Race day is approaching (just 5 more days) and should you ask if me if I’m ready I’ll have to tell you “as ready as I am going to be”. Really… I don’t know how more ready I can get for this race. It will be my first half-marathon, my first time running a full 13.1 miles (I ran 13 miles just two weeks ago and thought I was going to die) and on top of it all: I will win a medal for my commitment on becoming a better runner. How awesome is that?
To not kill our vibe on race day, Hubby and I invested in what we’d like to think as the holy grail of elite runners… or just a timepiece. Say goodbye to the bulky “I have to hold this to calculate my run but it’s too much and I want my hands to be free while I run” situation aka the cell phone and HELLO to our new friend: The Garmin 610 Forerunner GPS Watch.
To be honest, I really have no idea what is considered “the best watch for a runner” or whatever. Yes, I read plenty of reviews before purchasing this one and I think it best suits what I wanted and needed: a handsfree way to map out and keep track of my runs. Simple as that.
Although this watch isn’t the newest in the Garmin family, that doesn’t keep the price from being a little on the higher side. At a whopping $399.99 (with the heart rate monitor), I found it quite a deal to find this watch on eBay as an eBay deal for half that price! I believe we paid $199 each for the watches!! They are refurbished (if that keeps you from buying) and I actually had an issue with the first watch I received but rest assure Garmin took care of the watch for me and it was replaced in no time (thanks for the excellent customer service)!
In the box, I received the following items:
- Forerunner 610 GPS watch
- Premium (soft strap) heart rate monitor
- AC charger
- Charging cradle
- USB ANT Stick
- Manuals
So far, everything is GREAT! I really love the fact that it is lightweight and fits my small wrist perfectly. It has a big, readable face and has so many options that I can’t even keep up. Maybe one day I’ll use more than the “history” and stop/start and reset button, but for now that’s really all that I need. I never really go out without the heart rate monitor which pushes me to push myself to heights that I have never crossed. It’s something about knowing you’re working hard and you’ve got that blood pumping all over your body – talk about INTENSE WORKOUT! Also, one of these days I will upload my runs onto garmin.com to keep up with them there… one day!
I discuss more specs and my feelings about the watch in this video:
That smile below? GENUINE! I am TOTALLY looking forward to race day and using this more and more in my upcoming trainings and runs!
How do you keep track of your runs and workouts?
