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| GARMIN 010-00329-05 Forerunner 101 Personal Training Device | 
 enlarge | Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $163.83
Buy New: $82.00
You Save: $81.83 (50%)
New (36)
Avg. Customer Rating:  88 reviews
Sales Rank: 1722
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Fragile: No
Batteries: 2
Batteries Included: Yes
Native Resolution: 100x64
Includes MP3 Player: 0
Size: Garmin Part #010-00329-00
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
Array:
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: 010-00329-05
Model: 010-00329-05
UPC: 753759044114
EAN: 0753759044114
ASIN: B0001ILXGQ
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not accurate November 14, 2004
10 out of 14 found this review helpful
The pace calculation is very inaccurate. I have been running for 15 years and know when I am maintaining a constant pace. According the Forerunner 101 my pace varies from 7:30-minute miles to 9:00-minute miles all within the same mile. This renders the virtual training partner feature useless. This is not much more than a very expensive sports watch. When I sent an e-mail to Garmin tech support about the problem. It took them almost four working days to answer and then only to tell me that that's as good as it gets.
 a disappointment November 13, 2004
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I was thrilled to get this gadget at first, as I find difficult to gauge how fast I'm running. However, I've had it for about four or five months now, and increasingly, I'm finding that the GPS function is not working (and no, it's not a battery problem). 80% of the time, when I'm out running, the watch face reads "weak GPS signals," at which point, it stops working. This happens both when I'm running in town and in the country. I don't know if this has anything to do with where I live (Charlottesville, VA), but I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with this gadget!
 Revolutionized my running October 8, 2004
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
1. Super easy to use. Turn it on, wait until it syncs up with the satellites, push start, and it's off. Push stop when you want to stop. Reset the counters. The run is now in internal memory.
2. The unit's got a pretty sensitive reciever. Our neighborhood is pretty wooded, but it'll gain sync in our driveway, under a giant maple tree and smaller japanese maple. It holds it pretty well on the roads. I haven't tried a trail run - yet.
3. I don't think it's too obtrusive. My lovely wife thought it was a little too big to strap to her wrist. It does come with a band extender; Melissa is thinking about trying it again strapped to her upper arm. The disadvantage would be not being able to see the display, but if you're just interested in recording, it's not an issue. That, and most of the functions (mile marker, etc) have audible cueing. I can't hear the beeps over my iPod, though.
4. Nice features - Clear display, good backlight. The backlight automatically comes on when the unit has an alert (passing another mile, falling off pace, etc). The Training Partner is kind of nice. If Garmin keeps it when the Forerunner is updated, they could speed it up on downhills and slow it down on uphills (GPS gives elevation data).
Gripes:
1. The unit design is not poor by any stretch of the imagination. But, after the iBook and the iPod (not to mention small details like the international power adapters Apple has available that work with both items' power supplies), my standards are high. My gripe is that the UI is 6 buttons, all pretty similar size and texture, on the side of the unit. One of the reasons I'm skeptical of today's third mile split is because I accidentally turned the unit off between the 1st and 2nd miles. I stopped and turned it back on again, but it threw off the "odometer". Yes, I was an idiot for pushing and holding the power button (for like 3 seconds; it's not really easy to do by mistake), but the backlight is turned on by briefly pressing the power button.
2. It's missing the geeky GPS features, like a lat/long display, or the ability to select between different GPS data (WGS 84/UTM/etc - you either know what I'm talking about already, or you don't care). There are some work-arounds I've found (such as marking a waypoint at the current location to get lat/long), but I don't think I'm getting rid of my Magellan GPS 315 any time soon. I think this may be intentional on Garmin's part - why give away a big part of their market on a sub - $100 device. I think it'll work backpacking, especially if I take the time to pre-set waypoints. But I'm still mainly a map-and-compass kind of guy in any case. And the 101's "Back to start" feature ought to bail me out.
3. There's no ability to turn GPS on/off unless the machine can't acquire a satellite. There's also no ability to tell the unit where it is, so initial acquisition of a signal can last up to 30 minutes the first time you turn the unit on, or if you travel more than 500 miles with the unit off. In practicality, mine acquired signal in about 5 minutes right out of the box.
Unbeatable for Walking - A Fantastic Piece of Technology September 23, 2004
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
This thing is an excellent product at a very reasonable price.
It is lightweight and has an ingenious strap system so you can wear it on your wrist or even over a jacket (It get's cold here in Oregon). The batteries last a Long Time, just be sure to turn it off when you are done using it. There is no auto-off after a certain amount of time, like my other GPS unit.
You get the data you need and more.
Pace, altitude, distance, time, lap, and it creates a map of your walk at the same time, so you can use it to back track. The reception is good here and I live (and walk) in a Pacific Northwest forest! When it does lose a signal, it grabs it back quickly.
Be sure to set it outside about 5 minutes before you want to walk or run. It takes a while to get the first fix, which can be frustrating if you are waiting.
You can use it as a basic GPS, so if you hike in a strange place turn it on, start a new run and it will draw you a map and point you the way back to where you started. Pretty Neat.
I have another GPS with much more sophisticated and extensive GPS features, but I find myself using the Forerunner instead most of the time when I am hiking. After getting used to the convenience of the light weight, hands-free Forerunner with it's big easy to read display, the other GPS seems like carrying a brick.
This is a must have for runners! August 6, 2004
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
I have owned my Forerunner for a year now. I absolutely love the item. First, it is fantastic to know exactly how far I've run, no matter what roads, trails, or bike path I run on. I am no longer confined to my 'measured routes'...I can explore! The Forerunner also gives the current pace. This is probably the second most useful feature it has. While running, I can tell if I have RECENTLY sped up or slowed down. It is much better than the average pace which a sdm will give you. Think about it, if you are on mile 10 and you speed up 30 seconds per mile, your average pace will not be affected immediately.
Some of the other features I find less useful but harmless. The mapping feature on the 101 is silly since the map must be displayed on the 2" screen. Its simply too small. The virtual trainer could be useful, but I never use it.
Other great features are: if set, it will take your mile splits automatically and if set, the back light will come on at each mile (for those early morning runs).
The battery life is great. I am using two normal Duracell batteries and run about 80 miles before changing the batteries.
The signal strength is fine. I have run on tree covered paths and on cloudy days with very few problems. I lost the signal once, but it was very thick tree cover. It continued to track my distance but I don't think it was 100% accurate with the weak signal. Other than that I've never lost my signal.
This product is simply great and I cannot explain how useful it is. Here is how I use it:
I typically start my weekday runs around 5:00am. I leave my front door and walk for a minute or so. I have my signal. I start off on a 6 mile run. I warm up with a pace around 9 min/mi and keep that pace for the first mile. While thinking about my upcoming race my watch beeps and lights up (it is 5:10 am now) and I see that I ran a 9:08 mile. I pick up the pace until I get to an 8 min pace. I realize I ran this same route earlier this week. I decide to turn and run down a new street for some variety. Before I know it my watch beeps, I look down at the lit screen to see that my second mile was 7:58. This goes on for a couple of miles. Around my fourth mile I my mind starts to wander. I look down and notice that I've slowed down during this time. I immediately pick up the pace and decide it is time to find a way home. The way home takes a little longer than I expected, but I get there. I stop my watch to see that I actually ran 6.67 miles and have found another good route. Once inside I can review my data...distance, pace each mile, average pace, fastest pace, the route, and I can compare that to my previous runs! I see I've had another successful run and feel great! I hope my example illustrates the way I use my Forerunner and why I love it.
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