Tuesday, August 18, 2009

How To Pick The Finest GPS Running Watch For You

By Derick Sanuro

Technology has come a long way in a short stage of time. A good illustration is the Global Positioning System which is a collection of satellites in geosynchronous orbit which triangulates your location to as close as 3 meters. Shrink that technology, place it in a wristwatch, and you have an instrument that runners call the GPS runner watch.

Because a GPS running watch combines GPS tracking facility with the information collection capability of a computer, it can pull together and store numbers on lots of aspects of your run. Some of the data a GPS running watch can gather include speed, pace, distance, and course data.

The information can be used as you run to help pace yourself. Also, it can be downloaded to your PC at the finish of your run to study your progress. The most resourceful GPS running watches have multi-session features which let you to evaluate numerous runs.

A GPS runner watch looks just like a standard digital watch, but fairly larger, since it uses a GPS transmitter built within. GPS runner watches can be set for several different workout types as well as interval workouts, simple time or distance workouts, calorie burn workouts, and heart rate workouts.

An interval workout is sometimes called a step workout. It consists of a period of intense exercise followed by a period of recovery. For example, you might run hard for three minutes and then rest by walking for one minute.

A distance workout would merely record the distance you've run and notify you as soon as you reached your goal. The timed workout function is just like a countdown timer. It notifies you after a specific quantity of time has passed. A heart rate workout helps you keep your heart rate in a certain range and alerts you once your heart rate rises beyond a specific upper boundary or goes beneath a certain lower target. Lastly, for a calorie burn workout the GPS running watch would alert you when you have burned the number of calories you set as a goal.

Various GPS running functions include altimeters to record inclines and declines, thermometers to gather weather information along with warm-up and cool-down settings. Numerous GPS running watches use foot pods inserted in your shoes to measure your pace and the length of your stride. They can also use a heart monitor to monitor your pulse so that you can stay within your training range. Plus, you don't have to be troubled around getting lost because your GPS running watch can mark your course and steer you with downloadable digital maps.

Many GPS running watches can be converted from wrist-top units to handlebar-attached units for use with a bike. This alternative is especially helpful if you compete in biathlon or triathlon races. Most GPS running watches have bike speed and cadence sensors. You can also discover waterproof GPS running watches that work as many as 50 meters in depth.

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