Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[flat29]

If she's using it for basic runs and daily tracking then the Tom Tom Spark is a great watch. The music and headphones make an excellent package and there are other nice motivation features, like virtual racer (as opposed to virtual pacer) which you'll only find in the 6xx and higher Garmins.

 

Where Garmin really jumps ahead of the pack is the custom apps that can be installed for free from their 'store'. The customised running screens, pacers, etc. make it a much more runner oriented watch. Note that you can't customise your data screens at all on the Tom Tom. However, the Connect IQ (the custom installable apps) feature isn't available on the FR35 as far as I'm aware.

 

I've found that the Garmin and the Tom Tom are pretty close in terms off around 10 hour activity recording battery life. You'll maximise it by turning off Bluetooth and even more so if you turn off HR. Both watches can synch to Strava automatically and both are recognised by Discovery Vitality, if you use it.

 

I don't know anything about Fitbit so can't comment on that.

 

So out of the watches you mentioned I personally think the Tom Tom offers more at better value. From the FR235 and up, however, Garmin is streets ahead.

 

My watch to wait for will be the Garmin 645. It looks like everything I've loved about my 235 but with the features I'm jealous of, like music, waypoints and Strava Live.

thanks for the info man

[CobusV]

I have a first generation DomTom that I bought for 1k from Makro on special. It is the one with the useless inaccurate wrist based HR monitor that I'm not really bothered with. My thinking was: If lasts me a year then super. More than that is a bargain. When it eventually breaks (the watch itself or the unobtainable wristband) I will replace it with a new old generation watch, i.e. Suunto Ambit.... I don't really need a fancy watch to tell my I'm slow - or injured for that matter.

[dave303e]

I have finally got a gps running watch(yes the map maker and geographical info specialist ran without a gps watch). I went with a Suunto Spartan Trainer, enjoying it a lot so far, great specs for the price IMO...

[Khronis]

I've got the garmin FR25 but am going to need something that will have enough battery life for comrades.

 

Anyone know how the battery life on the Suunto Ambit3 Sport HR  compared to the Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR is ?

 

[Lexx]

If you set the GPS Setting to every 5sec it should last about 14h or more.

[Andrew Steer]

Having convinced myself I had entered all my main races for the start of this year, it seems I didn't enter Johnsons or Pick n Pay - if anyone see's a spare entry going, please keep me in mind   

Did a few trots over the holidays, but gave myself a good rest with the plan of a proper push onwards from here til June - time to get training!

 

[Andrew Steer]

The Vaal sufferfest will be my first attempt at a marafun.

Not chasing a time, only a finish.

That's a good choice for your first one... nice easy route in my books.

I'll see you there 

[Pieter-za]

I've got the garmin FR25 but am going to need something that will have enough battery life for comrades.

 

Anyone know how the battery life on the Suunto Ambit3 Sport HR  compared to the Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR is ?

I got exactly 10:05 on Comrades out of my Ambit 3 Sport while wearing the HRM strap.  (On 'Best' GPS recording setting. )

 

I am still experimenting with my SST, can update as I go along  (Claimed 10h in best, but also option to switch off display etc which will extent battery. 

http://www.suunto.com/News/suunto-introduces-spartan-sport-wrist-hr-baro/

Spartan Trainer Wrist HR: 16 hours (1-sec. GPS fix with power-saving options); 30 hours with 1-min. GPS fix

If you set GPS to 'Good' it should be OK.  I have played around with track logs and you don't really loose significant distance on a point-to-point route on this setting)

Edited January 11, 2018 by Pieter-za

[Khronis]

Having convinced myself I had entered all my main races for the start of this year, it seems I didn't enter Johnsons or Pick n Pay - if anyone see's a spare entry going, please keep me in mind   

 

Did a few trots over the holidays, but gave myself a good rest with the plan of a proper push onwards from here til June - time to get training!

 

 

 

I might have a PnP Half Marathon entry for you. I'm in two minds as to which marathon I must  do as my qualifier , either Sasol Secunda which is on the 10 Feb (day before PnP) or the Vaal.

 

Will let you know closer to the time if you haven't managed to get one.

