Digital watches by Casio for men are something you wouldn’t want to miss out on. Available for an average price of $65, these watches come with an impressive battery life, good sporty appearance, and a price that everybody can afford. If you like Casio watches, you would definitely also admire Armitron’s two-tone digital watches that are exceptionally within your means. These devices are basically designed for sports but they are also quite stylish and can also be used with formal wear. Their genuine leather straps and solid stainless steel bracelets make them an attractive choice for a lot of athletes out there.

Next in line is Invicta which is known for providing unique sport watches for both sexes. They have a number of collections that you can browse, such as vintage, pro diver, coalition forces, sea hunter, angel, and seaspider. These watches are designed to be shock resistant and provide water resistance up to 300 meters and are made from solid surgical grade stainless steel. Casual sports watches by Tissot are simply incomparable. If you or your kids are a fan of MotoGP, then these watches are specially made for you. The devices are a bit more expensive than other brands but totally worth the price. You can change the bands by choosing different colors to give your watch a new look. The Pandora watches are also very popular and you can buy them from your nearest store using Pandora jewelry store locator.

When it comes to watches everybody trusts the name Citizen. Sport watches by Citizen are affordable, long-lasting and stylish. Genuine leather bands, dual time display, and durable case material are some of the unique features of these devices. The automatic watches offered by Luminox provide water resistance up to 500 meters. For an average price of $200, these watches are lightweight because they are made from carbon and also look quite elegant because of their bright radioactive display. If you are looking for a long-lasting, inexpensive yet stylish and a watch which is full of unique functionality then do check out all these devices.

Garmin have recently unveiled a brand new Forerunner GPS watch, the Garmin Forerunner 910XT, building on the tradition of the 305 and 310XT Forerunners with their multisport focus that triathletes will find useful and beneficial. The former watches are very popular and were well received by triathlete and athletic communities, the new Forerunner watch adds new features to Garmins proven model. The new watch offers several new enhancements, that is sure please aerobic athletes of various persuasions, especially swimmers. So let’s take a closer look at the latest offer from Garmin.

What’s New

The Garmin Forerunner 310XT was known for being the first GPS watch to be safe to use while swimming in the water. The Garmin Forerunner 910XT GPS, follows in that tradition and adds a whole host of new swim metrics on top, allowing you track your swimming sessions in greater detail, adding the following swim metrics to its list of abilities: distance, speed, stroke count, stroke type

Forerunner 910XT without HRM (MSRP. $399.99) – Buy Now
Forerunner 910XT with HRM (MSRP. $449.99) – Buy Now

Unfortunately, the new watch fails to address a couple of flaws of the 310XT.

Its inability to track speed and distance in the water; the inability to receive a GPS signal underwater is an unfortunate phenomena all GPS watches suffer from, there really is no way to address this due to limitations in the technology.

Its lack of heart rate reception under water; Garmin use the ANT+™ protocol for their heart rate monitors, which unfortunately will not transmit underwater. This ability is only found in the Polar RCX5, which uses a non-ANT+™ protocol.

On the plus side, both the 310XT and 910XT feature an open water mode for swimming, which works on the basis of the watch re-establishing the GPS uplink mid-stroke while your hand is out of the water. Open water mode is not 100% accurate, but gives you a rough idea of a swim course.

A more accurate technique that a lot of triathletes use is the watch-under-the-swimming-cap trick, that keeps the GPS antenna out of the water throughout the swim.

Other changes in the Garmin 910XT watch include a thinner form factor. The display screen of the new watch is identical to the 310XT, but with less thickness. The watch also features a brand new high-tech design and has a shiny black color scheme over the silver/orange of its predecessor. The Forerunner 910XT is Garmin’s first ever GPS watch to feature a barometric altimeter. This delivers greater elevation accuracy than GPS based elevation, which has a degree of inaccuracy in vertical measurement. This puts Garmin in league with top-line Suunto and Polar watches in terms of real-time altitude measuring.

Like the recently released Forerunner 610, the new Forerunner 910XT Garmin adds the Training Effect sports metric, an indication of how effectively you have trained and previously only found in Suunto watches. So the latest Generation of Garmin GPS watches are now have a greater competitive advantage compared to the best offerings from Suunto and Polar. If you want the ultimate all-in-one GPS watch, a Garmin is really the only game in town.

The new watch also adds new sports watch modes including support for a run/walk reminder feature. The run/walk training method is popular among those new to the sport who are not yet fit enough to continually run for any length of time. The new reminder feature allows you to pre-set times for walking and running and will alert you when it is time to start jogging or take a break. The Virtual Racer feature introduced in the Forerunner 610 is also present, it allows you to train or race against previous performances on pre-saved courses. Unlike Garmins popular Virtual Parter feature, the pace of your virtual competitor will vary, which is more realistic when you take hills and off-trail segments of your course where your pace is slower into account.

Summary of FR910XT enhancements:

• slimmer external case
• new swim metrics
• barometric altimeter
• training effect
• run/walk reminder feature
• improved ANT+™ based cycling power meter support
• virtual racer

Traditional Forerunner Sports Features

While the Garmin 910XT Forerunner offers plenty of new improvements over its predecessor, the advanced sports watch features found in older Garmin Forerunners that have worked well have been included unchanged. The 910XT remains a high-end watch with endless ability to configure data pages and tweak settings to maximize your training experience. In the 910XT, Garmin have designed a watch that ‘does it all’, and in many ways Garmin have really hit the nail on the head. The Garmin 910XT HRM contains the following “traditional” features that have been successful in the Forerunner 305 through to the latest offerings.

