I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, and are getting in a workout to work off all of the turkey an pie. For those black Friday shoppers out there, Garmin has some sales on their website. Check it out:
Shop now or wait for the weekend: Save money, time and stress with Garmin
This is a busy week. If you’re still in the office, you’re trying to squeeze five days’ worth of work into three (or fewer). If you’re hitting the road, you have plenty of hours and miles ahead of you. If you’re hosting for the holidays, you’re making your lists and checking them twice. And throughout it all, we try to remind ourselves to enjoy the time with family and friends and give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. So you shouldn’t be shackled to your phone or laptop hoping for crazy prices at even crazier hours of the day.
So we’re trying to reduce stress while still providing you the types of discounts that only come around once a year. Our Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals just went live atgarmin.com/holiday, and we’re keeping them active through the weekend. You can either start your shopping now (just keep an eye out for your boss if you’re still at work) or wait until things calm down this weekend. The same great deals will be there waiting for you. Bargains like our Approach S1 golf watch for only $169.99. Three cool styles, all the same amazing features, such as thousands of preloaded golf courses to tell you how far to the front, middle and back of green, wherever you’re at on the course. Or for just $79.99, you can get the nuvi 40 for the road tripper on your list so that they can get from Point A to Point B (and everywhere in between) safely and stress-free. If you know a runner who wants to eliminate the guesswork from their workouts, our popular Forerunner 110 andForerunner 610 watches are priced to move fast.
When you have a moment, head over to garmin.com/holiday and shop around. But no need to rush. Help yourself to dessert. Play a game of cards. Take a nap while pretending to watch football. Get outside for a walk or a ride. We’ve made shopping easy so that you can spend that extra time and money making the most of the holiday season.
We’ve been running around the past three weeks with the Sportiiiis heads up display heart rate monitor. If you’re looking for a heart rate monitor that displays heart rate using an LED bargraph that can be used with your glasses, and also provides an audible indication of heart rate, check this one out. It is especially useful if you are a cyclist or runner who doesn’t want to or can’t look at your watch while you are riding or running. We can’t seem to put this one down. It is definitely a new approach to heart rate monitor training. If you want to read more, check out our review here.
We received our evaluation Garmin Fenix GPS watch for review. If you like to hike and spend any time in the outdoors, this thing might be for you. You can track your hiking and training progress, set waypoints, find your way if you get lost, geocache, and just have fun. It has an altimeter, barometer, compass, and of course GPS. You can get it with a heart rate monitor, and it works with the other Garmin training accessories. This product this might be most at home on the trail, but we will let you know how useful it is for training purposes. We’ll let you know what we think, provide updates, and give you the full blown review when we’re done with it.
Hi all! I found this over on the Garmin website at Peg’s Post. You can now get 20% off of any Garmin accessories by visiting their site and using the coupon codes listed below. The sale runs through October, so if you are looking for Garmin heart rate monitor and GPS accessories, get on over and place your order.
Peg’s Posts: accessorize, colorize & save
Here’s a shopping tip for our faithful fitness fans: for the month of October, you can shop Garmin.com, select accessories to your heart’s content and save 20% on your entire order. Just enter code FALL20 at checkout. Choose from our most popular fitness accessories, like the premium soft strap heart rate monitor to newer offerings, like these colorful accessory bands for the Forerunner 910XT multisport watch. Cyclists will want to take a look at our new out-front mount, which positions the Edge bike computer in a heads-up position for better viewability and increased safety. If you roll with Garmin gear for driving, hiking, golfing, flying, boating or any other pursuit, this discount is good for all Garmin accessories (excludes map updates), so get shopping. Don’t forget to enter code FALL20.
Garmin just released a new mount for the Garmin Edge series of bike computers.
The mount is compatible with the Garmin Edge 200, Edge 500 and Edge 800 bike computers. If you use a Forerunner 910XT or 310XT with a quick release kit, you can use them with this mount, too. All you have to do is remove the screws from the bottom, rotate the inner-mount and reinsert the screws, and the watch will mount in the proper orientation on the handle bar.
Suggested retail price is $39.99. You can pre-order your mount here.
Chis Dwyer is the creator of One ___ at a Time. His blog One ___ at a Time is a big adventure into the little-known endurance sport of astro-athleticism and all things “stickin-it-to-the-man”. It intertwines his passion for planetary salvation, athletic empowerment, home-energy renovation, community enrichment, and general mischief. Chris is a regular and favorite blogger, Ironman extraordinaire, and close friend of us here at Fitness Electronics Blog. Today he is reviewing the Garmin 910XT, and giving us his real life experiences with the GPS multisport watch. Check out his website at http://oneblankatatime.blogspot.com.
For the last six years, I’ve merely trained and raced with a low-frill, yet trusty, Nike heart rate monitor and a not-so-trusty bike-mounted Sigma odometer. Prior to this week, I was a complete virgin to GPS watches. The good news is that I’ve lost my GPS virginity and have found each experience with the Forerunner 910xt radically better than that first clumsy encounter. This review is certainly not exhaustive of all the features on the 910xt, but merely an introduction to the equipment coming from the perspective of someone who is generally a minimalist when it comes to training with gizmos.
Why I Don’t Have a GPS Watch
Being a triathlete, the Garmin Forerunner 310xt had been on my Christmas wish list for many years. But I could never bite the bullet financially, hearing tales from the tri community that the 310xt had trouble logging swim distance/pace. The satellite connection was supposedly erratic when the watch went under water. In truth, the 310xt “isn’t really a triathlon watch, but a multisport watch”, confessed the Garmin rep at a Spinning conference I attended in Miami. I felt almost-duped. She asked me, “Then, why don’t you just get a GPS watch for runners and forget the bike mount and the swim capabilities altogether?” Instead, I decided, “I’ll just wait till the bugs are worked out, so I can get what the ‘triathlon watch’ is supposed to be.”
