Garmin Forerunner 910XT - WOW!

The new Garmin Forerunner 910XT has arrived in time for the Hawaiian Ironman 2011 and triathletes and ultra-endurance athletes alike could not be more excited.

The predecessor watch, the Garmin Forerunner 310XT, gave the world its first true long course triathlon GPS watch in April of 2009.

The Garmin Forerunner 910XT has added training effect, which is sweet because this kind of data helps an athlete adjust their training and then it has further added a barometric altimeter to increase the accuracy of real-time ascent and descent data. The GPS data has always been very accurate on altitude once you transferred it into Garmin Connect and hit the corrections button but athletes really wanted more accurate data on board and now they will get it.

New swim watch features include lap and stroke count, which add to the accurate GPS swim mapping and distance that this watch allows you to do.

The first two full Ironman GPS watches were big, real big and both the Garmin Forerunner 310XT and the Timex Global Trainer scared off many a athlete with small wrists. The Forerunner 910XT brings to bear a somewhat smaller form factor. Still the demands of running full GPS mode for 15 hours or longer necessitate a lithium-ion battery that can meet the task so a normal sized watch for long course triathlon may still be a ways off.

Of course the Garmin 910XT still delivers multiple screens for each sport and picks up bike power data from ANT+ compliant power meters. Also, available by next Spring of 2012 will be the Garmin Vector power pedals.

We tested lots of new Garmin devices this past year, including the Garmin Edge 800 and Garmin 610. All of these devices have made incredible advances over their predecessors and we feel that the Garmin Forerunner 910XT will be no different. We can't wait to put it through the paces.

A lot of commentators and reviewers try to pigeonhole the Garmin Forerunner 910XT as strictly a triathlon watch but in reality it is great for sports like ultra-running, all day summit attempts, all day back country skiing excursions, cross country trials and dirt biking, inline skating and so much more. Add a external battery pack with solar charger and you are set to tackle even remote locations. The one downside to this is that it does take about 10 hours plus of sunlight to do a total battery recharge so we would recommend a second battery too for hardcore enthusiasts.

We have a real hardcore back country skiing, cycling and running friend we call DNA man - I'll leave out his real name to protect the innocent. Now DNA man can go from the wee hours until well past sunset and rack up more vertical than most people get in several days. It is his MO and if it doesn't have endurance then don't give it to DNA man. Original we tried to get DNA man outfitted with a Forerunner 410 but the battery did not last long enough. Then we got him a 310XT and it was as if Goldilocks had found the right bed - "Just right".

We might have to trade in his 310XT for the new 910XT now so we can make it "DNA man" approved.

About a year after the introduction of the original 310XT Garmin made a firmware update that allowed the watch to track distance and route in open water swims. Needless to say this was a great success but like every other GPS and heart rate monitor manufacturer, except Polar, it failed to track heart rate in the water which disappointed the swimmers.

Product Features and Specifications
• GPS-enabled training device for multisport athletes
• Tracks time, distance, pace (or speed), elevation (via barometric altimeter) and heart rate
• Designed for open water and pool swimming, records swim distance, efficiency, stroke type, count and pool lengths
• Vibration alerts set alerts for pace, distance and heart rate
• High-sensitivity GPS receiver with HotFix
• Firstbeat advanced heart rate-based calorie computation
• Heart rate zone training supports five heart rate zones
• Training Effect indicates intensity level to help athletes train more efficiently
• Virtual Racer - race previous bests or activities uploaded to Garmin Connect; accounts for varying speeds and real-time conditions
• Additional training and motivational features - Virtual Partner, courses, workouts
• Run/walk alerts allow users to set alerts for running and walking intervals based on time
• Wireless uploads to Garmin Connect to analyze, store and share workouts; www.GarminConnect.com
• Watch features - time of day (12/24h), dual time zone, day/date, daily alarm
• GPS features - mark locations, back to start, save location
• Can be used for swimming, running and cycling
• Compatible with the Vector pedal-based power meter for displaying real-time power data
• ANT+ wireless technology - wirelessly connect to heart rate monitor, GSC 10 speed/cadence bike sensor or ANT+ enabled power meters
• Compatible with foot pod - measure speed, distance and runner’s cadence indoors and outdoors
• Battery life up to 20 hours
• Compatible with external battery pack with solar charger to charge Forerunner 910XT for multi-day activities • Water resistant to 50m
• Weight: 2.5 oz (72 g)
• Display: black and white, 160 x 100 pixels
• Size (cm): 5.4 cm x 6.1 cm x 1.5 cm
• Distance accuracy: 99% with clear view of sky
• Temp range: -4oF to 140oF (-20oC to 60oC)

Garmin Connect is compatible with Windows XP or newer and PowerPC and Intel-based Mac running OS 10.4 or later with Safari.

Our team is so thrilled to see the Garmin Forerunner 910 heart rate monitor arrive we say let the testing begin. With its predecessor the 310XT already having proved itself as the best ultra watch on the planet there is a lot to be thrilled about with the new form factor, the new barometric altimeter, swim features and training effect.

If you'd like some expert advice or would like to discuss the new Forerunner 910XT then just give us a call here at the Heart Rate Watch Company at 866-586-7129 and talk to the real experts.

copyright 2012, Rusty Squire, author, support@heartratewatchcompany.com