Ok, someone tell me what the heck a Garmin is....slowly and clearly...

[BettysbOps]

Yes, I may sound thicker than a pan of overcooked porridge but I don’t know what the heck a Garmin is.

I’m graduating tomorrow and I swore to myself I wouldn’t start measuring times, distances, km/h etc until I got to the end of Week 9 with 2 legs intact.

Now I am about to graduate I want to take it to the next level by gradually increasing my distance (not to fussed about speed) week by week to get to 10k by the August Bank Holiday.

I need something, some kind of app that will enable me to tell me my distances – like Laura does on the C25K app but instead of her going “you’ve done 5 mins” I need someone to say “you’ve done 5km”.

So – what the heck is a Garmin, how does it work, can you hold it in your hand, and is it cheap?

Cheers united, any help is a big help

[Hidden]

You may not need one (it's a fancy watch with a GPS built in and it's an uber running gadget)... they range from about 70 to 300 quid.. so - no - not cheap...

Do you already run with a smartphone? If so, which one? There are many apps that would do what you want and I'm happy to help with my limited knowledge of them...

[BettysbOps Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Yeah, I have an iPhone4 (soon to go to an iPhone 5C) so if you know of anything that would help, and could potentially work with music I already have on my phone that would be awesome

[Hidden in reply to BettysbOps]

Look at RunKeeper and MapMyRun - both of them will provide audio cues based on time, distance and you can program intervals in as well. Both will work with your playlists on your phone...

Both have free versions that may have limited functionality but you can try them out before signing up to the "advanced features"...

[BettysbOps Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Oh wow, thank for the advice. I'm a bit technophobic but already using MapMyRun on the PC (just to see how far I got and plan future runs) so time to get with the programme and download the app. Cheers!

[Hidden in reply to BettysbOps]

So - the MapMyRun app will link with your profile on your PC... it's all pretty simple...

[dottiemay Graduate]

Garmins are GPS (satellite navigation) watches that measure time, distance, pace, calories and so on, depending on the model. The prices can vary quite a bit from seller to seller so some research is vital.

Google Garmin FR10, FR15, FR110 - these are the basic models and do slightly different things. You need to sign up to Garmin Connect to upload the date which shows you all the stats you need or want to know about your run, plotted onto a map, although you can just read it off the watch if you want to. It's all pretty straightforward.

But like aussie says, if you already run with a smartphone, you might do just as well sticking with that. I don't own one and would have to wear my glasses to read it anyway, so my Garmin 110 is perfect for me!

[misswobble Graduate]

i still need specs to see the garmin 10! I park my specs on top of my head but when I need to read the Garmin they're usually steamed up. Bit of wiping on my tee shirt is all that's needed. I treated myself to the Garmin when I graduated. Glad I did as I love it but it you have the smart phone you might as well use that as it will be just as good, if not better if you have the vocal cue. Enjoy yourself out there. If you want to run 10 k then you'll need a bit of other training to build you up for the longer distance. Swimming, walking, cycling, yoga, bit of strength training too. I use Jillian Michaels DVDs

Have a great time, but do take care

[Oldgirl Graduate]

I like iSmoothRun.com on my iPhone, it give loads of stats, speaks to you while your running telling you distance/speed/cadence and masses more. Only cost £2.99 if I remember right. Would never have bought a Garmin in the first place had I known about this and had my new phone then. I can't see all the info on my Garmin FR110 either, so its sat in a drawer for months now.

[Hidden in reply to Oldgirl]

I have heard good things about iSmoothRun too... there are some pretty decent apps now that are really starting to challenge the likes of Garmin...

[BettysbOps Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

Thanks OldGirl! I'll give this and MMR a whirl. The iSmooth sounds good cos of the continuous chatting but MMR sounds good as you can overlay music. Let the battle of the apps commence!!

[Hidden in reply to BettysbOps]

Also try Endomondo - its free and includes audio coaching...

[Oldgirl Graduate in reply to BettysbOps]

You have the option to play your own playlist or no music and the times/distance/cadence breaks into it whenever you reach your set times etc. You can even set it to run against your previous best run, not tried it yet but again it will probably tell you if you need to speed up or if your ahead of past times.

[BettysbOps Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

You guys are boss xx

[Oldgirl Graduate]

This App link will give you an insight into iSmootRun iphone.appstorm.net/reviews...