Why I Got the Forerunner 910xt
My good friends at the Fitness Electronics Blog were sweethearts last week and asked if I wouldn’t mind testing the Garmin Forerunner 910xt. It seemed like a peace offering given in place of what I really wanted—them, riding with me, in my first ever do-it-yourself ultra-distance triathlon I called DWYRMAN. Unfortunately, they couldn’t come due to their newborn baby, the bar exam, and general life craziness. DWYRMAN was supposed to be a celebration of summer with some of my best cycling, swimming, and running friends. The course was to circumnavigate five state parks with lakes around Cincinnati, passing through Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, totaling 5 miles of open water swimming, 190 miles cycling, and 32 miles running. It was all theoretically possible based on my tinkering with maps and recon rides over the years. My Fitness Electronics Blogger friends thought the 910xt would be a cool addition to the DWYRMAN in their absence.
How the Forerunner 910xt Faired
As the host of DWYRMAN, my mind was primarily focused on making sure everyone was having a good time, being safe, and getting our mission accomplished. While riding without my glasses, I had difficulty navigating the digital architecture of the zillions of features. The additional stimuli on my wrist completely flustered me. I had a hard time figuring out what all the numbers meant and which of the six buttons did what. It was just information overload. Race day is not a good day for one’s first orientation to new gear. So when we got to the first open water swim, I had to ask for tech support from my buddy Rob, a Garmin-devotee, and he changed the settings for me to “open water swim mode. This is where it got cool.
We took off toward the opposite shore of the lake. When we got to the other side, the watch indicated that I had gone 506 yards. Rob’s watch said 501 yards, but I’m pretty sure he swims straighter than me, which could explain the discrepancy. Then we turned 90 degrees and swam along the shore and traced out a triangular path. The watch indicated ~28:00 and ~1600 yards back at the boat ramp, so we called it a “Kentucky mile.” From the image below, you’ll see I forgot to hit STOP on the watch.
At the upper left vertex of the triangle, the satellites think I went up on shore, but I didn’t. So the map features have bomb-dropping, but not fly-swatting, precision.
Throughout DWYRMAN race day, I basically ignored the watch except for the open water swim sessions. I’ve come to discover that there is basically a six-workout learning curve for a newbie to figure out the full power of A) the watch in the field and B) the Garmin Connect data analysis back home. I needed two workouts in each triathlon discipline to finally have that eureka moment.
The Hardware
The night before DWYRMAN, John handed me a zip lock bag containing the Forerunner 910xt contents: 1) watch (with the rubber wrist-strap option)
2) heart rate monitor
3) USB recharger
4) ANT+ device
Strike 1 – The Software
I first went to the Garmin website and try to find a “Quick Start” manual, which was easy. But then I devoted 45 frustrating minutes proving that despite meeting the system requirements, my MacBook with Mac OS X 10.4.11 operating system was incapable of downloading the second of the two necessary software packages – 1) Garmin Connect for analyzing your data, and 2) ANT+ hardware installation (for wirelessly uploading the watch’s data to your computer).
It wasn’t until after DWYRMAN that I resorted to using my wife’s newer MacBook (with the Mac OS X 10.6.8 operating system). It took about one hour to install the softwares and upload my first workouts. Since that first lengthy installation process, uploads from the watch to the ANT+ have been wireless and easy, which is cool. All you do is turn the watch on when it’s within 5 feet of the ANT+. By the time I checked my email for the day, my first 15 workouts were uploaded from the watch to my desktop. Details of each could be explored ad nauseam. The details are where it gets really fun and nerdy.
The Summary page in Garmin Connect shows all workouts and is sort-able– by date, sporting discipline, duration, etc. Workouts show up as “untitled” files, but can be re-named by route or date or whatever you like. They can also be exported as *.CSV files for easy manipulation in common spreadsheet software like Excel.
As soon as the workout is over, it’s fun watching the data re-tell the story of the workout. Where was I trying my hardest to keep up with traffic? Did I let my heart rate sink too low while coasting down that hill? How long was that potty break at the gas station?
One weakness of the watch showed up in while lap swimming. The screenshot below is from a swim that lasted about 60 minutes. It included an extended warm up drill and then some 100 yard repeats—all freestyle, mind you. So, why does the 910xt think that I threw in a length of backstroke after completing a length in 0.0 seconds? I can only hope that the quirks like this average themselves out over the course of the workout.
Pros:
Accurate swim distance
Comfortable heart rate strap
Heart rate signal detected almost immediately
Heart rate strap is waterproof
The fully charged battery lasted just over 15 hours on day one of DWYRMAN
Not overly big and clunky like older Garmin watches
Can measure everything important in a multitude of ways:
Heart Rate (beats/min, % of max, zone #, average),
Communicates with other ANT+ devices (which I didn’t test)
Once you upload your data, at the GarminConnect.com website, you can name your routes, share them, and compare them to previous performances
The data analysis experience was clean and intuitive there
Personalized settings so I could share the watch with my wife who has her own settings
Cons:
Heart rate fabric feels wimpy and prone to stinking (compared to my durable 6 year old Nike HR monitor strap)
Heart rate monitor does not work under water
“Multisport” setting is not a convenient setting for a non-traditional triathlon sequence like DWYRMAN (i.e. bike-swim-bike-swim-bike-swim-bike-swim-bike-swim-run-bike)
Menu/buttons are hard to navigate for a newbie—(Would it possible to engineer a Blackberry-like trackball or scroll-button? It could be a business opportunity for the sinking ship that is Blackberry’s maker, Research in Motion. Or maybe touchscreen is the way and RIM is just doomed.)
Tough to read while riding the bike. The bike mount accessory (~$15) could be helpful but too timely to operate for a speedy race day transition. I’d rather just have a dedicated bike computer.
The Mode button is difficult to push without simultaneously pushing the “Scroll up” button, which is the top secret button sequence that inconveniently locks all keys when you don’t want it to
Can take several minutes to find a satellite connection
Battery did not last the claimed 20 hours on a full charge
The data experience at Garmin Connect was not a social experience like the experience at strava.com or trainingpeaks.com, which deserve their own review in a future blog.
Conclusion
My favorite feature is the accuracy of the swim workouts, whether lap swimming or open water. Everyone knows they need to do more open water swimming and we’d all love to look at something other than the black lane lines at the pool. The watch can also push you to swim faster than your previous workouts by setting up the Virtual Partner feature. This is where it stands out from all other Garmin watches.
