Customer Reviews:
 Though it was better October 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought it thinking it was great, the 8th wonder on the world. Guess what?! It was not. It works great when it gets the satellite signal. The program that comes with it is not that good at all - I miss my polar pro trainer. It is big, which is good and bat at the same time, good as it allows you to see pretty fast. Bad because it's big.
Last sunday went to run and the sun shone. I have a big white space on my wrist (ok, ok, I forgot sunscreen).
On this same day, it went trough a couple of tunnels and it got completly lost after leaving but it recovered within 2 min.
I'd still recommend for those who like gadgets, like me.
 best birthday gift I've ever bought for myself October 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My wife bought me a Nike sportband for my training but it wouldn't ever calibrate for my slow running so I returned it and bought this instead. This thing is amazing in its capabilities. Since September I've dropped my 5k time by 3 minutes since I can now watch my heart rate stay in the proper zone so I don't short sell myself while not overdoing it.
Size does matter October 15, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I was torn between the 305 and 405, particularly since the functionality seems to be about the same. What made the difference for me was actually going to the store and trying each one on. I am a female with very small wrists, so I thought the 405 might be better. But when I tried them on, I was surprised to find that the 305 is a MUCH better fit. The band on the 405 consists of stiff plastic on either side of the face, while the 305 band is flexible rubber on either side of the face. The 405 was therefore more bulky, and uncomfortable just standing in the store wearing it. While the face of the 305 is larger, it is designed to wrap around the wrist and seems less bulky. Yes, the 305 looks geeky, but so does the 405 if you're a small person. (I found that Amazon's prices were much cheaper, even with 1-day shipping, so even though I tried them on in-store, I ordered from Amazon).
Update: Used the 305 for the first time today on a run in Central Park, and it worked perfectly. I chose an organized race to try it out, so I could test its accuracy against the course mileage and course clock - it matched up perfectly, and never dropped a signal in the park. After reading all the reviews re: current pace issues, I set mine to show four fields: (1) time; (2) distance; (3) current pace; (4) average pace. I did notice some erratic changes in the current pace, and it does seem to lag a few seconds, but most of the time it matched up well with the average pace (which was incredibly helpful), and did generally reflect when I was running faster or slower. It was nice to be able to compare how my "current pace" tracked against my average for the race.
My first use of this watch also resulted in a new PR for me (by almost 40 seconds). I found it incredibly useful in staying motivated. It was great to see the faster current pace, which made me feel good and want to continue it, and it was helpful to see when I was starting to slow, so I could pick it back up. Highly recommended!
Works Great! October 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was originally thinking about the Forerunner 205 with the thought that a heart-rate sensor wasn't that important but after reading through information at various sites I decided I might want the heart-rate monitor. I am sure glad I got it. This device was very good as I ran my first half-marathon recently and has worked without a flaw through all of my training. I definitely recommend it!
 Great while it lasted October 14, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have used my Garmin Forerunner 305 for about a year and a half. It was always well taken care of. It was never dropped or submerged in water. I have used the Forerunner 305 to help train for several races including half-marathons, military physical training tests, dualathons... The Garmin was a great tool to help gauge my exertion level and speed. I really enjoyed being able to just hit the pavement and run without really planning out a distance route ahead of time. After running I could download my training session to the pc and track my progress.
Then about a week ago during a race my watch just stopped. I can reboot it and it stays on as long as I don't put any pressure on the back of the watch. There seems to be a short somewhere under the back plate of the watch. Of course the warranty has now expired...which leaves me wondering what to buy now. I don't want to drop another $200 bucks on the same model and only have it last another year or so...
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