Just wondering as I just got a Garmin 305 and it is absolutely improving the way I train. I haven’t used it in a race yet… (will use it for my first marathon in October)
When I look back at the old Me training/racing without the GPS it makes me think that it is sort of unfair to race the average guy that doesn’t have one. I mean I have started too many races too fast or too slow and unless you are a very accomplished runner it is very hard to accomplish your goals without a human pacer or a Garmin unit.
It is funny that I ran a Half Marathon last weekend and the race director sent email a few days before the race trying to find 5:00 to 5:30 min mile pacers.
I don’t see how it can be considered as unfair advantage, it’s not physically assisting your forward movement. Same as Power meter, great pacing tool and perfectly legal.
On the flip side, for some people, too many gages can actually be distracting,
I have a 305 and use it all the time. Does it give me an unfair advantage? Over someone who doesn’t know how to pace themselves I’m sure it does. Against someone who has experience and knows how to pace a race then probably not.
I’ve found though that the more I use my Garmin the less I need to rely on it. I’ve gotten fairly good at judging my pace and only use it to insure that I don’t over run especially for long runs when going a little slower is key to finishing strong.
I don’t see how it can be considered as unfair advantage, it’s not physically assisting your forward movement. Same as Power meter, great pacing tool and perfectly legal.
On the flip side, for some people, too many gages can actually be distracting,
Well physicological advantage that is. It is definitely distracting, which distracts me from pain not a bad thing.
It might give someone an advantage racing in a triathlon that does not have ANY mile markers. I’m not sure I’d use the term “unfair” since they are available to anyone that wants to buy one. I don’t have one.
I’ve used mine a a few running races. During the race I didn’t get any more advantage out of it than I would have by getting my mile splits (usually they’re yelling those out) and using a plain stopwatch.
In triathlons, I only use a stopwatch anyway (I like to race on feel).
Afterwards, I get some value out of analyzing the GPS and HR data, but during the race, I can’t see how it’s an unfair advantage
Since I am not a “runner” I have not spent years developing that calibrated feel for how my RPE compares to my actual performance (especially HR). And I am terrible about feeling what my pace is (too slow/too fast etc).
The Garmin gives me a tool to help regulate myself while running. That tool is an artificial device that does what good/pro runners have developed, that is an innate sense of “how” they are running. I know that on any given day, my HR/pace combo is either too slow, on the money or too fast. And it doesn’t matter if I am doing a LSD run or intervals at the track, my Forerunner 305 is calibrated for both!
I have used my Garmin now for more than a year and dozens of races and hundreds of training evolutions. I really can’t imagine training/racing without it!
i have thought about this as well. Well, this and using Powertaps. I have often thought using PT’s takes the “human factor” out of racing. If you know you need to go X watts for 5 hours to produce X result and you follow the PT exactly and nail it, does it take away the humanity from your race? Or is it just smart racing? I am torn and see both sides of the coin. Since getting my 305 though, it has been a HUGE advantage for me in training.
Agree, not really any different than simply using a watch and mile-markers. That being said, I don’t own one, don’t plan on buying one, and have had some of my best races where I forgot my bike computer, watch, had no mile-markers, or any combination of these.
I have to laugh - I used my garmin 305 pacer guy in order to try to run under 1:16 in a half - I was on track to beat the bastard and with 100m to go - my watch beeped and said race over - I ended up missing 1:16 by 20 seconds. Point of the story is that I just went old school and used my stop watch - I would have hit my goal time.
I still love the garmin and highly recommend it as a training tool.
Needing a device to tell you your pace is definitely not an advantage. I think your goal should be to get to the point that you don’t need one. If you go to a road race, the % of runners that have gadgets such as ipods/gps/fuel belts etc goes up pretty quickly after the first 25% finish.
In a race, what advantage is it giving you? It tells you your pace. You can keep track of your pace with a watch…
Again, not if there are no mile markers (surprisingly common) or if the ones that exist are incorrect (sadly, a very common occurrence).
In a race, what advantage is it giving you? It tells you your pace. You can keep track of your pace with a watch…
Can you keep track of your pace with a watch for the first 1/4 mile? First 1/2 mile? That’s usually pretty key in shorter races to keep from blowing up. If you get all excited and run the first mile 20 seconds too fast in a 5K or 10K, by the time you realize it, it’s way too late.
Also, it’s interesting to wear a GPS during a race and see how wildly inaccurate many mile markers are.
I’m the one who uses it… Just wanted to hear the point of view of the ones who doesn’t.