My second favorite feature is the post-workout analysis. It’s so convenient that much of my training diary is basically written for me in a thorough and objective way. However, the analysis feature I was most hopeful for, but didn’t find, was a method of measuring and displaying the duration of time I spend in each heart rate zone. Even my low-frill heart rate monitor does as much. And that’s the most important metric I keep track of in my training diary. With the 910xt it would be possible to export the Garmin Connect data to an Excel spreadsheet and make the calculations myself, but it seems like an easy enough feature for Garmin to include in a future software update. Their inclusion of their “Training Effect” metric is a poor substitute that lacks the transparency and objectivity of a more thorough heart rate analysis.
After I conquered the initial software hurdles and figured out how to navigate the plethora of options, I really came to enjoy training with the 910xt. Then I made the mistake of letting my wife try it. She’s been hoarding it ever since.
We have been doing a lot of trail running this year in preparation for our first 50 mile race in Madison, Wisconsin, in September. She loves it so much, she just ordered the 910xt for herself, (since we have to give the demo watch back to Garmin, of course). Her rationale was that the battery life, unlike other Garmin models, would last long enough for the 50 miler cut-off time of 13 hours, which the other Gamin GPS watches would not. Also, since most of her training is on trails in Cincinnati parks, without the GPS it would be tough to measure distance and altitude, which are important metrics to her. All-in-all, my earlier excuse for holding out for a great “triathlon” watch is no longer valid. It’s even family-friendly.
For those of you looking for a cool outdoor watch with GPS, this just might be it. The Fenix was announced yesterday. Here is the Garmin press release to get up to speed. Click a link and check it out.
Garmin® fēnix™ Outdoor Watch Lets Adventurers Go Even Further Off-Trail
OLATHE, Kan./July 10, 2012/Business Wire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announcedfēnix, its first GPS wrist watch for outdoorsmen, such as mountaineers, hikers, cyclists, hunters and backpackers. fēnix provides comprehensive navigation and tracking functionalities as well as trip information to guide adventurers during their challenging activities off the beaten track. Its built-in sensors provide information on heading, elevation and weather changes. Utilizing Garmin’s leading GPS technology, fēnix can guide adventurers off the trail and back to the safety of a vehicle, trailhead or campsite. Sporting a classic round watch design in a high-strength housing with a scratch-resisting display, it is built to endure the toughest outdoor conditions and also makes a stylish day-to-day timepiece.
“fēnix packs Garmin’s leading and trusted outdoor technology into a robust, wrist-worn GPS watch that outdoorsmen can rely on,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Being able to go hands free while still having access to Garmin’s precise and accurate information on weather, elevation and position provides adventurers the confidence and peace of mind to take their outdoor activities even further off-trail.”Plan, Navigate and Track
fēnix includes a comprehensive navigational toolset that allows users to plan trips and create routes, record waypoints, such as campsites or points of interest, and record GPS bread crumb trails on the move (tracklogs). Adventurers can navigate to coordinates, along a track or route, towards waypoints, geocaches or along any other selected bearing. A navigation arrow provides clear directional guidance and the TracBack® function can guide one back along a previously recorded tracklog. This provides adventurers peace of mind knowing they’re never “lost” and can easily find their way back in case of an emergency or bad weather conditions. Also included is a worldwide basemap displaying cities nearby. Using the BaseCampTM desktop application, fēnix users will be able to easily plan trips and share their adventures with friends and family. fēnix is equipped with both ANT capabilities and Bluetooth® to wirelessly share tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches with other compatible Garmin devices. A Basecamp mobile app allows users to transfer waypoints and tracklogs to view them on a more detailed map and larger screen of select smartphones[1].
Altimeter, Barometer and Compass
fēnix is equipped with ABC sensors (altimeter, barometer and compass) to provide explorers relevant real-time information. The built-in altimeter provides elevation data to accurately monitor ascent and descent, the barometer can be used to predict weather changes by showing short-term trends in air pressure and a 3-axis electronic compass keeps the user’s bearing whether he’s moving or not. Utilizing its GPS receiver, fēnix can auto-calibrate its ABC sensors and also auto sets the time based on location. For an extremely accurate temperature reading, fēnix can be paired with tempeTM, Garmin’s new external temperature sensor.
Measure Performance
Similar to Garmin’s running watches, fēnix provides real-time performance data, such as distance, pace time and calories, helping outdoorsmen keep track of their progress during and after their adventures. This is especially useful to keep track of fitness activities off the beaten track, such as adventure or trail running. fēnix is also compatible with Garmin’s premium heart rate monitor for heart rate infoand with aspeed/cadence sensor for distance, speed and cadence while on a bike. The displayed data fields are fully customizable right from the watch.
Built to Endure the Roughest Conditions
fēnix is built to endure the toughest outdoor conditions, combining a high-strength housing to survive shocks with a mineral glass lens to resist scratching. It boasts a large LCD display with LED backlight and a robust polyurethane wristbands. Garmin’s outdoor watch is waterproof to 50 meters and has a battery life of up to 50 hours in GPS mode (depends on settings) and up to 6 weeks in watch mode. Basic watch functions include alarms, tones, vibration alerts, timer, stopwatch and world clock with the ability to display several times zones at once.
Garmin fēnix is expected to be available in fall 2012 and will have a suggested retail price of $399.99. tempe is an optional accessory and has a suggested retail price of $29.99.The polyurethane wristband will be available in olive or orange and an optional leather wristband can be added. To see fēnix in action go to: http://www.garmin.com/fenix
fēnix is the latest solution from Garmin’s growing outdoor segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ outdoor experiences. Whether it’s Golfing, Hiking, Hunting or Geocaching, Garmin outdoor devices are becoming essential tools for outdoor enthusiast of all levels. For more information about Garmin’s other outdoor products and services, go to http://www.garmin.com/us/products/onthetrail/,www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin.
