I think I’m going to try that Garmin Forerunner 50 – it’s only £68 (on Amazon.co.uk) with the foot pod and the reviews I’ve read say it’s extremely accurate, and can even be collaborated if you have any concerns. Sounds good to me plus, more importantly, it’s the size of a normal watch!

I’m not trail running or anything like that at the moment, with my route pretty much limited to zipping alongside the beach, so mapping and elevation/altitude etc isn’t really of any concern right now. I would like to keep track of my overall speed and my speed for each mile I log, so the 50 should do the job nicely!

I am surprised about his “dumbell” comment, because the weight didn’t seem that bad to me. The size, however, was an issue. It was kind of like having the Linsey Lohan ankle cuff on my wrist! I think this, too, would be ok if you have average sized wrists (ie. you are a man), but for a petite woman (who normally wears a woman’s watch on the tightest setting), this was a problem. Because of the rigid bent face, the watch didn’t fit the contours of my arm, and so it was bouncy and uncomfortable and I fidgeted with it for the whole time. It was fun to see the data at the end and I loved knowing exactly how far I ran (14.2 miles!). I think I’ll use it when I go for new runs, but on my standard loops for which I already know the distance and elevation changes, I’d probably leave it at home.

In summary, I think this would be pretty great if you are a man (or big-wristed woman), but I’d think twice if you have tiny wrists.