First off…the featured image are images I got off of Google images (Apple & Amazon). Lord knows that isn’t my pace on the Forerunner. HA!
As I wait in queue for a Live Chat session on Fandago and kind of failing getting into this Valentine’s Day movie and trying not to get sucked into Hana Kimi (again), I decided I at least start this blog. It’s a topic that I’ve been meaning to blog about for awhile:
What’s better for a runner? A Garmin or the Apple Watch? Dun dun duuuuunnn.
When I started to train for my tri (not this last holiday season, but the one before that), I decided to purchase a Garmin Forerunner 220. The reason being that it offered more training options for running intervals and I could swim with it. Other than that, I really didn’t wear a watch a whole lot. The reason being I was always glued near my phone. Fast forward to July when the Apple watch got released to stores. My dad, being just as geeky as I am, went shopping pretty quick. He loves his gizmos just as much as I do. My parents surprised me at work with a pink sports Apple watch. It took me a bit to get used to it, but it is a fun piece of tech.
When I’m out and about with the Apple watch, I get asked a lot how I like the watch. I can’t help but be honest with them. It’s a fun toy, but I wouldn’t trade in my Garmin. I’ve read quite a few articles on the Apple watch from a runner’s POV and they all agree. If you run listening to music so your phone is on you, the Apple watch just might be for you. As someone who has had a boss texting like crazy while I’m out running a half marathon, I have this habit of running without my phone. Plus I’ve seen WAAAY too many people drop their phones on the asphalt. That’s why I loved the Garmin Forerunner, it doesn’t rely on a phone.
During the winter months, I will use the Apple Watch while I’m on the treadmill. I don’t really care about distance then. Now, I have tried to use the Apple watch outside. When you start up a workout on the Apple Watch, it will tell you it needs to sync up with your phone for the first time for the first 20 min of your run to give you a proper gauge on mileage. I’ve ignored all that and I can tell you that it does need it. It’s usually .25 mi to .5 mile off and says I’m going about a min or so faster than I know I am.
Another problem that has bugged some people, but not me as much. The battery life on the Apple Watch. You will have to charge it every night. Even if you don’t work out, it will probably need more juice. My Garmin has proven itself to hold up for a week even with a 20 miler thrown in. It’s pretty impressive the battery life on that sucker.
Now don’t get me wrong, the Apple Watch is pretty nifty. If my phone is plugged into the stereo, I can change the song using the watch. I can sometimes respond to text messages. Depending on how much I want to say. The “Hey Siri” function is a little fickle. I use both my watch and phone while cooking for timers. Like I said though, its a toy. And as one article said, it’s a two handed toy. I never thought of that before I read it.
On a nice little last note, I can use my watch when my phone has missing. Even when it’s on silent, the phone will send out a strong signal so I can find it. …like how my boyfriend just hide my phone five minutes ago.
In the end, I personally thing the Garmin is more worth the money. You can set workouts with it. The pace is more accurate. If you’re more of a casual runner who loves their phone and doesn’t need all the fancy running stuff, the Apple Watch might be a good option too.
Soo yea… there ya go. As usual, my thoughts are scattered. 🙂 Please excuse them.
Later gators!
CBloss