About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin and fēnix are registered trademarks and ANT is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is available atwww.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
A few more of you wrote in to tell me that I neglected a few popular HRM watches in my list, so today I thought I’d post an update with these watches added. – John
A few of you who are new to training have written in and asked if there is a good heart rate monitor training watch that doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars. I thought I would pop up a quick post that covers the most popular watches under $100.00. Actually, the highest price for the watches shown below is $129.99, but this is the retail price of the watch. If you look around, you should be able to find them cheaper.
9 languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish and Finnish
With easy and comfortable monitoring of real-time heart rate and calories burned, Suunto M1 is equipped with the essential tools you need to reach your fitness goals.
It monitors you while you exercise to ensure you stay within the most effective training zone. If you’re going to burn those calories, make sure every move is a smart one.
9 languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish and Finnish
With easy and comfortable monitoring of real-time heart rate and calories burned, the M2 is equipped with the essential tools you need to reach your fitness goals.
It monitors you while you exercise to ensure you stay within the most effective training zone. If you’re going to burn those calories, make sure every move is a smart one.
Timex Personal Trainer
Retail price $70.00
Target Heart Rate Zones
Time in Zone
Percentage of Max Heart Display
Calories Burned
Recovery Heart Rate Timer
Automatic Activity Timer
Timex Zone Trainer
Retail price $100.00
Target Heart Rate Zones
Graphic Heart Rate Zone Display
Average Heart Rate for Workout and Lap
Time in Zone
Percentage of Max Heart Display
Calories Burned
Timex Ironman Road Trainer
Retail price $110.00
Target Heart Rate Zones
Graphic Heart Rate Zone Display
Average Heart Rate for Workout and Lap
Time in Zone
Percentage of Max Heart Display
Calories Burned
Blink 1
Retail price$74.99
One button functionality – easy to use
Only HRM watch that has a blinking multicolor LED to let you know if you’re in your optimum heart rate zone
3 color zones
Blue LED blinks to indicate below the training zone (low intensity effort)
YELLOW LED blinks to indicate the mid training zone (a moderately intensive effort)
RED LED blinks to indicate the high training zone (high intensity effort)
Blink 2
Retail price $84.95
Flashing light that is the color of your heart zone
Average, current, and peak heart rate
Out of zone alarm with audio off function
Calories burned during your workout (kcal)
Blue LED blinks to indicate below the training zone (low intensity effort)
YELLOW LED blinks to indicate the mid training zone (a moderately intensive effort)
RED LED blinks to indicate the high training zone (high intensity effort)
Stores time in each of the three training zones
Comes with ZONING program inside
Garmin FR70
Retail price $129.99
Tracks your time, heart rate and calories burned inside or outside, while running, cycling or during other fitness activities
Calculates speed and distance when paired with our optional foot pod
Includes ANT+™ technology, which allows it to connect to other ANT+ compatible devices, such as the included heart rate monitor, optional foot pod or ANT+ compatible fitness equipment, and then share data wirelessly with your computer
Offers advanced training options, such as workouts, intervals and Virtual Partner®, when paired with our optional foot pod
Tracks weight, body fat, body water and 6 other measurements when used with the Tanita BC-1000body composition scale
Features 2 time zones, alarms, 20 hrs/100 lap memory, configurable training pages with Auto Scroll, Auto Lap®, 5 heart rate zones and alerts
Transfers data to your Windows® or Mac® computer wirelessly when in range. You can then use Garmin Connect to analyze, categorize and share in our online community
So what do you get in a watch in this price range? Here is a quick comparison of the watches:
FT1
FT2
FT4
M1
M2
FR70
Heart Rate
x
x
x
x
x
x
Average Heart Rate
x
x
x
x
x
x
Max Heart Rate
x
x
x
x
Heart Rate Zones
x
x
x
x
x
x
Percentage of Max Heart Rate
Graphic HR Zone Display
x
Color LED HR Zone Display
Time in Zones
x
x
x
Calories Burned
x
x
x
x
Multiple Stored Workouts
x
x
Optional Foot Pod
x
Wireless Transfer
x
Vitual Partner
x
Optional Bike Speed/Cadence Sensor
x
Interval Training
x
Customizable Screen
x
High End HRM Strap
x
Training Alerts
x
Price
$69.95
$89.95
$99.95
$99.00
$119.00
$129.99
Timex Personal Trainer
Timex Zone Trainer
Timex Ironman Road Trainer
Blink1
Blink2
Heart Rate
x
x
x
x
x
Average Heart Rate
x
x
x
Max Heart Rate
x
x
x
Heart Rate Zones
x
x
x
x
x
Percentage of Max Heart Rate
x
x
x
Graphic HR Zone Display
x
x
Color LED HR Zone Display
x
x
Time in Zones
x
x
x
x
Calories Burned
x
x
x
x
Multiple Stored Workouts
Optional Foot Pod
Wireless Transfer
Vitual Partner
Optional Bike Speed/Cadence Sensor
Interval Training
Customizable Screen
High End HRM Strap
Training Alerts
x
Price
$70.00
$100.00
$110.00
$74.99
$84.95
Standout Features and things to look closer and check out
I really liked the Suunto M2 comfort strap. It is definitely comfortable
I also liked the Polar FT4 comfort strap
I like the look of the Suunto watches the best
The Blink 1 and Blink 2 uses an LED, which is very easy to see, to tell you that you are in your optimum training zone
The Timex HRM units make nice watches
The Garmin FR70 has the most features. I particularly like being able to download and connect to Garmin Connect, and I also really like Virtual Partner, and the capability of connecting an optional footpod. Of course, this watch is also the most expensive of the group. If you don’t know what Virtual Partner is, check out the video below
Overall, if you are just starting out training, you can’t go wrong with any of these watches. Look closely at the features, and make sure you get the features that you really care about. You can also check out our more in depth reviews on these watches.
A few of you who are new to training have written in and asked if there is a good heart rate monitor training watch that doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars. I thought I would pop up a quick post that covers the most popular watches under $100.00. Actually, the highest price for the watches shown below is $129.99, but this is the retail price of the watch. If you look around, you should be able to find them cheaper.