Customizable Display: Customize multiple data pages with up to 4 data fields per page
Auto Scroll: Set up the watch to scroll through data pages in sequence.
Auto Lap: Automatically registers a lap in memory
Auto Pause: Pauses the stopwatch when you stop running (like when you stop at traffic lights), and resumes when you continue
Alerts: Alerts you via a visual, audible or vibration signal based on time or distance
Virtual Partner®: Train against a virtual competitor moving at a pre-set pace (but without variations)
Courses: Run against a previous activity on a previous course
Multisport Mode: Pre-programmed transition sequences for swimming, running, cycling. One button-press transitioning
Advanced Workouts: Use Garmin Connect™ to create advanced structured workouts with goals
Interval Training: Setup repetitive hard/easy session with warm-up and cool-down

What is lacking in the new watch is the “simple workout” feature, where you can input a time, distance or calorie goal. I guess, this is due to the impractical nature of running until you reach a certain distance or for a certain length of time, I mean unless your run mindless laps of your athletics track, you are left in the middle of nowhere and must somehow get back.

Advantages For Runners

The Garmin Forerunner 910XT HR watch, offers similar benefits to those of the Forerunner 610 and former Forerunners. When you go for a run you can record details of how far you went, how fast and a course of your run is saved in memory. The advanced sports modes (see the list above) allow you to to perform advanced training based on a structured sequence of activities with options for goal-oriented training, target zones and various different alerts that can be set up.

Advantages For Cycling

This particular watch from Garmin is more friendly towards cycling than other Forerunners, with support for up to five customized bike profiles with parameters for wheel size, weight, speed, cadence and power as well as support for major ANT+™ sensors geared at cycling.

These are generally:

• power meters
• cadence only
• speed-only
• speed/cadence combos

The 910XT has nearly the same general functionality as the Garmin Edge 500, but can only display up to 4 data fields instead of 8. The 910XT offers a lot more than the Edge 500 for runners and swimmers, but if you are pure cyclists that does no swimming or running, you will probably be better served with the Garmin Edge 500 (no mapping) or Garmin Edge 800 (with mapping).

Of great interest to the cycling community and triathletes is support for pedal based power meters for cyclists like the Garmin Vector, CycleOps, Power2Max, SRAM/Quarq, SRM as well as cleat power meters like Brim Brothers Zone and O-Sycne. However the Garmin watches are not compatible with Polar’s Look/Keo power meters as these are based on the Polar W.I.N.D. protocol and not ANT+™.

The cycling power meter metrics that are supported in the Forerunner 910XT are:

• power
• 30s average power
• power in kilojoules
• power current lap
• power of last lap
• power max
• power max current lap
• power in watts/kg
• left and right power (for upcoming Garmin Vector pedal power meter)

and included are the following Training Peaks metrics:

• intensity factor (IF)
• training stress score (TSS)
• normalized power (NP)

The Training Peaks metrics will also soon be available in Garmin Connect™.

Advantages For Swimmers

The Garmin 910XT GPS watch is the first Garmin to have integrated swimming metrics that can help you keep track of your swimming sessions in a pool. The watch lets you set the distance of the pool and the stroke type. It will display your SWOLF score (efficiency) and will register the following main swimming metrics:

Lengths: num lengths, lengths current interval, lengths last interval
Stroke distance: stroke distance average, stroke distance current interval, stroke distance of last interval
Stroke rate: stroke rate overall, stroke rate current interval, stroke rate of last interval, stroke rate, last length
Distance: distance overall, distance of current interval, distance of last interval
Pace: pace average, pace of current interval, pace of last interval,
Efficiency: efficiency average, efficiency of current interval,efficiency of last interval
SWOLF: swolf average, swolf of current interval, swolf of last interval, swolf of last length

The 910XT Forerunner GPS watch, like the 310XT is waterproof to 50 meters and as mentioned will not transmit heart rate or GPS distance information while underwater, although it can link up to the GPS satellites in the open water mode, allowing you to register speed, distance and save position plots for mapping purposes.

Garmin Forerunner 910XT vs 310XT vs 305

The Verdict

The Garmin Forerunner 910XT GPS watch is an attempt by Garmin to produce a watch that has it all, and in that respect Garmin have once again delivered in spades, especially in respect to the pool metrics for swimer that have been added and its enhanced support for cycling power meters. The addition of a barometric altimeter also puts it in league with the high performing Suunto t6d and Suunto RS800CX watches. The added walk/run feature is another nice touch, though I suspect if you are buying a watch of this calibre you will already be very fit, and more likely the ultra-fit category. This feature can still be a useful for time-based reminder that activates independently of other alert systems.

As a capable sports watch for competitive triathletes, the FR910XT watch is in a league of its own, with its advanced multisport abilities, you can seamlessly transition between a swim or a run leg, a run and a cycle leg or any pre-configured sequence you need. For swimming and cycling it offer an unparalleled number of advantages over most watches in the market and it is the near equal of the Forerunner 610, indeed it has a much longer battery life, but on the other hand lacks the tap-screen advantage of the 610 which is more a performance runner’s watch.

If you are a pure runner or a pure cyclist, then this watch is over-kill for your needs. The same can be said for casual runners, who can get what they need out of the Forerunner 110 or Forerunner 210 watches at about half the price. In terms of price, it is always smart to look around the internet for the best Garmin Forerunner 910XT price, however the cheapest offers are usually found on the Amazon website. At the time of writing this review, the new Forerunner is yet to be released. But if you would like to buy Garmin Forerunner 910XT you can head over to Amazon and pre-order.

Forerunner 910XT without HRM (MSRP. $399.99) – Buy Now
Forerunner 910XT with HRM (MSRP. $449.99) – Buy Now

For those who enjoy getting out in the outdoors, Suunto have gone to great lengths to accommodate your needs with the new Suunto Quest sports precision watch that is designed specifically to help sports enthusiasts get the most from their outdoor training activities. If you are passionate about the outdoors, then the Suunto Quest watch has been specifically designed with outdoor activities in mind. The watch is capable of advanced analysis, planning and training and this watch also has an eye-catching design, you are sure to look sharp and get frequent compliments with the Suunto Quest watch and it is also very lightweight and comfortable.

