Do I NEED a running watch?

[xsquared]

I've recently installed Strava on my new phone and I have to say, it's very chucky to have while running.

Now, I have heard of fitness watches that measure steps, distance, heartbeat etc, but I have no idea how they work.

Initially I thought it was so you wouldn't need to have your phone with you when you exercise, but apparently that's not quite true.

Having restarted running again, I enjoy tracking my progress on Strava. Can anyone tell me what the benefits of a running watch is of I get the same information from running Strava on my phone, please?

Thank you.

*Trail shorts (sp). I don’t know what ‘train shorts’ would be

@Chocolateteabag Yes, fall alerts are a thing. It’s theoretically great. My partner has it on his Garmin Fenix 5. Only downside is when it’s accidentally triggered & his sister has been alerted & nearly had a heart attack

My fall alert tries to go off if I go fast then stop, or jump off anything... So walks with the kids trigger it all the time, my runs not so much. It buzzes on my wrist with a countdown timer so limited risk of going out accidentally. Does need phone to be present though.

I have a Garmin 45 which I love.

I would also echo taking a phone too though. A few years ago I fell while running and shattered my elbow into 15 pieces. I needed major surgery. Don't underestimate how vulnerable you can be when you are injured. For the sake of carrying a little extra weight. It is worth the peace of mind and being able to get help quickly. Sorry to derail. I am out running again finally so my story had a happy ending 😀

I have one of the cheaper Garmins and it's been my favourite purchase ever.

I run remotely so I do take my phone but now I just have it in a pouch on my back and dont notice it (my phone isnt massive though)

I was running 5kms and wanted to up my distance in January this year, I know the 1 mile and 1.5mile points in every direction from my home but I was getting confused when going further and getting my phone out was a hassle. I'm so happy I got my watch it's much easier

The watch GPS is more accurate as it gets the signal directly whereas a phone uses it from a network. I got my first watch after running a 3 min mile on my phone while waiting to cross a busy junction It seems to be a point where the signal bounces off two masts and regularly got wildly innacurrate data at that spot.

A major difference between running without a phone 20+ years ago is that phone boxes have pretty much ceased to exist. There isn't one in my whole neighbourhood, and nor have the nearby villages. Within the 5 mile radius of my house where I run, the only phone boxes I know are the city centre. If I had a problem in my neighbourhood, there'd probably be a dog walker in the next 5 minutes, when I go into local countryside/ villages, I rarely see anyone. Being lowland, the phone signals are good.

Entry level watches tend to have a good range of features now. I like wearing a watch anyway. I don't run without my phone though.

people were running for years and years before mobile phones were invented.

That... heck, I go kayaking on rivers by myself without phone. I'm happy to live with risk. People find solutions to problems. I keep getting alerted by friend's Garmin, I'm the world's worst emergency contact because I end up seeing the alert many hours later. It's always been false alarm. I turned off the alarm on Garmin I use because it's a clumsy consuing device anyway without it nagging me that it thinks I'm in peril.

Main reason to ever take phone is so DC can get hold of me for their needs, not for mine.

Anyway, My Fitbit Charge4 has GPS, can record an outing without having phone with me, buried in the options. It drains the battery to record, though, and I have zero interest in live feedback. I find Strava easier to use on phone - phone I use a lot for navigation in new places anyway (I totally don't have hang of Garmin Edge for navigation yet).

Totally agree, @lljkk . Plus there's a feeling of liberation to not running with my phone. If I have it with me, there's that distraction of wondering if I've got a work email/call/message. I like feeling totally free.

I've been looking at the various models of Garmin watches and notice that you can get smaller versions of the same model, "standard" sized watches. Do they have the same functions then? How does the diameter of a smaller and large one compare?

Thanks.

Call me old fashioned but the only stats I have ever needed running is time and distance all the rest is marketing mumbo jumbo designed to see some product or other. I have a basic running watch and plot my routes on the internet at home.

I have recently gone sub 22 minutes for the 5k so all the other stats cannot be that important.

sell not see

I have a little running belt and just take my phone. I track my run on Mapmyrun but try to avoid looking at it during the actual run and just listen to music or an audiobook or just nature and get in the zone.

I've looked at both sizes of my watch but went with the bigger display.
I wear glasses and run without. I wouldn't be able to roughly guess read the smaller display.
plus I'm tall and it doesn't look out of place on me.

I have recently gone sub 22 minutes for the 5k so all the other stats cannot be that important

Erm, ok

I like the stats. I find the watch most important for allowing me to run my steady runs slow enough - I'm always tempted to go too fast!

Having a record/ things to tick off also helps with motivation for people like me who are rubbish at self motivation.

Buying a Garmin (Christmas) got me from 33 minutes 5k to under 28, by getting out consistently, and mostly going slower!

I went for the smaller watch as I have small wrists and a bigger watch is uncomfortable for anything other than running.

I was very glad I had my phone with me this morning, as I had to call DH to come get me. It wasn’t a fall, it was a…ahem…wardrobe malfunction! The zip on my sport bra totally gave up, half way into my run. I did consider continuing with my arms folded across, but decided better not to risk any further injury or embarrassment.

I have have now officially given up on zip front style tops.

Oh, and I use my Apple Watch to check my pace each km. I also like that I can set it to a fixed time or distance, and it will tell me when I’m half way.

@randomsabreuse

I went for the smaller watch as I have small wrists and a bigger watch is uncomfortable for anything other than running.

Thanks. I'm 5'2" and wondered whether the bigger watch would be uncomfortable for someone like me.

For those running without your phone please get an ID tag or bracelet with your Emergency Contact details on it.

Erm, ok

First class counter point

Kudos

DeepfriedPizza

Sensible.

For all this 'we never used to run with phones', there's plenty of things we never used to have but make life a darn sight easier now!

A friend of mine was out running a while back and fell on a tree root, smashed up her hip and broke her collar bone. She wasn't 20 miles from home either but still in a fairly rural location. Thank god her companion had a phone to call the ambulance, her blood pressure had dropped worringly low by the time they reached her. If you don't want to be contacted then just put it on silent but at least carry it with you.

First class counter point. Kudos

Sorry to be flippant. But honestly - surely you can see how daft that sounds? Why would you believe you're in a position to dismiss heart rate training as "mumbo jumbo"?! It might not mean much to you but it's undoubtedly helpful to others, particularly those at high level.

I'm not a massive fan of HR training myself, but I can still see that stats on effort and so on are really useful - even at my lowly club runner level. If my watch tells me I need to rest that day, but I go out for a hard run anyway, I always pay for it! Plus I've worked with pros before (think Olympic level athletes) and trust me, they think stats are very important indeed. Albeit not from a running watch you can buy over the counter!

Your dismissing all stats like that, based apparently on your running an ok 5k time, would be a bit like me wandering on to a literature thread and saying "hey, don't bother with any Shakespeare; I read Romeo and Juliet at GCSE and it was shit." It makes you sound silly.