9 languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish and Finnish
With easy and comfortable monitoring of real-time heart rate and calories burned, Suunto M1 is equipped with the essential tools you need to reach your fitness goals.
It monitors you while you exercise to ensure you stay within the most effective training zone. If you’re going to burn those calories, make sure every move is a smart one.
9 languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish and Finnish
With easy and comfortable monitoring of real-time heart rate and calories burned, the M2 is equipped with the essential tools you need to reach your fitness goals.
It monitors you while you exercise to ensure you stay within the most effective training zone. If you’re going to burn those calories, make sure every move is a smart one.
Garmin FR70
Retail price $129.99
Tracks your time, heart rate and calories burned inside or outside, while running, cycling or during other fitness activities
Calculates speed and distance when paired with our optional foot pod
Includes ANT+™ technology, which allows it to connect to other ANT+ compatible devices, such as the included heart rate monitor, optional foot pod or ANT+ compatible fitness equipment, and then share data wirelessly with your computer
Offers advanced training options, such as workouts, intervals and Virtual Partner®, when paired with our optional foot pod
Tracks weight, body fat, body water and 6 other measurements when used with the Tanita BC-1000body composition scale
Features 2 time zones, alarms, 20 hrs/100 lap memory, configurable training pages with Auto Scroll, Auto Lap®, 5 heart rate zones and alerts
Transfers data to your Windows® or Mac® computer wirelessly when in range. You can then use Garmin Connect to analyze, categorize and share in our online community
So what do you get in a watch in this price range? Here is a quick comparison of the watches:
FT1
FT2
FT4
M1
M2
FR70
Heart Rate
x
x
x
x
x
x
Average Heart Rate
x
x
x
x
x
x
Max Heart Rate
x
x
x
x
Heart Rate Zones
x
x
x
x
Calories Burned
x
x
x
x
Multiple Stored Workouts
x
x
x
Display Backlight
x
Optional Foot Pod
x
Wireless Transfer
x
Vitual Partner
x
Bike Speed/Cadence Sensor
x
Interval Training
x
Customizable Screen
x
High End HRM Strap
x
Training Alerts
x
Price
$69.95
$89.95
$99.95
$99.00
$119.00
$129.99
Standout Features and things to look closer and check out
I really liked the Suunto M2 comfort strap. It is definitely comfortable
I also liked the Polar FT4 comfort strap
I like the look of the Suunto watches the best
They are all easy to use
The Garmin FR70 has the most features. I particularly like being able to download and connect to Garmin Connect, and I also really like Virtual Partner, and the capability of connecting an optional footpod. Of course, this watch is also the most expensive of the group. If you don’t know what Virtual Partner is, check out the video below
Overall, if you are just starting out training, you can’t go wrong with any of these watches. Look closely at the features, and make sure you get the features that you really care about. You can also check out our more in depth reviews on these watches.
Hi everyone! We have been busy with iPhone app reviews this week. The number of apps seems to be growing quickly, with more advanced features added all the time. It also seems like more athletes are starting to use this method to log their workouts. We will continue with more app reviews over the next few weeks.
Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
SportsTracker just released version 1.7 for iPhone
Here are the release notes for Sports Tracker on iPhone v.1.7.0:
Improved performance while syncing multiple workouts
Workout sync progress visualization
Bug fixes to syncing
Better handling of long routes on maps
Move directly from the last workout view to the first (and first to last) during workout
Improvements to speed tracking
Auto pause setting is now persistent per activity
Show the lap in progress in the workout chart
When zooming in on a chart zoom to the right edge of the visible area
Fix to opening workout and navigating between workouts from friends’ latest photos
Heart rate chart added for shared workouts
Fixed manually input max HR value syncing
Fixed friends list sorting
Show workout description when browsing photos
Fixes to lap duration calculations
Stability and performance improvements
Minor usability tweaks and bug fixes
Here is a press release for a new firmware upgrade for the Finis SwiMP3:
Finis announced a firmware upgrade to the SwiMP3. Here are the details, taken from their site:
As a result of our successful engineering efforts, FINIS is formally announcing the launch of the SwiMP3 X18 today! These units are updated with the latest firmware and are ready for the water.
The SwiMP3 is a waterproof MP3 player that provides high quality underwater sound without ear buds. Instead it uses bone conduction for audio transmission. The device attaches to goggle straps and rests on the cheekbones as to not interfere with swimming technique.
Recently our engineers were able to resolve some problems that affected the SwiMP3 2G. Issues with the product included trouble with Mac OS compatibility, freezing during playback and small functionality issues. Although it didn’t affect all users, we certainly didn’t want to have these bugs in our device.
Over the last few months a new X18 firmware was implemented on all SwiMP3 2G units from FINIS. The X18 firmware improves the functionality of the SwiMP3 2G and resolves the bugs that we found. Most likely, current users already have the updated X18 firmware on their SwiMP3 2G. In fact, if your unit is working correctly, then you don’t need to do anything except keep enjoying your SwiMP3 2G device during your swim! However, should experience any issues with your SwiMP3 2G, please contact our Tech Support team right away. We will be happy to assist you in upgrading your unit with the X18 firmware.
As mentioned, most units owned by consumers today already have the X18 firmware, but FINIS wanted to give a proper launch of the updated firmware. It also gives us an opportunity to let our customers know about the improvements we have made, and to thank those that provided feedback to our engineers and support team over the past few months as we worked through the bugs.
If you run into any issues with your SwiMP3 2G, please contact our FINIS Technical Support at (888) 333-4647 or fill out a Support Ticket at support.finisinc.com
Hello all – As we hope you have noticed, “Fitness Electronics Reviews” is neck deep in reviews and we are loving it! We have been spending a good bit of time on the Polar H7 Heart Rate Monitor Strap and corresponding apps, we just finished a review of the Garmin 210 and are working away on reviews of other products. Today, however, I took a break from the GPS watch, software, and electronics reviews and put in a great cross training workout with my brother.