This watch supports Suunto’s popular heart rate monitor chest strap devices and also a foot pod and GPS pod, that allows the watch to measure speed and distance to a high degree of accuracy. The Suunto Quest watch is a suitable watch for runners and features a tap-screen technology that is similar to the Garmin Forerunner 610. Inclusive in the long list of high performance sports watch features supported by the Suunto Quest are: interval timers, real-time heart rate display, a customizable display screen, stopwatch with laps (can be recorded simply by tapping the screen), real-time recovery and more. The running tools supported in the Suunto Quest watch can be accessed via an intuitive three-button interface.

More and more runners and athletes are turning to running cadence as a tool for working towards greater running efficiency. When the foot pod is activated your cadence as well as your speed, pace and distance details can be displayed on the watch. When using one of Suunto’s heart rate belts, it is possible to set up heart rate zone training, to ensure that you run at the right intensity for optimal fitness and performance improvement. If your heart rate gets too high or too low, the watch will alert you that you are outside your optimum heart rate zone, allowing you to adjust your pace.

Bellow are the features of the new Suunto Quest outdoor sports watch:

Specification Customizable Display Heart Rate Monitor Water resistance 30m User Replaceable Battery Foot Pod GPS pod Memory Memory capacity 1 log in device, up to 80 logs in unit’s memory (log analysis through Movescount) Software Data Transfer Training Analysis (In Movescount.com) Exercise Programs

Features Recovery time suggestion Real Time Recovery Pace Alerts Training Duration + Real Time Intensity guidance Training Duration + Real Time Speed guidance Training Effect (In Movescount.com) Automatic and Manual Laps Interval Timer Real Time Calories Real Time Heart Rate Heart Rate Limit + Zones Running Cadence

One of the fundamental things to note about the Suunto Quest digital training watch is that it is compatible with Movescount.com, Suunto’s online training diary and community portal. With support to transfer your data to personal computer, or training programs set up in Movescount to the Suunto Quest watch, you are offered real-time training guidance for intensity as well as speed. With the Suunto Quest watch and the Movescount online diary, you have at your disposal, a planning tool that turns your sports wrist watch into a portable personal trainer, allowing you to get the most from each training session.

Suunto Quest Running Pack

Movescount also allows you to customize the display of the Quest watch so you are viewing exactly the information you need in the middle of a workout. Post-workout, the benefits of this watch are that you can wirelessly transfer session data into Movesount.com via the Suunto Movestick Mini (a unique recovery time recommendation and sophisticated performances analysis training tool that includes full heart rate details and speed graphs). In other words the Suunto Quest is the kind of watch that will really appeal to those who want to analyze their training sessions in more depth and gain a deeper understanding of their fitness progress.

There are two color options, black or orange, with Suunto Movestick Mini and the Sunnto Dual Comfort Belt as part of the standard package. The Suunto Quest watch can even be paired with the Suunto Bike POD for bike speed and cadence for runners who are also part-time or full-time cyclists. The Suunto Quest will also be available in running packs that include the wristwatch, Suunto Dual Comfort Belt, Suunto Movestick Mini and Suunto Foot POD Mini. Suunto Quest will be available to purchase in the fall of 2011.

• SiRFstar IV™ Chipset: Uses the most advanced GPS technology for fast satellite lock-on times and reliable signal retention. The technology puts the Run Trainer watch on part with the most advanced GPS watches on the market
• Real-Time Pace, Distance, Heart Rate: Up to four customizable data lines in a large, easy to read digital format makes the Run Trainer both nice to look at as well as powerful
• 15-Workout Memory: Can save up to 15 workouts of up to 100 individual lap times. Session data can be downloaded via a USB cable to PC and imported into the Training Peaks™ online training log portal
• Hands-Free Chronograph Operation: Can record lap/splits based on distance and can automatically stop and start the watch when you stop running or resume again
• Up To Five Interval Timers: Variable interval timers facilitates structured interval sessions with optional warm up and cool down built-in
• Hydration and Nutrition Reminders: If you are competing in an endurance event that requires re-fueling. The Run Trainer can be programmed to remind you of when you need to re-fuel
• Wireless Sensor Compatibility: Utilizes on-board ANT+™ technology to pair up with external devices such as foot pods, heart rate monitor chest straps and bike cadence sensors

Following their release of the Timex Global Trainer watch, the first Timex GPS watch with fully integrated GPS circuitry, Timex have now released another GPS watch which some commentators say is on par with the Garmin Forerunner 110 and 210 watches. Their new GPS watch, the Timex® Ironman® Run Trainer™ may well be a runners dream with all the major features runners need in a package that, unlike some other GPS watches, does not over-complicate your training. The Timex Run Trainer watch is simple enough to use right out of the box, but with enough features to satisfy many athletes, with its improved chipset, the new watch promises to deliver on what the Global Racer watch lacked.

The Timex Run Trainer watch with GPS Technology is designed exclusively for running. With support for a heart rate monitor chest strap, the Flex Tech™ Heart Rate Sensor the watch has the ability to track, speed, pace, heart rate and altitude and boasts advanced training features like interval timers and pace alerts. The watch has a large, easy-to-read customizable display that can display up to 4 data lines making it easy to catch a glance of while you are pushing yourself to a personal best time. The watch features a similar intuitive interface, so if you’ve used any of Timex’s other best-selling sports watches, you are probably already half way to learning to use the new watch.

The Run trainer features an impressive 8-hour rechargeable battery (in full-GPS mode), that is equivalent to the most popular Garmin Forerunner GPS watches and uses the SiRFstarIV™ GPS chip, for optimum acquiring and retention of the GPS satellite signal. The new Run Trainer is also ANT+™ compatible allowing linking up to popular foot pod devices, bike cadence sensors and heart rate sensors that use ANT+ technology. The watch can store up to 15 sessions in memory of up to 100 individual lap times with sessions summarized in a date-ordered list. The Run Trainer watch provides you with the ability to upload your data to PC via a USB cable in a format that is recognizable with the popular TrainingPeaks™ online training log.

