Garmin Forerunner 101 Waterproof Running GPS

This thing is an excellent product at a very reasonable price.It is lightweight and has an ingenious strap system so you can wear it on your wrist or even over a jacket (It get's cold here in Oregon). The batteries last a Long Time, just be sure to turn it off when you are done using it. There is no auto-off after a certain amount of time, like my other GPS unit.You get the data you need and more.Pace, altitude, distance, time, lap, and it creates a map of your walk at the same time, so you can use it to back track. The reception is good here and I live (and walk) in a Pacific Northwest forest! When it does lose a signal, it grabs it back quickly.Be sure to set it outside about 5 minutes before you want to walk or run. It takes a while to get the first fix, which can be frustrating if you are waiting.You can use it as a basic GPS, so if you hike in a strange place turn it on, start a new run and it will draw you a map and point you the way back to where you started. Pretty Neat.I have another GPS with much more sophisticated and extensive GPS features, but I find myself using the Forerunner instead most of the time when I am hiking. After getting used to the convenience of the light weight, hands-free Forerunner with it's big easy to read display, the other GPS seems like carrying a brick.Update 3/2009: Even though I wrote this review years ago and technology has greatly advanced - mine finally got lost and I investigated all of the newer options. I was willing to spend more. But I am buying another one of these again. I usually like the newest stuff - but nothing seems to match the combo of size and utility. If the batteries are a concern - get a battery recharger.

That being said, I only give it 4 stars because I kind of miss the ability to link to my computer (I'm an ultra geek). Still, Lion batteries ONLY have a life of 3 years max - don't let anyone tell you otherwise - and 3 years it won't be NEAR it's original life. EVEN IF it were brand new out of the box, Lion chemistry starts to decay the day after it comes off the manufacturing line - do some research on the internet - that's why the whole slew of ipods are all dying right now.Enough said - AAA batteries was the primary reason I bought this. Truth is, I rarely keep gadgets long enough to worry about the batteries, but I like passing them on to family and friends and I'd like them to get something that they can use for a couple of years too... Plus, I like putting in a fresh set of batteries every week and not having to worry if it's fully charged... (I use rechargeable AAA's).All the other reviewers have already covered the basics of the watch. Very easy to use, backlight is amazing at night. History and data compilation are interesting.What I really wanted to convey is that I was on the fence about this for over a month. Was it worth the money? Would I use it enough? Without a doubt - YES! If it broke today I'd buy a new one tomorrow. The best thing about it is freedom.I'm pretty anal - most serious runners are. I stick to the exact same path so I can get statistics, make sure I'm sticking to my pace, make sure I ran the distance I intended, compare my run with previous runs. After a while though, it can get a little boring. All of a sudden, I put this on and I'm free from all that. I can run anywhere, I run spontaneously - but a glance down at my wrist and I know how far I've run, I know I'm keeping pace, EVERYTHING. And that little training buddy is pretty cool too - although I usually just like the raw data screen...I hope in future versions they'll integrate a heart rate monitor. I have one now but can't bring myself to wear two devices at a time...-jr

If your looking for a GPS watch under $100 to just measure distance walked, run, or biked, then this watch will fit the bill. But if your a runner or biker looking for more advanced features like pacing you will probably be better served getting the Forerunner 205 for $50 more.Here is my experience with the Forerunner 101:I run a 5 mile loop along a pedestrian only parkway next to a lake. The distance markers have been measured and verified by a local track club so I know they are accurate. The Forerunner 101 usually hits the markers right on or is within +/- .05 of the marker, and the total distance is also within this variance. The pacing is a different matter. I usually run this 5 mile loop in around 40 mins. for a mile pace of about 8 mins./mile. The watch pacing swings wildly up or down per mile so one minute it says I'm running 10 mins./mile and then a few seconds later 7 mins./mile. During the course of the run it will level off for awhile to what seems a fairly accurate pace reading of about 8 mins./mile, but at some point will fluctuate wildly again. I have also used this watch in a 5K race with the same pacing fluctuations.The GPS acquisition when you first turn on the watch does take awhile, normally 2 - 5 minutes. So you definitely don't want to turn the watch on a few seconds before they fire the gun to start a race. I like the history log that records and stores the times for each run by weeks, this makes it easy to track each run without having to enter the information in a database.The bottom line here is to keep in mind this watch has been around since 2002, so the technology is dated. If your on a tight budget and just want to know your distance traveled this watch should work for you, otherwise put the money towards a newer model.