If you are looking for the best handheld navigation for runners (or bikers), then you should consider the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor. The entire Forerunner series from Garmin provides everyone who trains outdoor with real-time information about speed, distance, and heart rate. It provides many useful features, including auto-lap, pause, learn, scroll; training assistant tools, and various alerts.
Especially, you may find the virtual running partner feature to be a great motivator. How else can you get a running partner to start the run at the same time and place as you and to run at a constant pre-set pace?
All that data is presented on a single device with an easy to read display. Sure, it is considerably larger than your average sports watch, but with all the features it provides - nobody should complain. It truly is an amazing piece of equipment, even though it does have some kinks.
Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver: Training Functions
The 305 is first and foremost a training tool, and its ability to organize a ton of data types into a user experience that is intuitive and simple is no small feat. Whiz-bang technology aside, if you can’t use it and make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it’s worthless. When it comes to these factors — and here’s the take home message on the 305 — this device is successful where many other devices fail.
The heart and soul of the 305 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes. The 305 adds the ability to track heart rate, lap heart rate, average heart-rate, and heart-rate zones via the included coded heart rate chest strap. With the purchase of a separate wireless cadence and speed meter, you can also track bike performance data.
Thankfully, the device makes it easy to define how much or how little data you want to view during a workout. You can arrange the data that’s most important to you and then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, within a few minutes of skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you’ll have your most important data displaying just the way you like it. The ability to display heart-rate is a big plus, too, as it’s a fairly good indicator of exercise output, fatigue, and fitness level. The 305 has all the heart-rate functions you’d expect from a full-function monitor, including the ability to set target zones and alerts to maximize the effectiveness of your workouts.
Garmin’s Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous Forerunners and they’ve decided to keep a good thing going with the 305. If you’re the type that performs best when you’ve got a competitor egging you on, you’ll love this function, as it allows you to set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.
If you’re looking for an complicated workout with a variety of intervals and intensity levels, or just a quick three-mile jog against your best time last week, the 305 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: Quick Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A quick workout is just that; set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and pace of your planned workout and off you go. Interval workouts are just the same, but they allow you to add repetitions and rest between them. When you really want to get fancy with your exercise, you can step up to advanced workouts, which include goals for each workout step, as well as varied distances, times, and rest periods. You can use the Garmin Training Center software to set up these workouts and then upload them to the device.
Amazon.com: Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor: Electronics
View Garmin’s Forerunner demonstration video.
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If you are looking to purchase a portable GPS system, read more about Portable GPS handheld systems and What’s the right GPS device for your needs?. You may also like to read more about GPS running watch.