But perhaps the feature that makes the Run Trainer watch so compatible with the needs of advanced runners is its variable intensity interval training feature. The Interval Timer allows you to set alerts up for each interval based on running cadence, heart rate or running pace. The watch also has Hands-Free Automatic Operation abilities, allowing you to automatically measure your performance at set intervals based on either time or distance. This is an extremely attractive feature for runners who want to break, say a 5 km race down to their individual 1km split times.

The Run Trainer watch borrows a nice feature found in other Timex heart rate monitor watches in its recovery mode feature. The recovery mode feature works with the heart rate chest sensor recording how long it takes for you to recover after a hard workout. Measuring your rate of recovery is a good test for signs that you are over-training. If it takes longer than usual for your heart rate to drop, then it is a sign that you may be pushing too hard and thus not getting the full benefit for your training efforts. A fast heart rate recovery is also a good indicator that your overall fitness level is good. Serving runners further is the Run trainer’s support for Hydration and Nutrition Reminders and a Countdown Timer feature.

Overall there is a lot to like about the new Timex Run Trainer watch, fitting the description of a mid-range GPS running watch, whether you want a simple way to keep track of your speed, pace and distance on your long runs, or a training tool to help you with a structured training session, the Timex Run Trainer is a great choice for those who want to focus more on running than trying to figure out their watch, without selling themselves short on features. The Timex Run Trainer GPS Speed and Distance Sports watch is due to hit the shelves in October and to be quite honest we can hardly wait!

For a lot of women, the desire to run stems from wishing to lose weight and a toned body. The activity of running is indeed among the most efficient and effective ways to burn off excess calories in comparison to time spent. It is a highly intensive and healthy exercise given that it strengthens the lungs at the same time ot does the heart. Womens running helps with your blood vascular system as well as the skeletal structure. One of the more popular reasons that there are so many women running is that you are able to go whenever you want and wherever you like regardless of whether you are along or running with a friend. All you need are running clothes and a pair of ladies running shoes. There is no need to waste time by packing or travelling to a faraway location to exercise. Running for women also has a great meditative effect on many women making it a great way to unwind after a hectic day at work. When you go on a run you can let your mind run free and your creativity have a free rein. Some of the best ideas can pop into your head when running as well, or you can just let your mind take a break from thought.

How To Take Up Running And Get To 10 Kilometers In One Day

There are no shortcuts when it comes to running, so patience is needed when you are starting. To become a women on the run will take devotion and dedication. Unlike other sports such as swimming, walking or cross country skiing, you need to build up to a certain level of fitness just to be able to run at all. It is usually best therefore to start off with a combination of jogging and walking. The way you might do this would be to warm up with a 10-15 minute brisk walk and then run for a couple of minutes at an easy pace. When you are running it should be at a rate that feels good, if at any time you feel any part of your body begin to hurt, you should stop immediately as the last thing you want is an injury. After each run you should then walk twice as far as your ran and do it again. You should aim to do about 2-4 of these combined walk/run exercises in a week and each should last at least 30 minutes. When you are comfortable with running at this level you should then try a longer session on one day of the week. Your overall aim should be to gradually increase the amount of running you do, while reducing the amount of time you spend walking. Eventually you should be able to run 30 minutes without needing to stop. Even when you obtain this level of fitness you should probably only run continuously in every other session that you do, however when you can do this consistently for several weeks you can cut out walking altogether. It is also useful to now and then spend some time strengthening the musculature of your middle body. These muscles help you maintain a correct running stance and thus are important. A common mistake that you should avoid is to run too fast or too far too quickly. This will make you feel much tireder which will make your running much harder. You are also carrying an increased risk of injury when you overdo it.

What Is The Most Important Equipment For Running Women?

One essential thing for running ladies need are good running shoes that fit well. Other types of shoes such as hiking boots or gym shoes are not suitable for running and keep in mind that the most popular shoe on the market is not necessarily the right shoe for your particular foot. For instance if your foot is petite in size then you will need to buy neutral shoes. When buying a running shoe, you should visit a sports store where the staff specialize in matching the right shoes to the right foot. It is also helpful to buy good running apparel. Lightweight running clothing will feel more comfortable while you are exercising and will remove excess moisture from your skin more effectively. So-called “technical fabric” sportswear will make your running all the more enjoyable and pleasurable. A pair of running tights can also be useful or a pair of running shorts. Other common running accessories include a long-sleeved top, supportive sports bra, seamless socks and a technical t-shirt. In the winter time when it is colder, it will help to have a warm set of underwear, a cap and gloves that will protect you from the cool wind, leg warmers that cover your ankles and wind blocker trousers (these should not have cotton lining as cotton lining will prevent your legs from lifting freely. Cotton also does not breathe well). Another thing that will help with your training, especially as you get fitter and more serious about your sport is a running watch. Womens running watches come in a wide range of designs with different features to suit all levels. The best running watches for women are not always the most expensive models, for many people the additional features found in high-end running watches lends more to their confusion then it does to help make their running experience more enjoyable. For more information on how to buy the right running watch, please take some time to read our women’s running watch recommendations.

Should I Buy a Heart Rate Monitor?

There are several advantages that can be found by owning a heart rate monitor device that is supported in several women running watches. For one it is easier to monitor your sessions to become aware of how effective you are working out at your current intensity level. Training at a base level will have a much different effect on your fitness and performance than will training at a moderate level where you are pushing yourself a lot harder. A heart rate monitor can help you stay at the intensity level that you desire, ensuring that your training is rhythmic and that you are not pushing yourself too hard. A heart rate monitor watch can also measure your resting heart rate, as you get fitter the resting rate of your heart should become lower.

