Garmin Forerunner
There are a number of outdoor sports and activities where a GPS unit could be very useful, helping you to stay on course when cycling or aiding you in locating your destination when cross-country skiing. Unfortunately, many GPS devices just seem to get in the way when you try to use them in conjunction with outdoor sports… you usually have to stop what you’re doing in order to get a reading, ruining your pace. The Garmin Forerunner has the solution to this problem, however; a wrist-mounted GPS unit with a number of added features to help you to get the most out of your training and outdoor sporting activities.
Though it is designed as a training tool, don’t let this cause you to think that your Garmin Forerunner isn’t going to be able to provide you with accurate location data. With an extended antenna concealed in the wrist strap, your Garmin Forerunner GPS is able to get a GPS signal in places where other wrist-mounted GPS devices might fail and will provide the accuracy that you would expect from a Garmin Forerunner watch. In addition to being able to give you current location data, the Garmin Forerunner can also help you to plot a course, specify specific destinations, and even find your way back to your starting point at a moment’s notice.
There are a number of additional features packed in to every Garmin Forerunner. You can receive accurate data in regards to your speed, the current time, how far you’ve traveled since leaving your starting point, and even the pace at which you’ve been traveling. Depending on the specific Garmin Forerunner model that you choose you can even get data on your heart rate so that you’ll know exactly how difficult your training has been. The Garmin Forerunner 305 and Garmin Forerunner 405 have heart rate monitors. Read our Garmin Forerunner review for more details.
Your Garmin Forerunner can also interface with your PC, letting you download your training data for use with the included analysis software or upload to the MotionBased.com website. This will allow you to analyze exactly which parts of your training were most difficult and which need further development. You can even review the courses that you’ve taken in order to map out your favorites for future use. This analysis will help you to not only improve your training routine but will also let you monitor your progress from one week to the next so that you can really watch all of your training pay off.