Joey,
I have time (running), HR, distance, and clock time on my first screen and that is the only one I look at when running.

I am an easy runner, no speed just fun so I don't want to know anything else when I am out there.

When I use my garmin in a race, I hit start when I cross the start line. I race for fun, and to see how I am doing. I am to slow to be concerned with placing so I want to know actual time running.

You will love it.



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Running in wellness

Liz

Lizs Profile[/URL" target="_blank">

Vista congratulations on getting a FR! What a nice tool, even if I don't look at it, it records my w/o and gives me accurate data with which to compare with from time to time. Keeps me from losing the trail on a trail run and mapping my trail runs on my Delorme Topo's.

Larry

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My Photo's[/URL" target="_blank"> "If you see a man running up a mountain trail in Montana with a fly pole attached to his back, you are probably lost. LDD

Make sure you download the latest unit and gps updates from the Garmin website.

My first screen: HR, pace, distance
second screen: total time, current lap, last lap
third screen: accuracy, time of day, elevation, ave pace

Mainly I only look at the first sceen as I run by HR most of the time.

Have fun, you will love the data.

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Good running!!!
Mike's Profile[/URL" target="_blank">

Joey, you dog! You bought a Garmin! Good for you! Let us know in the RR how it worked out. I swore I wouldn't buy one, but ........ cj

Wow, how do you guys have time to look at that data, let alone decide what it means during your run? The only data I ever look at during a run in the total time and the lap distance (usually only when I pass landmarks or points of interest). I auto lap every mile, and have an alert at every 1.25 mile. Generally, I only look at my watch on every mile alert.

Some very good ideas already. When I first got my 305 I set all 3 screens up and gave it a lot of thought. However, in practice I found that:
1. The "current pace" is very inaccurate.
2. I had a difficult time taking in all that data, let alone toggle between the screens.
3. The "average pace" is pretty accurate, however displaying it became a hindrance in my training as it forced me to run faster then I should. However, this is a personality thing and you may not be as competitive as I am.
4. Displaying the distance also tempted me to run longer then I should have.
So in order to listen to my body better I made the following changes:
I run by HR rather then by pace, and by time rather then distance. The two things I display is elapsed time and HR. I use auto lap at every mile, and at the time the lap is taken it displays the elapsed time for that lap. Since it's one mile, elapsed time = pace. It's that simple. (Having said that I sometimes take a manual lap if I have to change the intensity of the run in the middle of a lap, eg.: 10min w/u, then tempo. I warm up at a bit over 10:00 min/mile usually, so I am in my second lap when I need to speed up to tempo pace. So I press the lap button and the auto lap will take the mile splits from there.) I can guesstimate the distance from the # of laps and paces, but I really don't find out how long I ran till I download the data. I am more relaxed this way during my runs. Also, I don't toggle between screens. When I run I run and don't play around with my equipment...
About the race start issue, others already explained it well. So I just confirm: chiptimed -> push button at the startline; no timing chip -> push button when the gun sounds.
Congratulations on your purchase, and whatever way you will use it, make sure it works best for you.
j

http://This message has been edited by jura (edited Mar-31-2007).