Whether it be a Garmin, TomTom, Apple, Fitbit, or whatever, is beside the point. Advancements in technology have given us access to a lot of information. The value of that information is dependent on what you do with it.
In general, these wrist watches provide features including GPS (which tracks mileage and pace), step-counters, interval-timers, and heart rate monitoring. Some advanced editions include weather, text messaging, and VO2max. The watch stores your information including the farthest run and fastest mile. Your workout can be uploaded to a computer and graphed out over time.
They sound pretty fancy, but do we really need all this information attached to our wrist? I’ve been wearing a Garmin Forerunner for about 10 months now. Although I am no expert (I only use the most basic features), I can shed light on who this watch would and wouldn’t benefit.
The Casual Athlete
By “casual athlete” I am referring to those of us who value fitness and enjoy playing sports. This person is not necessarily training to compete at an elite level, although they may have entered some type of competition for the sake of enjoyment or motivation. Their primary goal is health and wellbeing.
Most of my watch-wearing time has been spent in this phase. I’ve stepped away from professional athletics in order to heal an injury and start a family. Although easy “fluff” workouts aren’t really my thing, I am not training for anything specific. My mindset is ‘listen to my body, push hard when I feel good, don’t over-do anything’. If you can relate, this watch is for you. Here’s why:
1. The mileage counter and pace tracker
As a casual athlete, I’ve found myself doing new activities such as long runs. On these distance runs, it’s been entertaining to observe my pace improvements (and drop-offs throughout pregnancy). While my competitive itch isn’t being scratched via track meets, I am able to compete against my own times and distances. Since I have no aspirations to be an elite distance runner, the personal competition can stay friendly rather than becoming a grueling, intense battle every time I tie my shoes.
Prior to having this watch, I would drive out a route in my car in order to calculate distance. Then I would divide my overall time by the number of miles in order to figure out my pace. It worked, but it’s taken significantly less prep-time with the watch. I can add more variety to my routes and make in-the-moment changes while still gleaning accurate information.
Finally, rather than just seeing a total average, I can see when I am moving fastest and slowest. Is each mile getting faster? Am I fading at the end? Am I zoning out in the middle? That information helps me make adjustments for future runs.
2. The step-counter
Although my obsessive personality likes to take on the challenge of beating my average number of steps EVERY DAY, the step-counter has been more valuable than harmful. I aim to vary the intensities of my workouts throughout the week, but I always like to do something active. The step counter is motivation to get outside and walk instead of sitting on the couch.
As painful as it may be, the step-counter also helps me moderate my rest days. On certain days of the week, I try to stay below my average in order to let the body regenerate. For somebody who struggles to back off, this can be a helpful way to ensure you do chill out. For somebody who struggles to put in the work, this watch can be a motivator.
The watch provides an average step count, which adjusts based on daily numbers. It’s cool to watch the average go up, but it also challenges you to increase your activity. Again, this may be great for a casual athlete who is trying to get back in shape. Reversely, it’s painful to watch your average count go down. My recommendation is to take averages for what they are…averages. It’s okay that it goes up and down as long as you don’t take major swings.
Words to the wise: Don’t turn your watch off in the middle of the day. You will lose all your steps!
3. Interval-timers
Hey, casual athlete! You have the option of mixing up your workout whenever you feel like it. Since nobody is writing your training, you can get creative. The watch will act as a timer for you. You can set the “on” time/distance and the “rest” time/distance. You can even mix and match time with distance. For example, your watch can tell you when you’ve run 400 meters and then let you rest for 2 minutes. It will record your pace for both the on and rest periods.
4. Heart-rate monitor
Some of these watches read your heart rate from the wrist while others require a chest-strap. Wrist-readers are very inaccurate. While the chest-straps are more accurate, I would still interpret results with a grain-of-salt.
My 50-year old Dad was being told his heart rate was 195 beats/minute as we walked around the neighborhood (not with a Garmin). Have a little background knowledge about heart rates and intensities so you call out B.S. Don’t be afraid to just check your pulse for 6 seconds and multiply by 10.
In spite of the inaccuracies, it can be amusing to observe your heart rate changes throughout a workout. What paces spike your heart rates? How fast are you recovering?
Warnings for the casual athlete:
1. Don’t spend your life savings
Look, these watches can get pricey. If you are going to invest, get a good quality one without paying a ton for the extra features. It would be a bummer to get one without an accurate GPS. It’d be even worse to pay a fortune for features you can’t even figure out how to work.
2. Don’t link your phone to your watch
One huge benefit of exercise is that it’s a stress-reliever and energizer. Don’t spend your workout time getting all your work emails and text messages. It’s good to be away from your phone for a while.
The Endurance Athlete
As you are logging miles on end, it’s nice to be able to have this information so easily accessible. Last summer, I coached a cross country team. Most of the athletes had their own GPS watch. After half of a season of running with them, I was convinced I needed one too. I loved it.
Athletes need to know their body, but this watch helped me see how fatigue, heat, and terrain impacted my performance. Instead of comparing myself to the other runners, I could compare myself to myself! I found that much more beneficial.
Here’s another perk. As a female runner, sometimes it’s a little nerve-wracking to be on a trail alone. If I ever encountered a dangerous person, my plan was to pretend that the watch did have cell phone capabilities in order to scare them off. I don’t recommend using your watch as a safety net. I was running in safe places, so it really was only for the sake of my own comfort.
The caveat is this: you have to be able to take your watch off. Some days you just don’t need to know your pace or distance. If you can’t do your training without it, it’s time to reevaluate your practice mentality.
The Team Sport Athlete
Many team sports involve a conditioning component. Depending on the structure of your team, the watch may or may not be beneficial. If you have freedom in your conditioning routine, enjoy the watch. If your team has a very specific protocol, go get a $15 watch from Target instead.
I’ve been on teams where the coach expects you to condition on your own time. In those cases, the watch has similar benefits to you as it does for the casual athlete. The difference is that you should use your watch to stay within certain ranges rather than always trying to go farther and faster. “Farther and faster” mentality can take you away from the purpose of your conditioning.
In other cases, the team conditions together. In this situation, listen to the leader (coach, conditioning coordination, strength coach, etc.). They will typically be intently monitoring rest times, efforts, and volumes. The watch only gets in the way of trusting your coach.
The Power Athlete
Avoid the watch! As a power athlete, you really shouldn’t be concerned about any of the features that the watch has to offer (other than time itself). Avoid the temptation to track steps and mileage. This only takes away from your power.
You are stressing your body in a way that the watch cannot calculate. It won’t know how much weight you lifted or how hard you swung the bat. Save your money.
In conclusion
Should you buy a Garmin? It depends on your goals. If you are an endurance athlete or casual athlete, you may enjoy the information that the watch can provide. As a power athlete, it really doesn’t benefit you.
Nobody NEEDS a fancy watch. Training is training, whether you have the extra data or not. If you decide to buy one, make sure you don’t lose the ability to listen to your body. Keep your competitive nature in check. Enjoy the new information, but use it wisely!