How Can A Foot POD Help With My Training?

Many ladies running watch choices offer support for food pods. Many women are afraid of technology and just want to enjoy running without too much fuss. It is not much fun when you are constantly competing with your colleagues or even yourself! With the assistance of a Foot POD supported by one of the running watches women commonly use, you can keep track of your progress. A Foot POD attaches to your running shoes and transmits a signal to your running watch. A Foot POD measures your speed and distance based on your running stride length. For example you may notice that you can run at the same heart rate level for much longer than you ever did previously. It is easy to use when you are travelling and would like to know how far you have run and what your average pace has been. You should be aware though that when you are running up hill your speed will drop. You should not worry too much about your speed and distance, but by taking a quick glance at every 5 minute interval you can get a picture of how well you are going, but if you are worried about all advanced features and functions that are found in the best running watch women use the most, it will take most of the fun out of running which is the last thing you want.

What Should A Running Woman Eat and Drink?

You must always eat regularly and sufficiently, regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight. Many women make the mistake of foregoing a warm dinner in favour of light sandwiches. Eating an insubstantial meal such as this will not keep your hunger at bay and you will most likely eating too many bad foods that are high in fat and calories in the snacks you take to make up the difference. Many women also make the mistake of eating too few proteins such as chicken, fish or soy.

For a healthy, balanced diet you ideally need to have meals every 3-4 hours. Snacks are also a good thing to have. While it may seem like you will lose a lot of weight by only eating green salad, this will not take you far and your fitness will not progress well with no fuel in the tank. Fish oil consumed either by eating real fish or via a capsule is important to ensure that you have enough omega 3 fatty acid. Additional vitamin D and calcium is necessary if you do not with to consume dairy products.

During the hustle and bustle of a busy working day, many women forget to drink enough water and as a result feel tired and stale in the afternoon. We all need at least 2 litres of water every day, including an additional one liter for every hour of exercise. Water can be consumed in sports drink, juice and tea or coffee in the office, however be wary about sports drinks as many are high in calories.

How To Run When You Have No Time?

Running is a sport that is convenient for time management, it is possible to fit a run in whenever you like which makes it easy to squeeze it in around other commitments. Because it is entirely up to you whether to go for a run or not, it is far too easy to skip a run if you are busy or tired after a long day at work. The worst thing you can do in such a case is to spend your time pondering whether to go or not, when in doubt you should just go! There are exceptions of course when you are stressed out or sick when you should not or simply cannot go for a run. To help stay motivated it helps to set goals. A goal does not need to be a marathon, but you could, for instance aim to run in a 5 or 10 km fun run, or even a half marathon. Goals can also be simple things like to commit yourself to running 2-3 times a week for the next three months. Once you have achieved this, you can then decide what to do next. It is also helpful to mark all your activities in a training diary and even to schedule in planned runs that you intend to you. This way you can hold yourself accountable and try to improve on too many missed training runs if this is a problem for you. Do not be afraid to tell your friends that you have decided to take up running. Often they will offer support to you. Running is a very social sport and there are many running women who partake in this activity, it is a way to maintain an active social life and if you are lucky you might even convince your non running friends to start-up and join you!

The options for hardcore athletes looking for the next gadget to give them the extra edge that will take them past their competitors to the finish line for a race win just got another boost with the release of the Polar RCX5 watch. Earlier this month, fitness gadget maker Polar finally rolled out the new watch design from its shelves after months of offering free testing on prototype units to get the initial pulse of the tech-savvy and highly conscientious fitness community. The result is the Polar RCX5 Heart Rate Monitor watch that builds on the success of its predecessors but retains some unique elements that are expected to make it a heavy favorite for runners, swimmers, bikers and sports enthusiasts alike.

The first thing that one should know about this most recent Polar release is that it offers the most complete package in terms of training in various sports specifically those that cater to the Triathlon market. Because of this versatility and flexibility designed to meet the various niches of the sport, athletes are dubbing this release the Polar RCX5 training computer watch. The complete kit comes flushed with accessories including the watch itself which has a very slim and elegant profile, the G5 GPS pod, the Wearlink+ Hybrid Heart Rate Strap, the S3+ stride sensor or footpod, and the wireless Polar USB Datalink stick which enables online downloading and transmission of training data to a nearby computer. The package gets you suited up for any condition – outdoor, indoor, wet, dry, remote, urban; name it, the Polar RCX5 fitness monitor watch is all geared up and ready.

Building on its reputation as a premier provider of heart rate sensors, this RCX5 Polar heart rate monitor watch is a formidable piece of fitness equipment. The Polar RCX5 heart rate monitors give accurate readouts of heart beats per minute which helps to quantify intensity of the workout and determine areas that require improvement. Without the Polar RCX5 HRM, it would be difficult to determine one’s level of performance accurately; however, with the heart rate monitor fully engaged, an athlete can concentrate on the workout and later review the available data to look for trends that would point to the best areas for improvement. This is made possible by the fact that it is easy to trend and chart data from previous workouts so you can see how your heart rate varies versus elevation, speed, distance and duration of the training and many other elements that you can customize in the watch interface. All told, the Polar RCX5 heart rate monitor review written by both those who purchased the watch shortly after release or even those who have long had the prototype versions available for testing are satisfied with Polar’s continuing emphasis on personal fitness via heart rate monitors.

Another fancy upgrade to the Polar heart rate monitors RCX5 is that it comes with a hands-free feature. Once workout screens are optimized, you can switch between different pages of data by utilizing the HeartTouch feature. Simply swipe the watch across the Polar heart rate monitor RCX5 and the watch appropriately flips through the various data screens to give you what you need. This eliminates the constant need to fidget with buttons while running so you can get to the screen view that you want; instead, a simple swiping motion replaces the work of a few button touches.

