New Toy

Well, I did it. I convinced the wife. Yesterday I purchased a Garmin Forerunner 205. It should be here before my race on Saturday. This is such a powerful training tool here is a rundown of the features.

The Forerunner 205 keeps you on track with innovative features including:

• New! Sleek, stylish, lightweight design that "wraps" the GPS antenna around part of the wrist for a better view of the sky, improving reception during training
• New! High sensitivity GPS receiver provides faster acquisition times and improves tracking under trees and near tall buildings
• New! Customizable screens let you view up to 12 data fields on 3 data screens for immediate feedback on the information you need most when training
• Multi-sport™ capability lets you seamlessly transition between sports without resetting the unit, so you can use it for running, biking, and more

Easy to use — no calibration required. Just turn it on and go
Customize your Forerunner 205 to get the most out of your training. To help you achieve your personal best, the Forerunner 205 includes the following smart features:

• New! Courses feature lets you download recorded courses and compete against previous workouts
• Auto Pause® pauses and resumes training timer based on a specified speed so you never have to start or stop the timer
• Auto Lap® records lap data when you reach a specified time, distance or position so you never have to punch the lap button
• Virtual Partner™ lets you train against a digital person at specified time, distance or pace goals
• AutoScroll™ cycles through data pages during a workout

Included Garmin Training Center software helps you tailor workouts to meet specific goals and objectives. Create your own workouts or use workout templates included on the CD. Interactive analysis tools let you chart performance overlaid on a map.

Data acquired by the Forerunner may also be analyzed with MotionBased.com, a web-based application that has partnered with Garmin. MotionBased™ provides in-depth analysis of your workouts, online mapping and route sharing that will take your training to the next level.

Endurance athletes may also use the Forerunner with TrainingPeaks.com, an easy-to-use web based training system designed to help athletes train for any event.

Forerunner 205 Features:

• GPS: High Sensitivity SiRFstarIII™ architecture
• Weight: 2.72 oz. (77 grams)
• Display (WxH): 1.3” x 0.8” (33mm x 20.3mm)
• Physical size (WxHxD): 2.1 ” x .7 ” x 2.7” (53.3mm x 17.8mm x 68.6mm)
• Lap Memory: 1,000 laps
• Battery: Rechargeable internal lithium ion
• Battery Life: 10 hours (typical use)
• Waterproof: IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 mins.)

I'm really looking forward to receiving it this week and testing it out. Have a great Monday.