It is funny how life happens, but all of the sudden you’ll look up and you live in Ohio, and your brother lives in California…at least that’s what happened when I “looked up.” Although from New Mexico, my brother and I both went to college in California. Our schools were about an hour apart so we got some great time together during our three-year overlap (I was one year ahead of him). My brother, Aaron, met his amazing wife while they were in school. After getting married, they stayed in California.
The distance between us is less than ideal, but we make the absolute most of our time together – today was no exception.
Aaron and Michele got into town last night. This morning we got in a great cross training/strength workout at “Elmntl” fitness in Cincinnati. If you life in the area and want to feel like a kid again with your workout, and do so in a place that is a true “gym alternative,” please check them out (http://www.facebook.com/#!/elmntl). Kevin, the owner and trainer is awesome and he will push you! The entire workout is centered around a Parcours trail, where you run with logs, swing on monkey-bars, squat with rocks…anything there is fair game! I love it.
Aaron, James and Kevin warming up on the balance beam
James carrying a big rock between the workout stations (active recovery)
Aaron getting a good workout doing resistance jumps
One of the two FEB doodles. This is “Oliver”
As much as I love the workout at Elmntl, doing it with my brother made it that much more special. As funny as it is how life “works out,” it is just as funny how, when you are so close to someone, reconnecting after months apart is so easy – and doing so while carrying a huge rock around an “obstacle course” only makes it that much easier. Today has been a very good day. I hope it has been equally as good for each of you!
I recently reviewed the Nike+ FuelBand (you can find the review here), and I wanted to find out more about its accuracy. After using the Nike+ FuelBand for a while, I have some more info on how it compares to some of the other heart rate monitors when it comes to calories burned. I thought I would compare it to some widely known heart rate monitors, so I chose the Garmin 910XT, the Suunto Quest, and the Polar H7 using the Endomondo iPhone application.
To get started, I thought I would compare the Garmin 910XT to the FuelBand. The workout was actually a walk for 1.5 miles, then a very slow jog back to the start. The readings were:
370 Calories Nike+ FuelBand
366 Calories Garmin 910XT
Next, the same path was taken, this time with the Nike+ FuelBand, and the Polar H7 heart rate monitor with iPhone 4S using Endomondo:
383 Calories Nike+ FuelBand
394 Calories Polar H7/Endomondo
Wow! Pretty close! Next, I compared a very hilly 6.2 mile run, using the Nike+ FuelBand and the Suunto Quest:
700 Calories Nike+ FuelBand
903 Calories Suunto Quest
Not as close!
In previous runs, I have compared the Garmin 910XT, Polar H7/Endomondo, and the Suunto Quest. They are all pretty accurate, and pretty repeatable when it comes to calories burned. More testing is in progress, but here is my early takeaway using the Nike+ FuelBand:
Walking around on flat land is pretty accurate
Running on flat land is good, but not quite as good as walking
Running up and down hills, or when there are very high heart rates, is less accurate
Other sports that do not include rapid arm movement like cycling are not accurate at all
Over the next month, I will continue to collect more data, and publish updates. Stay tuned!
Garmin announced the Forerunner 210 in October of 2010. The 210 is one of of four Garmin running watches released in 2010. These included the 110, 210, 410, and 610. These products all have GPS, and are targeted mainly to runners. With the 210, Garmin offers three models; a black model that comes with the watch only and sells for $199.00, and a men’s black or women’s teal color that comes with a heart rate monitor strap, and sells for $249.99.
Before we get started, we should tell you a little bit about us and how we perform product evaluations. We have a group of 4 people who do the evaluations of all of the gear. One person is the lead on a piece of gear, but everyone gets a chance to evaluate the product. We have 2 guys and 2 ladies, so it’s a good mix of people. It gives us better insight, and we get a better review overall. Everyone has an input to the review, and if there is a major disagreement, we will note it in the review. If you want to know who these people are, check out our About Us page. Four of us are seasoned triathletes, and 2 of us are are also full time Pilates instructors. Jennifer Lynn, who is a guest blogger, is a full time Pilates/spinning instructor. All swim, bike, run, do Pilates and Yoga, and use all of the gear on a daily basis. Many of you have read the FitnessElectronicsBlog disclaimer, but here it is in case this is your first time reading one of our reviews. For the record, we are in no way connected with Garmin or any of the companies whose gear we review. We remain disconnected, in large part, because we love playing with the latest technology, and we couldn’t keep our hands off this stuff if we tried. Garmin gave us the watch for a 60-day trial period, and after our review, we box it up and send it back. No give-us-gear for a favorable review, or anything like that. We call ‘em as we see ‘em. It keeps us honest. Typically, if we like the product, we will buy it to have around, use, and be able to check out software updates and answer questions. So, enough with the babble. Let’s get to the review.
What’s in the box?
Here is the product box for the Forerunner 210 with Heart Rate Monitor Strap:
Here is what’s inside:
Here is a closeup of the Garmin strap:
This gives you an indication of the thickness of the watch:
A side view:
The display is easily readable. The display resolution is 52 x 30 pixels:
Here is a size comparison. The watches from left to right are Suunto Quest, Garmin 405, Garmin 910XT, and the Garmin 210:
A side view:
So what are the features?