The new Polar release is perfect for any segment of the triathlon community. Its slim profile makes it a suitable Polar RCX5 female watch but it’s elegant black and red combination does not dismiss it from being a Polar RCX5 mens watch. It’s universally designed to meet all sorts of needs in all sorts of conditions instantly transforming from a Polar RCX5 ladies watch to a high-tech Polar RCX5 heart monitor, or a full-fledged, high performance, high intensity gadget that suits any environment. Swimming is a breeze with the Polar RCX5; so is cycling! The watch is guaranteed to revolutionize your workouts and bring it to a whole new level.

Of course, we cannot proceed without nitpicking on a few details just because we know it’s bound to come up at some point. First off, the displays are a little small compared to other models. Debating between the Polar RCX5 vs RS800CX in terms of display is just about the only thing that will benefit users who want to stick with the now old RS800CX. Secondly, some screens can be quite loaded and messy, another thing that would swing the Polar RCX5 vs RS800 debate just a bit, but still not quite.

Outside of these two minor complaints, the Polar RCX5 reviews by many users dub it nothing short of a winner. Whether you prefer the Polar RCX5 red, the Polar RCX5 black, whether you want it to be a Polar RCX5 female heart rate monitor watch or a Polar RCX5 mens heart rate monitor watch, this is one release by Polar that is sure to gain a few enthusiastic and loyal supporters, perhaps even convert loyal advocates from rival brands to be staunch Polar users. If nothing else, then the drive to make this an acceptable Polar RCX5 ladies heart rate monitor watch in the eyes of many conveniently serves the intended market strategy of making it a true darling of the running, cycling, swimming and triathlon community.

Given the strength of many a Polar RCX5 review on the internet, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see an explosion of new Polar RCX5s in the next event nearest you. The Polar RCX5 price is a relatively cheap $400 for the base kit which only excludes the $10 bike mount and the G5 GPS pod. Base kits from competing brands sell for $400 but don’t include the foot pod sensor and other accessories making this Polar release a true leap in both technology and customer value. Buy Polar RCX5 and be ahead of the curve the next time you’re out on the road for a workout or on the route for a race. With the Polar RCX5, you will never have to skip a beat again.

Buy This Watch On Amazon

This article covers water resistance rating on sports watches. If you are searching for waterproof watches for swimming, we expect to have articles on finding a water resistant watch swimming soon.

When it comes to buying a watch, a feature that is displayed prominently on most watches is the water resistance of the timepiece, but what does this really mean? What is the difference between a water resistant and waterproof watches? These terms are somewhat vague, so here we will provide a complete explanation of how sports watches are rated for water resistance.

The way watches are rated for water resistance is by placing a watch in a pressure chamber that is comparable to a given depth under standard water pressure. While most watches are marked “water resistance”, if no depth rating is specified (50 meters, 100 meters, etc), then these watches are NOT designed to be submerged below the surface of the water at all. They may hold up under certain conditions for a while when submerged, but if kept underwater for an extended length of time they will eventually leak, so to label a watch waterproof, you will need to check the product specification very carefully to ensure your watch is tested in underwater conditions.

Generally if you need a watch that you can use below the surface of the water, ensure that you get a waterproof sports watch that features a screw-down crown and screw-down caseback. Watches with these are extremely effective at resisting water seepage, whereas a normal standard sports watch will lead to dissapointing results if you use it for too long in water. When buying a watch you should keep in mind that “water resistant” generally means resistant from accidental wetting. Say if you drop it into the bath by accident, but only for a couple of seconds.

Water resistancy is tested under static conditions and under the pressure that is equivalent to a certain depth below the surface. Given that pressure can sometimes be equated to the velocity that a watch moves under water, if you are thrashing your arms around in the water, say if you’re swimming for instance, the resulting pressure that the watch is under is greater than the actual depth of the water itself. If the resulting pressure is greater than the rated water reistancy, then the watch could be at risk of leaking.

Sudden changes in temeprature can also be a factor, like when you wear your watch in a hot bath. The sudden change in temperature that is experienced when you sit down in the bath, serves to put strain on the rubber gaskets, steel case and base metal which risks your watches water resistancy and integrity of it’s sealing capacity. Unless you have a waterproof sports watch, or a watch with a high grade of water resistance, then you should ensure that you take your watch off when bathing.

You should also keep in mind that even with waterproof sport watches, the precision gaskets that protect the setting stem, case-back or the crystal dial window at the front of the watch will get weaker over time due to normal wear and tear. Your watch should be inspected periodically and when it reaches the point where it is worn, should be replaced or kept away from water. Corrosion of the case-back sealing area or the crown in waterproof sports watches, is another area of concern and these areas should also ideally be inspected.

How Submergible Is Your Watch?

The general way of telling whether a watches waterproof rating is to check the label on the dial (usually between the 4 and 7 o’clock marks) or on the case-back to review the rating of a particular time-piece. A watch with no depth rating can be considered not designed for deliberate submergion beneath the water. According to guidelines issued by the Federal Trade commission since the 1960′s, watchmakers are not permitted to print the worlds “waterproof” on their watches. This has aided us to achieve a more honest means of accurately appraising a watch. Even timepieces that are designed for deap-sea diving can not claim to be waterproof as the seals that keep water out are not entirely immune from the effects of deterioration, chemicals and aging. This is a globally recognized standard.

The following table can be used as a general guide to the suitabiliy to different actvities of a given watch rating. Generally the following “rules” apply to the majority of sports watch water resistance ratings.

Non-Water Resistant Watches: These should not be exposed to the water AT ALL. You must take extreme care that these are not exposed to sitautions that could result in the entrance of moisture such as steam for instance.

Water Resistant: Water resistant watches are not intended for swimming or bathing, they should not be explosed to a direct flow of water under pressure such as water from a shower, a faucet or garden hose, although they are safe from accidental wetting.

