The summer is finally starting to come around as are my desire for adventures. I have been somewhat against GPS technology in the past. I remember the Garmin was starting to get popular and I thought they were abnormally large watches for skinny runners to wear. Beyond the size of the watch, I used to think it made training more of a duty and one could not enjoy running while checking every quarter mile split like an obsessive compulsive psycho. After a few years and personally trying out a Garmin I changed my mind and joined the crew of psycho runners. Its great to get out and not use GPS everyday, but on occasion it can be a great training tool. Due to some very distinct differences between the MIO GPS watch known as the Quest I eventually got rid of my Garmin. Why you say? I will break this review down plain and simple.
1. Garmin GPS is way too large and you can actually feel its weight. The Quest is quite lightweight.
2. This brings me to a very important comparison regarding fit. The Garmin watches are known for having straps that break quite easily. Then you end up spending more money on straps for your watch. The Quest has straps that give the watch a one-piece molded unit look and feel. It is not in fact one piece, however it stays together and the watch can be tightened snug on the wrist so that it does not wobble or catch on to your clothes.
3. Another really cool feature I found with the Quest is the detailed data. You can literally break down your data to see exactly how fast you were going at any 5 second period of your workout.
4. A big problem I have with new technology is touch screens. The Mio Quest has buttons! That means when you get all sweaty or if you live in Washington and have some rainy days you don't have to worry about your watch malfunctioning due to moisture on your touch screen. Thank you Mio, I hope all of your future watches have buttons as well.
5. Another unique feature, one that I found pretty easy to operate is the mapmyrun link on your Mio GPS data program. As some outdoor enthusiasts know, Mapmyrun can be used when plotting way points, courses, races, runs etc. You can leave your home, map a course, post it to maymyrun and share it with your local walking/hiking/running/biking community. I recently posted a map (pictured below) of a race I ran where the athletes finished on a horse track. Pretty tough to run the last mile in terrain comparable to deep wet sand!
Stay Tuned.... I will be representing the USA National Mountain Running Team at the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships in Tirana, Albania September 11th!!
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