my suunto t3c watch

last september i got a suunto t3c running watch. i think the 'c' stands for comfortable or something like that, otherwise i guess it was the same as the t3 watch. i got the running kit which included the heart-rate strap and the foot pod. the foot pod attaches to your running shoes with a pretty simple but sturdy clip through the laces. all the heart-rate strap requires is a simple click and the strap itself is very easy to adjust. i paid 100 pounds for it from the adventure shop in the uk (http://www.adventureshop.co.uk/). i ordered it online and they delivered it to japan quickly and promptly, it was all good.

so, what do i think? well, i read some articles online that said it was difficult to get into the watch and to understand it quickly and so on, but i have to say that it was really easy to set up and to use from the start. you just enter your vital details and then you're good to go. the foot pod is ready ready to go from the box, although you can go to a track and run an exact distance to make sure the calibration is correct. the watch has plenty of functions, but there are basically three main screens: one shows the time (as in the time of day), the next one shows your heart rate (with running time above) and the third one shows your speed (with distance above). clearly you need the foot pod for the speed and distance setting to work. below the main display you can scroll through various views such as lap time, total time, distance, average speed, calories and so on.

because the screen has one main piece of information, the information above and below that can seem a bit small at first and it is not so easy to see if you are running at full speed in the dusk... but how often do you do that anyway?! on normal runs it is very easy to view the screen and to scroll through the various functions. it also has an excellent storage facility (15 logs) so you can easily replay all your information after the run. you can also set heart-rate zones, speed-zones, intervals and so on. if you buy the pc pod (which i don't have) you can simply download it all straight into the computer without have to do anything.

one cool thing is that the watch will tell you your "training effort" for each session you do. this is a number between 1 and 5 (with 5 being the hardest effort). while simplifying things a lot, this allows you to control how hard you are training, mainly so you don't overdo things. the watch will even tell you during a run how long you have to go until you jump to the next level! it also adapts to your training - if you train every day, you will have to work harder to achieve a rating of 5 and vice-versa. it might seem like a gimmick, but it is a nice little addition.

i'd really recommend this watch. the heart-rate strap has never lost contact and i only had to replace the foot pod battery once. the watch tells me all i need to know (and more) and i have no trouble viewing it while running normally. the buttons are easy to push and it was really easy to set up. the guide is excellent and the online help service is also fantastic. more than anything, it takes so much guesswork out of running. now i always know how far, long and fast i am running for. i am sure there are better and worse watches out there, but i love my suunto!

check out the official page here:
http://www.suunto.com/