That`s some long winded & detailed review Lyn.

I think he liked it...................

Yeah, I tried to print some of it....big mistake! (at work)

I think I am persuaded, but I'm off to Pamplona next week to visit my sister (faster than me), so don't want to order until I'm back at home, normally the postman puts things through the cat flap, but don't want to risk it.

Baggy


DO IT DO IT

Get one you won't be dissapointed

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A loser is not the one who runs last in the race. It's the one who sits and watches and who has never tried to run.
Bird in Boots Oh what have I done FLM09

ok.....persuaded, mine will work better than Dave's anyway!!!!!

I've got a newly-acquired Garmin 201 as of my birthday. I'm well pleased with it - especially being able to load your last run on to Google Earth and view your route! I use it with the Garmin Training Centre software and the little details it records throughout are fascinating. I've yet to use the training partner feature, but I will do. GPS is great, makes the whole running thing interesting and does motivate.

How sad that people feel the need to strap a computer to their wrist to make their run 'interesting'

If you haven't got anything nice to say don't bother saying anything at all, how people are motivated to run is entirely their option, but I take offence at being considered sad...

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A loser is not the one who runs last in the race. It's the one who sits and watches and who has never tried to run.
Bird in Boots Oh what have I done FLM09

TT, you always have nice things to say

Recieved the 205 yesterday.

Havn`t had a chance to test it properly yet.

1st impressions are good.Played around with it for awhile this morning,and look forward to using it on a run this evening.

Steepler, I guess you do not embrace technology as a tool to enchance certain experiences, what is wrong with using one of these devices if the 'person' in question finds it useful? and interesting, I'm sure many top sportsmen use many technical tools / gadgets to give them an edge over the rest.

Just out of interest, do you own a mobile phone ?

he he...if gadgets are sad, I must be the saddest of all, I use my pocket pc, strapped up in a bumbag, loaded up with GPS and the brilliant software run.gps to monitor my running, plot the route on google maps and allow me to have a breakdown of every 5 seconds, altitude, speed, pace, distance and loads more, I can even upload and share my runs with others...

I find that I forget that I have it strapped in my bag, I enjoy the run like anyone would enjoy a run, the air, the south Downs wind and rain, the birds, the mud....

then when I get home, I can see just how slow I run....

I suppose these gadgets aren't essential to our runs - we wouldn't stop running if the all blew up but they make the post run analysis more fun.

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Run Eddie Run

Hey, calm down TT. Steepler didn't say YOU were sad. Perhaps he could have chosen a more appropriate word though? As you'll have gathered from previous posts, in my dotage I'm all for keeping things simple, one reason being it takes ages for my old brain to get the hang of modern gadgets!
Because of my habit of taking off into the mountains on solo walks, concerned friends and relations insisted I purchase a 'mobile' to carry in case of emergency. Three years ago, before embarking on yet another Scottish coast to coast walk, I reluctantly succumbed to their pressure and bought a PAYG thingy with all sorts of functions I'll never understand. But whether at home or in the hills it's only there for emergency use. I keep it charged and switched on but hardly ever use it. Mobiles, along with other people's annoying 'personal' stereos, that jangle and aren't really personal at all, are among my pet hates! Having said that, I have my own MP3 player which I use on weekly commutings but would never dream of using it if I thought others could hear it.
Similarly, when I found one going cheap, I bought a Garmin Etrex to assist in navigation when crossing high and remote country, often in thick cloud. Again, it will plot routes, mark waypoints, tell me which way to go and goodness knows what besides, but all I've learnt to do is switch it on to get a Grid reference on rare occasions when I wander off route! That's all I need it for. I'd never dream of feeding my route into it and walking the whole day gazing at the thing in my hand while it told me which way to go and where to turn.
These things have their place but when I go for a run they're the farthest things from my mind. Indeed, I run to get away from such things. I like the freedom of the countryside and all it has to offer, freedom from encumbrances, to feel the joy and satisfaction derived from the rhythms of my own body when I'm running well. I don't want to be linked to gadgets and find it 'strange' that others should. Perhaps that's what Steepler was trying to say.
Now then TT - don't accuse me of calling you strange!!!!
By the way I came across a new signature for you - VIS EX MONTIBUS VENIT - meaning Strength comes from the hills.

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Give me the hills!

Directly or indirectly Steepler referred to people using such gadgets as sad, which I still take offence to whether his word choice could have been better or not.

Just because he doesn't use them, it doesn't mean that no one else should either!

Whether your're technically minded or not, what ever gets you out that front door and running is really all that matters, and if having a watch which gives you a breakdown of how well you have done or not in some cases, it works as a tool to help improve you and keep enthusiasm up.

As Captain Calamity has already said you forget its there and still enjoy your run regardless of whether you are pounding the streets, in a race or in the middle of nowhere.

There have been times when I have felt like I have had a bad run, but upon looking at my watch afterwards, it shows that I haven't. This is good for physcological reasons and as running can be just as hard mentally as physically, it's good to get all the help you can.

Wearing a gadget is hardly a hinderance, is it?

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A loser is not the one who runs last in the race. It's the one who sits and watches and who has never tried to run.
Bird in Boots Oh what have I done FLM09

I agree with you entirely. Well, almost - except where you say he refers to you as sad. He doesn't. If he'd put 'strange' instead of 'sad' in that sentence you wouldn't have thought he was calling you strange! It's the idea he was referring to, so you shouldn't take it personally. Goodness knows why I'm sticking up for Steepler. He's faster than me!
Cheers!

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Give me the hills!