[Andrew Steer]

Suunto in my experience are great products (had the Peak Sapphie for a year odd), maybe not as swanky and mainstream as the Garmins, but at current pricing they are great value. The Spartan series was a bit of a mess when launched, it simply wasn't ready for market (probably rushed due to the pressure of the market share being gulped up by the Fenix range) but it seems they are back on top of things. 

[Andrew Steer]

I might have a PnP Half Marathon entry for you. I'm in two minds as to which marathon I must  do as my qualifier , either Sasol Secunda which is on the 10 Feb (day before PnP) or the Vaal.

 

Will let you know closer to the time if you haven't managed to get one.

Thanks, that would be awesome 

[Frosty]

For people to figure how slow a slow run should be, try using the Jack Daniels (Not the whiskey! ) (running) VDOT Calculator.

 

Use your current best pace (not ever fastest, not last years miracle fast run, nor your intended/target/goal pace!)

Lots of people make the mistake of thinking they want to train to run a 4min/km 10km or whatever pace/distance, and start by running at that pace over shorter distances, thinking they can increase the distance they can keep the pace as they get fitter.... Hello INJURY!

 

A copy of Jack Daniel's (click to read up on him) VDOT calculator can be found at runsmartproject.

 

For example, a current best time of 2:06:35 on a 1/2 marathon (6minutes/km pace) will render the following training paces: (There are specific meaning and percentages of total training attached to Repetition / Interval / Threshold, but I'm too lazy to go fetch my book with all this stuff in

vdot6minpace21km.jpg

Interesting, thanks for the link.

 

I’m into my 5th week (of 14 weeks) to be able to run a 10km, and have been plodding along at 5:30/km on the run intervals and 8:00/km on the recovery (walks for now).

 

If I apply the app’s data, my goal is to run a 10km in 59:59 (or slightly quicker). Intervals/Reps are my runs which is quite close, but my walks are slower than the recovery pace.

 

The app I’m using, and this app are fairly close in terms of pace required for each workout... so happiness that I feel as good about my progress as the stats show.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Khronis]

I got exactly 10:05 on Comrades out of my Ambit 3 Sport while wearing the HRM strap.  (On 'Best' GPS recording setting. )

 

I am still experimenting with my SST, can update as I go along  (Claimed 10h in best, but also option to switch off display etc which will extent battery. 

http://www.suunto.com/News/suunto-introduces-spartan-sport-wrist-hr-baro/

If you set GPS to 'Good' it should be OK.  I have played around with track logs and you don't really loose significant distance on a point-to-point route on this setting)

 

I'm not familiar with all the different gps settings as the FR25 doesn't have any as far as I know. Does setting it on the lower options make it less accurate ?

 

Does the suunto app also upload automatically to strava ?

Edited January 11, 2018 by Khronis

[Stretch]

I'm not familiar with all the different gps settings as the FR25 doesn't have any as far as I know. Does setting it on the lower options make it less accurate ?

 

Does the suunto app also upload automatically to strava ?

You can setup the fr25 to use the Russian satellites too.. This will improve accuracy but easy your battery. I don't think you can do much else except turn off Bluetooth. My fr250 had plenty of juice left after comrades... But I didn't use HRM

[Pieter-za]

I'm not familiar with all the different gps settings as the FR25 doesn't have any as far as I know. Does setting it on the lower options make it less accurate ?

 

Does the suunto app also upload automatically to strava ?

It does decrease the accuracy a bit (depending on the route, more accurate from A to B than on route with lots of sharp turns and switchbacks) as the GPS logging / recording interval is extended. 

 

(So a  90km Comrades in 11:30 with recording interval of 20 sec will record a plot every ~45m or so, in theory.)

 

Yes - Suunto syncs to the Movescount platform (same as Garmin to Connect, Polar to Flow etc), and you can configure Movescount to automatically sync to Strava in turn in the background.

 

E.g. from the SST User Guide:

Edited January 11, 2018 by Pieter-za

[Lexx]

You can setup the fr25 to use the Russian satellites too.. This will improve accuracy but easy your battery. I don't think you can do much else except turn off Bluetooth. My fr250 had plenty of juice left after comrades... But I didn't use HRM

Please don't set it up like that. Otherwise Robert Mueller will investigate you as well..