Applied Vitals

Building up to the ECOthon, I had borrowed a Garmin Forerunner 305 from a buddy for training.  I was blown away by how valuable it was to get real-time data while training.

I should back up a bit…  My training, right up until 3 weeks before the race, was pretty unregimented intentionally.  I wasn’t measuring my distance or calculating pace for the most part, just extending my total training time.

Once I started monitoring my pace, the game changed.  I improved my run and ride pace significantly over the first several training sessions.  During the 4 hour race, while my body was telling me lies, the tool was telling me that the ground wasn’t quite moving as fast as I thought.  I  put the pain aside until I got up to speed and then settled into the proper pace, despite my senses. Most of the competitors I crossed asked me for an update on distance covered or what pace we were keeping.

So I ended up buying the Forerunner 310XT because it’s the only wrist model from Garmin that is waterproof at the moment.  I really couldn’t be more impressed.  It’s more than just a waterproof version of the 305.  The firmware, modes, satellite acquisition and options are all much improved over the 305.

I also purchased the package deal containing the heart rate monitor.  If you’re not familiar with training against your heart rate, imagine driving a car without a tachometer. It gives you a true reading of what’s going on under the hood.

Recommended: YES

Garmin Forerunner 310XT product review video from GarminBlog on YouTube