TomTom Has a New Way to Make You a Better Runner
Runners, say goodbye to your Garmin — there’s a new wearable watch that is ready to train you every step of the way toward your next marathon. Or 5K. We’re not judging!
With GPS wristwear a crucial part of so many runners’ training programs, the sprinters and long distance ladies in your life have probably been buddying up to wearable tech way before anyone even knew what Google Glass was. Or, um, called it “wearable tech.” Garmin has always been the go-to, but there’s room for more in this increasingly wearable-crazy market. TomTom wants to be in the (pun alert) running with their new Runner Cardio watch.
The watch boasts a built-in heart rate monitor that uses a Mio sensor to detect beats by shining a bright light through your skin. The light illuminates capillaries to determine when your blood cells become engorged with each beat. A little creepy, a lot cool and super accurate.
You can actually use your heart rate “zones” to help dictate and track your training whether you’re working on intervals and endurance in prep for a long run or want to burn fat for your own personal cardio goals. TomTom reports real-time running info in easy-to-read, full-screen graphics — helpful when you’re pounding the pavement as hard as you are, you animal, you! Look down during your run and all of your usual friends are there to say hi, too: Time, Pace, Calorie, Laps, Intervals. Pump your way to a PR worth Tweeting about as you race your best performances of runs past.
TomTom Runner Cardio rings in at $270 and comes out April 30, but is available to pre-order now. This is not the smartwatch that’s going to change your life and it might not be the one that replaces your thirst for a wearable that delivers texts and games to your wrist. It might, however, be the one that helps you up a couple hills and inspires you to kick your *own* butt. Which is worth its weight in GPS.
Do you run with a GPS watch? Are you faithful to Garmin or would you be down to try TomTom?
(h/t: Techcrunch)