100m Resistant: These are designed to be used in activities involving exposure to water. They are not, however designed for scuba diving, where considerable pressure is involved.

Category	Water Resistance	Professional Deep Water Diving	Recreational Scuba Diving	Bathing, Swimming or Snorkeling	Accidental Wetting
Divers’ Watches	300 Meters+ 990 Feet 30 ATM	(incl. saturation)
	200 Meters 660 Feet 20 ATM	(not saturation)
High Grade Water Resistant Watches	150 Meters 500 Feet 15 ATM
	100 Meters 330 Feet 10 ATM
General Water Resistant Watches	50 Meters 165 Feet 5 ATM
	30 Meters 100 Feet 3 ATM
	10 Meters 33 Feet 1 ATM
Not Water Resistant

When using analog waterproof watches for swimmers, you should alway ensure that the crown and case-back are screwed in and that you reframe from pressing any of the push-buttons while under water. After use in the water, the watch should be wiped dry before you attempt to change any settings.

In the world of watches, a manufacturer needs to obtain an IP code rating for a particular watch in order for the mark of water resistance to appear anywhere on the watch body. It should be noted that ratings apply to individual parts of the watch and not the timepiece as a whole so if a “WR” rating is printed on the wrist band and not the case, then the rating applies to the band, and not necessarily the case as well. IP stands for International Protection or Ingress Protection and there are various different IP codes for different types of protection, but with regards to water protection there are two certifications, ISO 2281 and ISO 6425.

Water Resistance Requirements In ISO 2281 Watches

The ISO standard for both an analog and digital waterproof watch is a standard which prohibits the term waterproof being used on watches. In order to pass this certification, it is not required that every individual watch be subjected to testing, lot testing is also required. This standard was only intended for watches that are intended for ordinary daily using during exercise under water for brief periods and under conditions where temperature and water pressure may vary. The tests include:

Immersion for one hour in 10cm of water

Immersion and with a force of 5 Newtons perpendicular to the crown and pusher buttons in 10cm of water for 10 minutes

Immersion in 10cm of water at a range of temperatures (40°C, 20°C, 40°C) for 5 minutes each and with transition between temperatures less than 5 minutes. There should be no evidence of water intrusion or condensation.

Immersion in a pressure vessel and subjection to a rated pressure for 1 hour. There should be no evidence of water intrusion or condensation.

Exposure to overpressure of 2 bar. No more than 50µg/min of air should penetrate the case.

The ISO 6425 Divers’ Watch Standard

ISO also have a certificate called ISO 6425, which is generally intended as an entry-level standard for waterproof watches intended for divers. The key difference between this and ISO 2281 is that that each and every watch must be tested and to 125% of the rated depth, so for example a 300M watch would be tested to 375M. The tests in ISO 6425 are more comprehensive and include the following:

Immersion in 30 cmof water for 50 hours.

Immersion in 30cm of water under 125% of the rated pressure under a force of 5 N perpendicular to the crown and pusher buttons (if any) for a period of 10 minutes.

Immersion in 30 cm of water at the following temperatures for 5 minutes each, 40°C, 5°C and 40°C again, with the transition between temperatures within 1 minute. There should be no evidence of water intrusion or condensation.

Immersion of the watch in a suitable pressure vessel and subjecting it to 125% of the rated pressure for 2 hours. The pressure must be applied within 1 minute. Subsequently the overpressure shall be reduced to 0.3 bar(negative pressure) within 1 minute and maintained at this pressure for 1 hour. No evidence of water intrusion or condensation is allowed.

For mixed gas diving the watch has to be immersed in a suitable pressure vessel and subjecting it to 125% of the rated pressure over a 15 day period in a helium-enriched breathing gas mix.

When completed, the overpressure is to be reduced to normal pressure within 3 minutes with no evidence of condensation, water intrusionor or any other problems caused by internal overpressure.

(Optional) Exposure of the watch to an overpressure of 2 bar with no more than 50µg/min of air permitted to enter the case.

With the exception of thermal shock, all subsequent ISO 6425 testing is conducted at 18°C to 25°C temperature.

Whatches that have been confirmed to conform to ISO 6425 are marked with the word DIVER’S to denote that they are designed for diving. Watches that are ISO 6425 compliant can be considered waterproof despite the fact that manufacturers are not permitted to print the world “waterproof” on the case of the watch. There are many mens waterproof watches as well as ladies waterproof watches that are ISO 6425 tested. There are even kids waterproof watches and cheaper version such as Timex waterproof watches. These watches are generally more expensive, but are also much tougher due to the rigour of the testing process. Classic diving watches come in analog format, however there are many waterproof digital watch designs from watchmakers like Suunto that provide you with advanced, modern diving features and perform considerable “number crunching” that would otherwise need to be manually determined using diving tables.

There is currently a battle in the running watch scene between two high-tech devices that achieve the same thing, but in different ways. On one side is the pedometer watch, which is cheap and basic, it gets the job done and provides a number of functions that are not present in a standard running watch. On the other hand is the fancier, feature-rich GPS watch, it is bulkier, heavier and a lot more expensive, but is the ultimate running tool for runners who want to push their training to new heights.

If you’re a keen runner, or an enthusiast in another sport for that matter, then choosing between these two watches is a tough job. This is especially true if you’re not the sort who is easily coaxed into buying into the latest “fad” gadget. To state the fact bluntly, a pedometer watch will nearly always provide you with the functionality you need for basic running at only a mere fraction of the price of a GPS watch like the Garmin Forerunner. A pedometer watch provides you with relatively accurate readings for distance, pace and other useful running metrics and some even feature advanced pace reminders and can provide you with advanced features above this, but on the other hand, the majority of pedometer watches are targeted mostly at those who are aiming to lose weight and get fit rather than active runners who seek to improve on their running times.

