garmin 305

so i just picked up a garmin 305, and i have to say... It Is Rad. I chose the 305 because of the voluminous great reviews and its popularity among folks over at runnersworld.com forums. first and foremost i wanted a heart rate monitor, but i also wanted it to record my heart rate constantly and upload that data onto my computer. most of the entry-level HRMs only display average heart rate, max heart rate, and elapsed workout time and no option to upload. the 305 is one of most inexpensive options available. it has loads of other features that were on my non-essential feature wish-list. some of my favorites are:

-auto split marker by the mile
-distance calculation
-route tracking
-heart rate max/min alerts

despite being ugly, it is an amazing tool. i like the mapping aspect and ability to create workouts a lot. then, the breadth of data it records just floors me. i'm actually excited to run so i can track my progress and create this body of data i can use to judge my health and tweak my regiment. so far i've discovered that my route is one mile shorter than i had estimated with my truck's odometer. also, my target heart rate translates into a much slower mile pace than i had anticipated. the suggested pace seems to fit 5 mile runs, not the 2 mile jaunts that i've been going on so far. so, i'm gonna shoot for longer runs.

the software and website it integrates with is pretty exceptional. if you like to see visual representations of the data like me, it's right up your alley. one thing that i'd like to see though are overlays of graphs on top of each other so i can better see the heart rate in relation to speed, distance, and elevation.

here's my first run where i tried to ascertain my max heart rate. after ten minutes of jogging, i sprinted for about 20 yards, ran another half mile then sprinted again. it peaked at 195 which is actually close to the "220 minus age" estimation.