Here are the major features of the watch:
Unit dimensions, WxHxD: 1.8″ x 2.7″ x 0.6″ (4.5 x 6.9 x 1.4 cm)
Display size, WxH: 1.0″ x 1.0″ (2.5 x 2.5 cm) diameter
Display resolution, WxH: 52 x 30 pixels
Weight: 1.8 oz (52 g)
Battery: rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life: 3 weeks in power save mode; 8 hours in training mode
Water resistant: yes (IPX7)
GPS-enabled: yes
High-sensitivity receiver: yes
Basemap: no
History: 1000 laps
Waypoints/favorites/locations: 0
Routes: 0
Heart rate monitor: yes (some versions, including the version we tested)
Bike speed/cadence sensor: no
Foot pod: yes (some versions)
Automatic sync (automatically transfers data to your computer):no
Garmin Connect™ compatible (online community where you analyze, categorize and share data): yes
Virtual Partner® (train against a digital person): no
Virtual Racer™ (compete against other activities): no
Courses (compete against previous activities): no
Auto Pause® (pauses and resumes timer based on speed): no
Auto Lap® (automatically starts a new lap): yes
Auto Scroll (cycles through data pages during workout): no
Multi-sport (changes sport mode with a press of a button): no
Advanced workouts (create custom, goal-oriented workouts): no
Pace alert (triggers alarm if you vary from preset pace): no
Time/distance alert (triggers alarm when you reach goal): no
Vibration alert: (choose between alert tones and/or vibration alert): no
Interval training (set up exercise and rest intervals): yes
Heart rate-based calorie computation: yes
Swim metrics (stroke type, stroke count and pool lengths): no
Training Effect (measures impact of an activity on your aerobic fitness): no
Customizable screen(s): no
Barometric altimeter: no
Unit-to-unit transfer (shares data wirelessly with similar units): no
Power meter compatible (displays power data from compatible 3rd party ANT+™-enabled power meters): no
Temperature (displays and records temperature while you ride): no
Shock Resistant: yes
Sport watch: yes
Here is the battery life chart from the owners manual:
So how does it compare to other Garmin running watches?
As we said, the 210 is one of four models recently released by Garmin. These include the 110, 210,410 and 610. The main differences are shown in the table below:
110
210
410
610
Display resolution, W x H
52 x 30 pixels
52 x 30 pixels
124 x 95 pixels
128 x 128 pixels
Touchscreen
no
no
no
yes
Waypoints/favorites/locations
0
0
100
100
Bike speed/cadence sensor
no
no
yes(optional)
yes(optional)
Foot pod
no
yes(optional)
yes(optional)
yes(optional)
Automatically sync (auto transfer your data)
no
no
yes
yes
Virtual Partner (train against a digital person)
no
no
yes
yes
Virtual Racer (compete against other activities)
no
no
no
yes
Courses (compete against previous activity)
no
no
yes
no
Auto Pause pauses and resumes timer based on speed)
no
no
yes
yes
Auto Scroll (cycles through data pages during workout)
Pace alert (triggers alarm if you vary from preset pace)
no
no
yes
yes
Time/distance alert (triggers alarm when you reach goal)
no
no
yes
yes
Vibration alert
no
no
no
yes
Training Effect
no
no
no
yes
Interval training (set up exercise and rest intervals)
no
yes
yes
yes
Customizable screens
no
no
yes
yes
Unit to unit transfer
no
no
yes
no
Price
$179.99
$199.99
$249.99
$349.99
Price with heart rate monitor
$229.99
$249.99
$299.99
$399.99
So what is the big difference between the 110 and 210? Mainly the addition of interval training and the capability of adding an optional foot pod in the 210.
The interval options are set on the watch, not in Garmin Connect. You can set warm up, interval, rest, and cool down times or distances. They must either be all times, or all distances. You can also set the number of intervals.
The pace option can also be changed to mph in case you want to use the watch on a bike.
Using the watch
The watch is very easy and intuitive to use. To go for a run, press page/menu. the watch will take a minute or so to get a GPS fix. Once you have a GPS satellite fix, press the start/stop button to start the timer. When you are done with your run, press start/stop. That’s it! If you want to save your workout, press and hold the lap/reset button. During your run, your distance, and pace or speed, along with your workout time, are shown on the display:
The display can be changed to show current, average or lap speed or pace at the bottom of the display.
If you want to use the watch indoors, it’s pretty simple. Press the page/menu button, and the watch will start searching for GPS. Press it again and it will ask if you want to use indoors. Select yes, and you are ready to start your indoor workout:
Here is James putting in an indoor spin workout with the watch at Studio S:
Here he is wrapping up his interval spinning workout:
Some cool things to do with the Forerunner 210:
If you want to create an interval workout, you can’t create it in Garmin Connect. It needs to be created on the watch. To do this, you press and hold the page/menu button, select Interval, then Set. Next, enter a distance or time interval, and press OK. Select Distance or Time for your rest interval, then enter the value. You can enter a warm up and cool down if you want to. To perform your interval, press the start/stop button. If you have a warm up programmed, you will need to press the lap button to start the first interval.
You can set heart rate alerts. Press and hold the page/menu button, and select HR Alerts. Enter your high heart rate alert value. You can also select a HR zone. press OK. Enter the low HR value or zone. Press OK. The alert will sound when you are above or below the set values.
Accessories and sensors
The Forerunner 210 is compatible with the following Garmin accessories:
Garmin HRM Strap. This heart rate monitor strap uses the 2.4 GHz ANT+ wireless communications protocol.
Garmin Premium HRM Strap.This heart rate monitor strap uses the 2.4 GHz ANT+ wireless communications protocol. The battery life is approximately 4.5 years when used for an hour a day.
Garmin Foot Pod
Saving Your Workouts
So how do you review and analyze your workouts? The Forerunner 210 is fully compatible with Garmin’s logging and analysis software, Garmin Connect. To upload your workout, connect the USB charging cable to your PC. Next go to the Garmin site at connect.garmin.com. If you don’t have an account, you will need to create one. Once you are logged in, in the upper right hand corner of the page is the upload button. Click that and you will be taken to this screen:
I clicked “Upload All New Activities”. I can then click on the details of the workout, which displays this screen from our recent trail run:
I ran out of screen, so here is the rest of the workout:
You can see that there is a lot of really useful data here. Heart rate, distance, pace, elevation, lap split times, and a map are just a few of the items and screens that you can view. Tutorials on Garmin Connect is covered in some of our other reviews and posts, so we won’t go into a detailed review of GC. This is just intended to give you an idea about your analysis possibilities. The data can also be uploaded and viewed on other sites like TrainingPeaks.
Thoughts, Opinions and Summary:
Pros:
The watch felt good on our wrists. It is soft and comfortable, and the watch doesn’t feel too big.
The heart rate monitor strap felt good, and did a good job of picking up heart rate without any issues. In the past, we have some issues on hot days, when your shirt gets too wet, or under some really dry conditions with a dry fit shirt.
Using the watch is easy to use. The display is easily readable, and it is backlit at night with the press of a button. This makes moving through the menus and settings straightforward.