While in the past pedometers were far less accurate than the high-precision readings provided in a GPS watch, with the introduction of advanced accelerometer technology it is now possible for a pedometer watch to provide speed and distance readings that are exceptionally accurate, thus the pedometer watch is no longer the slouch that it used to be and holds up much better under tunnels or around large buildings or tree that would otherwise obstruct the GPS signal.

To be fair to the GPS watch, however, a really good GPS watch for runners provides you with some high-level features that are not offered in cheap pedometer watches. The Garmin Forerunner for example offers you advanced, structured workouts, the courses feature that allows you to run against previously recorded times for a pre-set course and the popular Virtual Partner feature, that allows you to “compete” against a computerised competitor at a pre-defined pace. The Garmin will display how far behind or ahead you are placed in comparison to your virtual partner during a training session or even a race.

GPS watches also provide you with pace alerts (some pedometers offer this too), which allows you to train within a lower and upper pace limit. The watch will sound an alarm when you breach this zone, alerting you to the fact that you need to adjust your pace. Most of the high-end GPS watches, feature the ability to transfer your training data to a computer and imported into software that comes standard when you purchase the watch. Most software allows you to keep an electronic training diary and to perform advanced analysis on your workouts. You can also import the courses you have run and view a 3D representation of them in the software.

At the end of the day, the choice between a pedometer and GPS watches will come down to your personal preference as well as the type of training you do on a regular basis. The most important thing is to ensure that if you are paying a lot of money for a watch that it has all the features that you need and that you will use them in your day-to-day training program. If there are a lot of features that you won’t ever use then you are wasting your money which may be better spent on a cheaper product. Even a cheaper product like a pedometer watch may be overkill, although it won’t cost you nearly as much money this does not mean it is money well spent if you only use the basic chronograph stopwatch timer and not the step counter, speed and distance measure and other unique features that these devices offer. As with all major purchases, do your research, buy what you need within your price range and have fun!

A pedometer measure the number of steps you have taken during a pre-defined period. This makes them the ideal device to buy if you are starting out on a new fitness routine and would like to build up gently by walking before building up to a more substantial type of exercise. Most modern pedometers can also approximate the calories you have burned making them a great tool for assisting with weight-loss activities. By entering your stride length and running gait, most can also provide you with an approximation for speed and distance making them a far cheaper alternative to a GPS watch.

The traditional pedometer is designed to clip onto your belt-buckle and must remain at the right angle in order to register accurate readings. However accelerometer pedometers have taken off recently and provide far more accurate readings without the need for such precise placement. Accelerometer technology is more advanced than that used in more traditional pendulum pedometers and hence these types of devices will cost more, however they are also far more reliable and less likely to register “incident steps”, another recent trend that we are seeing more and more of is the emergence of pedometer watch that you wear on your wrist as opposed to pedometers devices that you wear on your belt or in your pocket.

The obvious difference between pedometer watches and traditional pedometer is the way in which they are worn. If you are a runner, then a popular wrist pedometer such as the Tech 4 O is a smart choice, as with a worn pedometer you risk it falling off during rigorous exercise sessions. When buying a pedometer watch you are best to look for one that features an accelerometer as these are highly accurate and more reliable in general. They will cost slightly more but are not over-priced and will far well in the long-term. For some ideas on the best pedometer watches to buy, check out our top 5 pedometer watch guide.

A regular pedometer is a better choice for those who are doing low-level activities such as walking to get fit or lose weight. One of the best choices for walkers is a pocket pedometer such as the Omron HJ-113, which is small and lightweight, extremely cheap at around $26.95 on Amazon as well as highly sophisticated and accurate. The Omron pedometer watches fit comfortably into your pocket, but also offer you the option of clipping on like a traditional style of device. The Omron models feature a clear digital display with three easy to use interface buttons and multiple functional modes. In short if you are a runner and would like cheap and accurate speed and distance, then refer to our pedometer watch recommendations, but on the other hand if you are walking to get fit, the Omron pedometers are a cheap and reliable choice in pedometer technology.

The Timex Military “Camper” Watch

Price: $18.95

If you are seeking a reliable and great performing cheap outdoors watch, then the classic Timex Military Watch is a great choice to consider. It is made by Timex who are responsible for the famous Timex Ironman watch that was first released in the early 1980′s, the Military watch is a quite different watch that is a tribute to the vintage era of watches that were popular back in the 1960s. The Military watch is best known for its high durability, and simplicity in design. It is a tough watch that is designed to hold up under harsh outdoor conditions, while it is not fancy it does what it sets out to achieve and does it amazingly well.

The first main selling point of the Timex Military watch is the classic looks of the

The Timex Military Chrono Version

Price: $114.95

watch along with its durability and reliability. The watch can be considered a throwback to he 1940′s when the first designs emerged on the market and it still closely mirrors these early watches, with the exception of a few upgrades and enhancements such as an internal quartz movement that ensures the watch is on time even after many years of operation. The modern version of the Military watch features a durable nylon strap that will not break like other cheap sports watches. For the low price this is a durable watch that will hold up under rough-and-tumble conditions amazingly well.

There are a couple of general variations on the Timex Military watch, the basic cheap version which can be purchased on Amazon for around $20 USD is also called the Timex analog “Camper” watch. The camper watch is a durable basic watch that keeps a simple time with dial markers for both 12 and 24-hour time. It does what it sets out to do and does it well.

The Timex Military Chrono watch on the other hand is a more expensive version that also brags more functionality. The Military Chrono watch features three sub-dials, two-side buttons on the right hand side and a central crown. The sub-dials facilitate a running chronograph stopwatch feature. Unlike the cheap Military watch the Military Chrono watch prominently 12-hour time in large Arabic numbers but not 24 hour time. With a steel case back and mineral crystal dial, the Timex Military Chrono watch is water-resistant to 100 meters (330 feet) and is a more modern and nicer looking watch for wearing out in a casual setting.