Choosing a Wrist Mounted GPS

Wrist mounted GPSs provide the serious runner with a huge array of information that can be used to improve running performance. Whether you are attempting to qualify for the Boston Marathon or win your age group at the local 5K, a wrist mounted GPS provides many tools that can improve your performance. In addition, many wrist mounted GPSs now also include a heart rate monitor, eliminating the need for a separate device.

Wrist mounted GPSs are available with the same type of information as other GPSs. They measure speed, distance and your elevation (and changes in elevation) above sea level. They can also be used to plot courses over the area you traveled on a run. Options that are geared more to runners are available as well. These include interval timers, memory storage and measurement of different heart rate zones. You can also set specific speed, pace and distance alerts for your specific training goals.

One of the advantages of GPSs are that they provide real time information for the runner. This makes it easy for the runner to learn what a particular pace feels like. Developing a feel for pace is one of the most important traits of a strong runner. Your body often deceives you, some days you feel bad, and it feels like you are plodding along. Other days you feel great and it feels like you are running with the wind. Most casual runners too easily confuse how they feel with how fast they are running, and often these two things are not related. With a wrist mounted GPS, you can easily glance down and tell exactly what your pace is.

For the runner looking to improve performance, a wrist mounted GPS is a worthwhile tool. They allow you to computerize many of the processes that runners have been using for training for years. In years past, runners would write interval times on their wrist when they set out on their speed work. If they wanted to know exactly how long the intervals were, they had to run on a track. To know exactly how long their route was they would have to drive the route in their automobile first.

The decision to invest in a wrist mounted GPS may be difficult because of the cost associated with the tools. They can be counted on for long life, and are a nice investment for those who are serious about improving their performance. Also, as the technology has improved for GPSs, and they have entered mainstream culture, their cost has come down dramatically. If you have not shopped for a GPS in some time, you will probably be pleasantly surprised.

When choosing a GPS for running, consider not only the available options, but also what sort of technology you need to compile data from the machine. Some GPS units store the information, with a predetermined amount of memory. Other GPS units allow you to download the information onto your personal computer and store the data on your hard drive. Some allow you to do both.

My favorite wrist mounted GPS is the Garmin Forerunner 305 because the large, customizable screen is easy to read while running. It is also very accurate and seems to "grab" satellites better than other wrist mounted GPS devices that I've used in the past. The Forerunner 405 is newer and smaller but I still like the 305 better.