Training plans and tracking progress - thoughts?

Hi,

I am a newbie to these forums, and wondered whether anyone could lend a hand with some thoughts on a few things for me?

I started training as a triathlete a few months ago, and am so far loving every second, so I wanted to get a new, shiny piece of kit so I can satfisy my data needs.  I found the new Garmin Edges online and love the look of them, but wanted your opinions first. I have done a bit of research as I didn't want to just go out and buy one, and the online site, Garmin connect looks pretty nifty too. Seen some information about live tracking with the new cycling GPS',  which looks fantastic, but wondered if anyone had actually used this feature as yet?

What are your thoughts? Would love to hear some opinions before I head out and buy one!

Thanks!

Hi Emma

Have you looked at the Garmion 910xt? It doesn't have all the maps etc., but I think it does almost everything else if you add the cadence sensor. Plus you can you use it for running and swimming.

Got the 810 and love it, if you plan a course before you set out and tell it that's the course you are using not only will live track show where you are but it will also show where you are headed.
I know I'd really be find without it but when I set off solo for a long ride it's nice to know hubby can easily see where I am at any time incase of mechanical failure etc. Was definitley comforting to know as I struggled my way across a snowy air field in the middle of no where last week.
I have a pretty good sense of direction but it's also nice to know that if I just get too tired or the weather is too awful I can hit the home button and it will figure out the quickest way home again for me.
But it's no use when running or swimming, well acutally you can get a strap to put it on your wrist and run with it but it's huge and I'm so slow running that I'm never too far from home anyway.
I did do my first race on Sunday and it is tricky to set these devices up quickly and correctly in transitions though so although I'd have them I'd rely on the race results for the real times.

Thanks AliBear30! That's good to know about the live tracking!

Do you use the Garmin connect website much? Like with the groups and social side of it? I thought that sounded really interesting!

I do a bit but i think a lot of people use stravia or Athlinks sites for that kind of thing since they're not device specific so cover a wider audience.
On Garmin I've got a few fellow pirates connected and my local tri-club has a group on there which I'm a member off.
Sometimes it's encouraging to see what others are up to , but usually it's slightly depressing as they're all far better than me.

I have the 910xt and I do think it's the bee's knees. It does have basic navigation aids and has the get me home function. I guess it would depend on how much running / biking / swimming you are planning on doing as to which would be more useful.

I use Garmin connect, it's a good bit of software, I do find it more useful than some of the other software out there, I wasn't a fan of Strava.

 is the 'get me home function' used post pub BBT??

I use 910XT and the Garmin connect site now, which is all I need or am likely to in the future, I used to use Runtastic on my phone (Android, although there's an iThing option for it as well). The paid version of that (4 quid) also gives you a live track so that other peple can watch where you are via the Runtastic website. I sometimes still use that for solo bike rides so that my other half can work out what ditch I've gone into if the tracker suddenly stops!

The Runtastic website is reasonable for logging simple distance and elevation, and they are starting to do heart rate stuff, but the Garmin site is a fair way ahead.

re software

Garmin connect is Ok but free
Strava is Ok but free
TrainingPeaks is excellent but costs 6£ a month(ish) - sign up annually but use the IMTalk discount code.

for strava and garmin, make sure your settings are tweaked so someone cannot identify where you live, (stava hides start/end destinations on a map, garmin connect can be set to not make rides public......)

BrokeButTri'ng wrote (see)

I have the 910xt and I do think it's the bee's knees. It does have basic navigation aids and has the get me home function. 

where's the get me home function on the 910xt?

If you are getting one I'd definitely get one with the full mapping function - i have a fairly old 705 and while I am on strava I don't really bother that much with it - but the mapping and navigation I use a lot.  

Bokster wrote (see)

BrokeButTri'ng wrote (see)

I have the 910xt and I do think it's the bee's knees. It does have basic navigation aids and has the get me home function. 

where's the get me home function on the 910xt?

In the menu page, go into the GPS section and select Back to start.

The back to start has been on the 310XT and the 305. You don't get a map but it does point an arrow in the right direction. It will also sketch a line of you route so far and show your line progressing back to start.

garmin 800 and 810 do the get me home with full turn by turn instructions

I'm a man, I have never been lost in my life so will never need it