The watch works with the optional running foot pod. This is great if you are indoors or want to know running cadence.
Uploading is easy with Garmin Connect. I really like Garmin Connect when I want to analyze and study my workout. It is web based, so you can upload on any computer.
We like the interval feature, and heart rate zone readout.
The interval feature is a plus over the 110, but you need to program it on the watch. Higher feature watches allow you to create a workout and download it to the watch. This allows more flexibility, but programming on the watch is ok.
The manual is pretty good, not great.
Cons:
Only supports 1 person at a time. All of the settings assume only 1 person uses the watch.
It can be used on a ride, but the optional cadence/speed sensor does not work with the 210.
Conclusion:
This watch fits nicely into the Garmin lineup. it sits above the 110, and below the 410 and 610. Garmin’s watches are well made, and if you’ve used one, the others function very similarly, so you’ll feel right at home.
So, the the question we always ask each other is, “If it were our money, would we buy this watch?” The answer is, if we were looking for a GPS watch with these features, in this price range, we would definitely buy it. Of course, we are always drawn to the high end watches with all of the features and gadgets, but for a mid range watch with these features, ease of use, and price, we say yes. It also works well inside, so if you are a gym rat who is into running, this could well be the watch for you. Also, having settable heart rate zones and alarms is really nice as it provides us some much needed assistance at keeping our heart rates in our desired training zone. All-in-all, the 210 is a good-looking, mid-budget, GPS enabled training/racing watch with accurate heart rate training features.
We will leave you with a few videos of the Garmin 210.
This video is the Forerunner 110, but the only differences are the ones listed earlier in the review:
This video shows how to get set for your first run:
Running Shorts & singlet > dress clothes and cap & gown.
This weekend closes a challenging and rewarding chapter of my life – law school.
Other challenges, namely the bar exam in late July, loom overhead, but this weekend will be one of celebration!
I started the festivities with a “hilly” trail run this morning, and I was fortunate to have a good friend join me. Cincinnati has been getting rain like I have never seen here, and this made for a wet and muddy run. I could also tell today that final exams, papers, etc. had taken a toll on my fitness. When I started the run, my legs were heavy and my breathing was hard. But, trail runs are one of my greatest joys and once I opened up the legs and the lungs a bit, I was loving it.
The run also triggered some of my “high intensity training,” as I found myself at my max heart rate often. I can tell you that the run wasn’t extremely fast; and I would assume it wasn’t all that pretty looking, but feeling my legs and lungs burn was just what I needed. Enjoying it in the outdoors, on a trail, and with a good friend = all added perks.
My buddy and I finished our run with a “negative split” (which means that the second half of our run was quicker than our first). We met our wives at one of our favorite breakfast spots afterwards and rewarded ourselves with some great food & great coffee, and I enjoyed it all with great company.
Had a delicious breakfast sandwich @ Annabel’s in Cincinnati!
This evening my parents arrive from New Mexico. They will be here for graduation weekend and I am extremely excited to see them. The weekend will be busy – filled with a lot of fun times with many of my favorite people.
Despite the fun-packed weekend I’ll be sneaking in a few runs here and there to add to my upcoming Garmin 210 review.
Ever wanted to create your own workout with your Garmin training watch, but were too lazy to read the manual, or didn’t know how? I thought I would show you how easy this is using Garmin Connect. If you have never used Garmin Connect, go here and create a user account. It only takes a minute, and once you’re done, you’ll be ready to use Garmin Connect to create your own workout.
By the way, in our recent posts, we’ve been talking a lot about intervals and fartleks. So what’s the difference? Here is what Wikipedia says:
Fartlek, which means “speed play” in Swedish, is a form of interval training which puts stress on the whole aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of the exercise. The difference between this type of training and continuous training is that the intensity or speed of the exercise varies, meaning that both aerobic and anaerobic systems can be put under stress. It differs from traditional interval training in that it is unstructured; intensity and/or speed can be varied whenever the athlete wishes. Most fartlek sessions last a minimum of 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise.
Just thought you might want to know. Anyway, today’s blog is on creating an interval workout using Garmin Connect. You could also do the same thing in Garmin Training Center. So what’s the difference between the two programs? Garmin Connect is web based, using a web browser, and Garmin Training Center is program that has almost the same features as Garmin Connect, but it resides on your computer. The advantage of Garmin Connect is that you can access it anywhere you have an internet connection.
So now we;ll create a simple interval workout. Here we go
To get started, you will need to be logged into Garmin Connect. I clicked on myConnect, and then selecting Workouts brought up this screen:
I then clicked Create Your First Workout, filled in the name of the workout, and selected my workout type.
Now, all I needed to do is to create my training steps. I clicked Add Step button, and started adding my workout:
To start the workout, I added a warm up. To change from my warm up, and start the interval part of the workout, I set the up the watch to use the lap button to start the next step. This is shown by the word Lap under the Duration tab. To keep things simple, I added a repeating interval of 1 minute at a fixed heart rate, and a minute of recovery, with a repeat of 20 times. I then added a cool down, and my workout was complete.
I hit save, and my workout was saved:
Now I had a couple of options. I could add my workout to my workout calendar, or send it to my Garmin watch. Clicking Send to Device sent my workout to my device:
I can also schedule your workout by clicking on Add to Calendar:
That’s it. Pretty simple, eh?
I hope this has motivated you to create your own workouts. In this way, you can get the most out of your training. Remember that this is only one aspect of Garmin Connect. You can do a whole lot more with this software, but we’ll cover that in another post.
For now, I will leave you with a few fun videos on Garmin Connect:
It has been a busy week at the FEB household. The quarterly board meeting for my day job was this week, which always keeps me busy. Also, we have the whole family in town for a birthday celebration. This usually ends up with me eating too much food and drinking too much wine. Luckily, I’m not racing this weekend.
We are still playing spending as much time as possible with the Garmin 910XT. This watch has a boat load of features, and we’re trying to get through most of them. It was good to get some time in the last few weeks with the Nike FuelBand. If you haven’t already, check out our link to the review below.
Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
