I got a couple questions about
watch vs app, so I figured I would write this.
iPhone tracks a lot of things,
but the Garmin I would say is more of an advanced tool. The Garmin is
more accurate and has more features. For example I can run a route, then
"ghost it" meaning I can re run that route and race previous
self. It all shows on the watch that I should speed up or slow
down. The Garmin also has a heart rate feature which the watch determines
aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. If you're starting out and just getting
into it, I would use iPhone apps such as Runkeeper, Nike+ GPS, or
MapMyRun. All of them have their pros and cons, but I tend to use Nike+
more mainly because of their presentation on the website. If you get
pretty serious and want to train in zones to maximize energy etc, I would
invest in a GPS watch such as the Garmin. If you don't have an iPhone,
I'm pretty sure they are available for Android (except maybe Nike+GPS, but they
have external hardware such as shoe mounts and wrist bands that you can use as
well).
There's also the whole fumbling
the iPhone in and out of your pocket, unlocking it, and swiping it. Or
you can just press a button on the watch. The iPhone usually has voice
feedback and can also listen to music at the same time. Some people just
don't like carrying their phones with them when the run. Below is a
quick overview of each one. Of course there are more features than what
you see in the screenshots, but you get the idea. As you can see the
Garmin has a lot more info, which you may or may not care about depending on
your level of training.
(I wrote this up June 2011, but I believe the information is still the same)
-AaronMFJ-
