The Gen XY Lifestyle
TomTom Runner GPS Sports Watch
Is this the right GPS sports watch for you to take out on a run?
Back in the 90s when I was a competitive runner, the only gadgets available to aid in my training were a Casio stopwatch and cassette tape player to conduct the beep test; performance metrics derived from fitness wearables were unheard of back then. However through the years, things have drastically changed with the range of GPS sports watches introduced to the consumers; the TomTom Runner is one of them.
Marking the Dutch company’s attempt at penetrating a relatively saturated wearable fitness devices market, the TomTom Runner sports watch is poised to win the hearts of fitness enthusiasts as the brand’s new standalone product; with the company having collaborated with Nike in the past to produce the Nike+ SportWatch.
In terms of usage, the watch is pretty much straightforward. All I had to do was register my height and weight into the watch via its multi-directional button on the wrist strap as well as the detection of a GPS signal detection that took around six seconds, and I was good to go.
My first usage of the watch was a leisure one, as I clocked three kilometres in 14 minutes. Subsequent usage of the watch saw me exploring functions such as the Training Mode, in which I had to key in my training goals (time/distance) to have the watch help keep track of my progress via a graphic imagery on the rather large screen. I attempted to break the previous day’s timing, and managed to complete the three kilometres route at Bishan Park in 12 minutes.
Downloading and installing the link for the TomTom MySports Connect software is also fuss free, with the software easy to use. Upon linking up to a computer, one can also get connected to the company’s portal whereby workouts can be tracked. Apart from computers, the watch can also interface wirelessly to your iOS device such as the iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth. All one needs is a TomTom app for the sync to work. As for battery life, TomTom claims that the watch can last up to 10 hours in GPS mode, and will last longer when used as a normal wrist watch to tell time.
If you are a serious runner, the TomTom might fulfill all your needs, however, as an active ager that runs for leisure and curious about performance metrics such as your average speed and total distance covered, the TomTom Runner is a great sports watch for a run. Solidly built, comfortable to wear and waterproof, the TomTom Runner is worth a considering.
