin Forerunner 235. So I got sort of interested in what that one does... It was a lot more money but had all kinds of perks. Color screen, counting steps, tracking sleep, and like a million other things. But do I need all of that stuff!? I looked online and it looked really cool...
BUT DO I NEED ALL OF THAT STUFF???? It's $329... a lot more than the 35...
When I first wrote this post, I was going to get the 35. Then after the weekend I decided hmmm maybe the 235. After sleeping on it, I realized I don't like to have expensive things because I'm afraid I'll lose them, so maybe the 35 is more my thing...
Which one should I get??? 35 or 235?
What model GPS do you have and what do you like about it?
Early bets- K or 1st to make my heart rate go up the most!?
Early bets- K or 1st to make my heart rate go up the most!?
This is a tough call! I still use the Forerunner 10 because it's simple and does want I want it to do. By the time I need a new one they probably won't make this one anymore..haha. Let us know what you decide! -M
ReplyDeleteYeah they definitely don't make mine anymore, but I found it on Amazon!
DeleteThe 230s are pretty cool! I would pick the 235, because it has more features, and because it's round.
ReplyDeleteI have the 230, and I really like it. It has an activity tracker, I can set up intervals in it, it can track bike rides. It also keeps my monthly and weekly distances. If I connect it to my phone, I can also get notifications, but I rarely ever do that.
I think Kindergarten would make your heart rate go up the most.
Does it track your sleep?
DeleteYes, it does. It also tracks the elevations of my run, that has become on of the things I like to look at after a run.
DeleteI guess the downside is the HR is a chest strap.
DeleteYes, but I don't always run with it, only when I race or I need to do an easy run. The strap chafes when it's hot outside. If you want to see your heart rate though the day, I would recommend the 235.
DeleteThe 230 also shows the weather, calendar and notifications, as long as the blue tooth is connected to the app and phone, but it drains the battery for both faster. I assume it would be the same with the 235. If you want to look at them, check out Fleet Feet, and if you decide you want to get it there, I have a $10 coupon you can have.
Thank you so much. That is a lot of good food for thought.
DeleteIf it helps you decide, there is a Groupon for the 230 that I saw this morning: https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-garmin-forerunner-230-gps-running-watches-1
ReplyDeleteDo you have a 230?
DeleteI almost went with the 235, but I don't track my heart rate, and I got the 230 instead. It requires a chest strap to track my HR, but I can decide on that later. I'm loving the bigger screen, and extra stats. I did so some price comparison, and found a good deal.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I did not realize there was a 230... I like it except for the chest strap.
DeleteA new Garmin! Well, this has been on my mind for awhile except I want the multi-sport Garmin and it's super expensive! Right now I cannot really justify it because I have a Foreunner 10 (very old) that tracks miles and time (other things too that I NEVER pay attention to) and I have a Garmin swim (again, all I really want to know is how far did I go in a certain time...it tracks things I don't even know what they are!!). As for the HR tracker. I actually want chest strap because I hear they are much more accurate. For months, I have been thinking of trying HR training (I know I run in the "gray" zone where it is not slow enough to be considered EASY but it's not fast enough to be considered "SPEED"...and I think always being in that zone makes it hard to make improvements). So, I guess I can't really help you because I am in the same situation...but I will say "think about how you actually will use it" and only buy what you need.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point. I need to look at the specs of each and circle what I will actually use. I will be honest, I do like how the 235 showed me the weather but... there are other ways to find out the weather. :) Are you going to treat yourself to a multi sport watch?
DeleteI think I might ... someday!
DeleteI have a Garmin Vivoactive, and I like it a lot. It has a HR monitor (chest strap), it is inconvenient, and I do not use it. However, if I had wrist monitor, I still don't think I would use the info. Things I find useful: the activity tracker/steps, sleep tracker, text notifications, multisport tracker, elevation, and auto upload to my phone. If I purchased a new Garmin or something like it, I would want those features, with the addition of a true altimeter. I would also prefer a circular watch face (it makes taking layers on and off easier), a bit more screen contrast. Ultimately, decide how much info you want to be able to use...I like data, but too much makes my head spin!!
ReplyDeleteI had to google what an altimeter is! I have seen many people mention they prefer the circular watch face. I never really thought about that when looking at the Garmins. The screen contrast is another good point... hmmm so much to think about and thankful for your thoughts!
DeleteWell, I have the 235 and it's one of the best things I ever owned. Period. I really love that it has the heartrate monitor built in on the wrist and all its other perks. If you can wait a little while, you might be able to snag a deal around Black Friday... I got mine for less than $250.
ReplyDelete