Many people purchase a Garmin Forerunner because of the advanced and innovative features and capability that it has. Serious runners know that they would be able to count on it to perform and gather data for the most complex running activities that they would participate in. When viewed from this perspective, one may surmise that the Garmin Forerunner is an advanced watch for advanced runners.

However, there are some people who are not as advanced in running training but still have the Garmin Forerunner as a running watch. They could have received them as gifts, purchased on an impulse buy, or was simply fascinated with the looks and features of the watch. Does this mean that these people would not be able to enjoy the benefits of the Garmin Forerunner?

Well, the answer to that is no. This is because despite being an advanced piece of running equipment, the Garmin Forerunner series of running watches are still perfect for novices or beginners in this sport. This is thanks to the easy to use features that are incorporated into the running watch:

Some of these features that make it easier for beginners to use the Garmin Forerunner include:

Intuitive Menu System and interface:

A great thing with the Garmin Forerunner is that it uses a highly intuitive menu system. This means that you can easily navigate and search for functions that you would want to use in your watch.

You are free from the confusing menu systems that other watches have. The simple click of a button, or a motion in the panel is enough for you to be able to move around the menu list that the Garmin Forerunner offers.

Customizable data fields:

The Garmin Forerunner can track a lot of data that is related to running. However, not everyone wants to know about all of these numbers and statistics during their run. This is especially true for beginners who are not into the nitty-gritty of running analysis.

Fortunately, the Garmin Forerunner has customizable data fields. This means you can just select which among the data that the Forerunner running watch can track would be the one that would appear on the data fields on your watch.

Computer Connectivity:

If you are really a novice at running, you would probably want other people to help you or teach you the ways to be able to improve your training. That is why the computer connectivity of the Garmin Forerunner is such a useful tool for beginners.

Through it, they could simply upload their training data to various forums, and ask people for their comments and suggestions that would help them improve their training. They could even use a training analyzing software to know how else they could Improve on their runs.

As you can see, the Garmin Forerunner is truly a watch for a runner of any skill level. Even if you are a beginner, you would definitely still be able to benefit from the features that this running watch offers.

When you think of the Garmin Forerunner 405, or any forerunner watch for that matter, you immediately think of running as its main physical activity. This line of thinking is perhaps further supported by the name in which the runner is already mentioned. While you would not be wrong in thinking this way, the Garmin Forerunner is actually a very capable GPS powered watch even in other activities.

One of the activities other running where using the Garmin Forerunner 405 is ideal is cycling. You can connect the Garmin Forerunner 405 and its sensors to your bicycle and you could track your training progress just as if you were running.

Here are some of the things that you can notice or expect from the Garmin Forerunner 405 while you are cycling:

A very intuitive menu:

When it comes to running watches, or in this case, cycling watches, having an easy to use and intuitive menu is critical. After all, you want to be able to focus on your cycling and not be distracted by your running watch.

In this regard, the Garmin Forerunner 405 performs well. It has a very interesting method for selecting menus. There are two hard buttons on the right and four places on the bezel for menu selection. You then perform circular motion on the bezel to be able to select items from the menu. This intuitive method is like the one used for the popular music player called the iPod.

This is quite incredible because I just need a few gestures to be able to see the data that I need or change the functionality of the watch.

Difference with other cycling computers:

A difference that the Garmin Forerunner 405 has with other cycling computers is in the way that they would track your data.

Most cycling computers would usually rely on getting the circumference of your wheel to be able to get the distance travelled between two points. On the other hand, this Forerunner uses GPS technology to be able to compute your distance.

There is no trouble with either method since the difference is usually just around 1-2%. This is not bad at all when it comes to tracking data.

Virtual Partner:

One thing that you can find very nice with the Garmin Forerunner 405 is the virtual partner feature. The virtual partner screen shows an imaginary cycling buddy that can help keep you company or pace you while you do your activity.

The virtual partner can help give cyclists a visual representation of how you are progressing on your target times or distances. This is great when you are doing your solo runs, or do not have a “training buddy” to do your activities with.

As you can see from these features, the Garmin Forerunner 405 can perform quite well when you use them for cycling purposes. This just shows how varied the situations or activities wherein this GPS enabled running watch can help your training.

Once you have purchased a Garmin Forerunner, you would be able to easily use it’s features to improve your training. It is relatively intuitive and very easy to use, so you should have very little problems while using it for your physical fitness needs.

Everything you need is at the touch of a button, and the menu is very contextual. In case you have additional questions, the included instructions manual in the Garmin Forerunner kit would be able to handle them.

With that said, there are actually some additional things that you could do to enhance your training experience while using the Garmin Forerunner. These are some additional tips that you could follow so that your time with the Forerunner would be fun, enjoyable and free from any untoward incidents:

You can customize the data fields:

One of the most overlooked features of the Garmin Forerunner line of running watches is that you can easily adjust the data fields that are showing in the screen. Through a few  clicks and adjustments in the settings, you would be able to customize the data that it shows to match the kind of training that you are doing.

