Here are some of the reasons why a Garmin Forerunner is a great gift for sports lovers:

Its versatile features are suited for both basic and advanced training:

The Garmin Forerunner is filled with dozens of training features that both novices and experts can use for their running training. This is great if you know that your friend is a sports buff but is not sure whether they are already in an advanced level or are just starting out in their training.

This is because beginners would be able to appreciate the easy to use and intuitive menus that the Garmin Forerunner offers. It also can be easily customized to show only the very basic data that the beginners would need.

However, this does not mean that advanced runners would find this running watch inadequate. A few simple customization and you would then have a running watch that is easily able to track the more advanced data that the serious runners would crave for.

The running watch caters to a variety of training activities:

If you just know that your friend is sporty but is not sure what kind of training he or she does, then the Garmin Forerunner would still be a perfect gift. This is because the Forerunner running watch can be easily customized through the use of its settings and other accessories so that it would be able to easily cater to different sports.

As is, the running watch is great for fitness jogging, running training, or even brisk walking. Through the addition of accessories such as cadence sensors, you would be able to easily make the watch adapt to a different form of training such as cycling.

It can help motivate friends:

A great thing with giving a Garmin Forerunner to someone who trains would be that it would help them become more motivated to do their training. This is because they would now be able to set new goals, try to beat old records and generally try to improve upon their training methods so that they would get better times.

Once they see new data that they have not yet improved on, they would be more inclined to try and do their best in their training so that they would be able to improve on it.

As you can see from the reasons stated above, giving a Garmin Forerunner to your sporty friend is a great choice to improve or enhance their training.

However, because of its emphasis on running, many people tend to be wary of the Garmin Forerunner 405 model. They think that this type of running watch may be a one trick pony and that they would not be able to use it other than for some serious running training. Because of this, they would just rather purchase other sports watches that may not be as loaded with features, but are believed to be more versatile.

Actually, when it comes to versatility, the Garmin Forerunner can match up with the best of them. Not only is it a great running watch but it is also quite adaptable for a variety of situations. Due to its versatility, here are some of the ways where you could expand the use of your Garmin forerunner 405:

Purchase Accessories:

The great thing with the Garmin Forerunner 405 running watch is that is capable of being paired with a variety of proprietary and 3rd party accessories. You would be able to easily attach them through the seamless connections that the Garmin Forerunner 405 packs.

Through the various accessories you would be able to do much more than just run with your Garmin Forerunner 405. For example, you would be able to get cadence sensors, so that you would be able to use it for doing some of your cycling training.

The many accessories that you could get for your Garmin Forerunner 405 would mean that you would be able to easily change up your training. This would enable you to combat boredom as well as try out different activities that are not directly related to  running.

Use it as a Regular Sports Watch:

One thing that sets the Garmin Forerunner 405 from other running watches is that it has a very sleek design. This design is in contrast with other running watches (and even some of the older Garmin Forerunner models) in the fact that it is slimmer and is noticeably less bulky than the others.

While by no means would anyone mistake the Garmin Forerunner 405 for a sleek dress watch, it would be able to stand on its own for other less formal purposes. You would be able to wear it for more casual events without having to deal with the funny looks that people would give you if you had brought a different model of running watch.

As you can see, the Garmin Forerunner 405 would still be able to do well in doing other activities. While it is primarily a running watch, you would still be able to use it for a variety of purposes that are not directly related to your running training.

Having a running watch that is not in synch with your type of training would hinder you and make it more difficult for you to reach your desired fitness levels.

However, the fact is that running watches are not exactly catered to your training needs. This is because they try to cover a wide range of users who train. To be able to maximize the use of your running watch, you would need to customize them to ensure that they match how you train.

This is where people can be thankful for the wide range of accessories that are available for their running watches. The Garmin Forerunner running watches for example, provides a variety of accessories that can make your Forerunner 305, 405, 205 or any other model match the kind of training that you do.

Here are some accessories that you may want to look at, to ensure that your training goes as smooth as possible.

One of the most common accessories that people get with the Garmin Forerunner 405 is the speed/cadence sensors. The wireless speed/cadence sensor is self calibrating and would monitor a trainers pedaling cadence. This accessory can transform the Forerunner 405 into a device that can also measure and report pedaling strokes per minute.

The Speed/Cadence sensor is perfect for those who are not only runners but are cyclists as well. When they are in their running phase, they could simply detach the sensor and the Forerunner 405 would function normally. When they are biking, they could simply connect the wireless speed/cadence sensor and they would still be provided feedback while cycling.

Another accessory that people commonly purchase for their running watches is the foot POD sensor. The foot POD sensor is important for people who tend to train in dense areas that suffer from poor satellite reception or are training indoors.

For example, the Garmin Forerunner 305, while sufficient in areas with good signal reception, may suffer from a slight performance drop in dense areas. The foot POD accessory enables it to still count your steps, and measure your speed, even if the GPS device is not performing too well.

Of course, there are also some accessories that would really add a big boost in functionality to a running watch. One such accessory is the wireless heart rate monitor. While the Garmin Forerunner 305 has already built in features for heart rate monitoring, the older models, such as the Garmin Forerunner 205 may not have it.

Purchasing a wireless heart rate monitor would then give your Garmin Forerunner 205 the capability to wirelessly acquire heart rate data. This would help you know more about your training intensity and just how hard you work while running.

Of course, all these accessories come at a cost. However, given that they add and expand to the functionality of your Garmin Forerunner, I would say that they are a good investment.

Rather than purchasing a completely different watch for each of your training needs, simply going for accessories may be the perfect solution for this situation.