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Timex
GPS Speed and Distance System
By Mike King, ACE Certified
I have been waiting
for the day when someone would bring GPS technology to us folks interested
in accurately measuring our walks, runs, or bike rides. Timex has done
just that with their Speed and Distance System. The Timex GPS system is
one part of the Timex Bodylink System that incorporates speed, distance,
and heart rate training. I’ve been using the GPS component of the
system for the past five months and have found it useful, educational,
and fun.
The Speed and Distance
System component of the Bodylink system comes in essentially two pieces.
The first component of the system is the GPS sensor unit that triangulates
orbiting satellite signals to create a starting position. When turned
on the unit flashes red. It takes one to two minutes to acquire a satellite
fix, then beeps and the light turns to green, and you are ready to go.
The second component
of the system is a wristwatch that receives information sent by the GPS
unit and translates the signals to speed, distance, pace, and other measurements
that show on the watch face. Whether I’m walking, running, biking,
hiking, or even cross country skiing I can now easily figure out how far
I’ve gone, what my pace is, what my speed is, and how long it takes
me to get there. This is great information to have if you are training
for an event or working on increasing performance and fitness. For the
rest of us it is just plain fun.
A third component
of the system, which hadn’t been released when I got my system, is
a computer chip and computer program that supposedly integrates information
from the Speed and Distance System and the Heart Rate System to provide
a total workout recap. A call to Timex found this nifty device on backorder.
I’ll go through
the different parts of the Speed and Distance System one by one and give
you a brief idea of what worked and didn’t work for me. (It should
be noted too, that this system doesn’t map where you started from,
or where you are now, like other GPS systems do.)
The receiver is compact,
about the size of a deck of cards and weighs only about a 1/4 pound. It
can be attached to your belt by a clip or on your arm using the provided
adjustable strap. I found that keeping the system on my arm gave me better
results as my body sometimes shielded the signal with the sensor on my
belt, especially in forested areas. Trees can sometimes affect signal
quality and I had some problems on Terwilliger and in Tryon Creek Park
when the unit was on my belt, but few problems with the unit on my arm.
If you hike in the woods with lots of switchbacks you might have problems
getting accurate information, but my experience getting a signal with
the unit on my arm was good. The receiver does require batteries and I
agree with the Timex manual that the AAA batteries provide 12 hours of
use. I found the armband to be comfortable and easily adjustable while
I was exercising. The belt clip works as designed and keeps the unit in
place.
I must admit to having
some dysfunction when it comes to reading instructions, so it took me
a couple of weeks of trial and error to become comfortable incorporating
all the different features the system offers.
The watch unit is
a fully functioning digital watch and comes in either a 100-lap or 50-lap
model. One button on the watch lets you scroll between current distance,
speed, maximum speed, distance, pace, average pace, and best pace. I have
most consistently used the pace and distance readings for my marathon
training. These functions were especially useful for monitoring my speed
training workouts. Through use of the lap counter, I can later recall
speed, distance, pace, lap time, and elapsed time data for entry into
my workout journal. The watch also incorporates a countdown timer, a monitor
function that enables you to monitor two functions of your workout at
once (i.e., pace/distance or speed/distance), and an odometer that tracks
total distance until you reset it (you could track weekly mileage, etc.)
Most of the problems
I had with the system were user error, either from not understanding all
the intricacies of the system or from me running low on glycogen. Once
I dropped the unit when using the belt clip and the jarring turned the
unit off, which can be frustrating when half way through a workout. Keeping
fresh batteries in the unit appears to be key, especially for the unit’s
ability to get and hold a signal. Trees and tall buildings can be a problem
at times, and the lack of a second countdown timer is a concern for some.
I’ve used the
system for training, speed workouts, bike rides, hikes on Mt. Hood, and
walking with the kids around the neighborhood. From all of these uses
I have found it to be accurate, useful, and fun. If you’re looking
for a tool to take your training to the next level, or a gift for an athlete
in training, the Timex Bodylink system provides a lot of good, accurate
information.
For more information
logon to www.timex.com
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