You can easily set it to data fields that reflect important data about running then quickly change it to fields for cycling if you are doing interval training. This allows the Garmin Forerunner to be your all around watch for whatever your training need is.

It needs some cleaning and care too!

Yes, the Garmin Forerunner is one tough running watch. It is built to be durable enough to withstand tough environments. However, it would do well if you still did some care and maintenance for it right it is used.

You should remember to wipe the metal contacts at the back of the watch after your training. This is because the sweat that builds up over time may lead to corrosion which could cause problems in the watch’s hardware.

You can use a clean cloth for removing the traces of moisture. If there are already some gunk build up in the watch, then you could use a rubber eraser to wipe them off.

The Customer Service of Garmin

Just in case you have some questions about your running watch or worse, had a watch that suddenly stopped functioning, you can easily call Garmin and ask them about what they can do for you.

There are some people who had watches that broke down, and had replacement or fixed watches that were sent to them in as little as two to three weeks.

There are many times when people ask just how much can a GPS running watch help them in their training. They are wondering if it’s really worth putting in the money for purchasing watches like the very popular Garmin Forerunner 305 and 405.

The common question is whether the GPS feature of these Garmin Forerunner watches are significant enough to provide great training. They ask whether the benefits of a Gps running watch is significant as compared with just having a regular sports watch.

Many people think that simply using regular sports watches to compute your distance, measure your time, and track your progress is more than enough for their serious running needs.

The truth is that in some aspect, the basic sports watch can try to approximate the benefits of a GPS running watch like the Forerunner. As mentioned, the sports watch can track distance, time, pace, and progress too. However, it lacks one very important aspect, the extreme accuracy and wealth of information necessary for very serious runners. This aspect is something that only a good GPS running watch can provide.

Satellite Powered Accuracy:

The Garmin Forerunner 305 for example uses a high sensitivity SIRF star III GPS receiver; this advanced chip helps it gain accurate data from the satellites as you do your jogging trail. This needs that you are almost always connected to various satellites that can track how you run.

These satellites are able to feed your watch data about your distance and pace. The Garmin Forerunner would be able to tell you very accurately just how much distance you have covered in your runs. The data is very accurate that is usually only off by a range of 10 to 20 feet plus or minus.  This is highly accurate when you consider that around 20 feet is usually just a couple of seconds away.

Bottom Line:

The thing is for weekend joggers or those that are content with recreational running may not care for having the very accurate data that a GPS running watch like the Garmin Forerunner can provide. But for serious runners who want to be able to learn of their pace right down to the very last second, then the ability to track pace, distance, heart rate, and speed accurately gives you more tools that can help improve your running.

Thus, a serious athlete who is looking to get more out of every workout, and become a better and much more improved runner would truly enjoy the help that an accurate GPS running watch can give them.

Many of the runners, both the serious ones and the weekender types, have probably heard of one of the running watches in the Garmin Forerunner line. However, not all of them are willing to purchase it because they are afraid that it would just be a waste of money. They do not think that spending that much for a running watch is worth it.

I think that the people who are not using the Garmin Forerunner are missing out on a lot of things that it can offer. To help alleviate the fears that the Forerunner is a bad outlay, here are some reasons why the Garmin Forerunner is a sound investment for the runners;

It is able to provide accurate data even after repeated uses:

This is important for serious runners. If you are running with a running watch that is not able to accurately provide consistent data as you use it, then your training data would be quite misleading.

If the running watch would suddenly become inaccurate, it may show you as having suddenly improved your pace or speed even if you are just going at the same rate. This would be a big issue for people who really want to monitor their improvement, as the split seconds and even short dances all factor in their progress.

It is durable:

When you purchase a Garmin Forerunner, you are getting a running watch that would last you for nearly all of your runs. You would not have to worry about it breaking down and needing replacement because it was not able to handle the intensity of your training.

If you would think of the number of running sessions that you can do with a Garmin Forerunner running watch, then the price that you have paid for it is surely worth it! It would be a better choice than just getting a cheaper watch and having to replace it time and time again because it keeps on breaking down.

It has the capability to upgrade both hardware and firmware:

Another reason why people are afraid to invest in a Garmin Forerunner running watch is that they are scared that it would become outdated or unable to match up with newer features that other watches would come out with in the future.

However, the good thing with a Garmin Forerunner is that you could easily upgrade both its hardware and software to be able to handle more features, as well as remove the bugs in the programming.

For hardware improvements, you could just purchase the various accessories that come out for the Garmin Forerunner that would enable it to expand its features. There are heart rate monitors, cadence sensors, and other gadgets that would help make it more suitable for other activities.

The software updates are handled by the very easy to use connection between your Garmin Forerunner and your computer.

Based on the reasons stated above, it would be easy to see why purchasing a Garmin Forerunner running watch is a great investment for runners and other sports enthusiasts!