I just looked at my Training Peaks dashboard and realized that the Monterrey 70.3 file recorded by my Garmin 620 measured 70.6 miles – pretty accurate for a running specific watch! I don’t have one of the new Fenix 2 triathlon watches, so I used the Forerunner 620 – a watch meant just for running – to record my HR throughout the race. It doesn’t do the fancy bike stuff (like pair with the Vector Pedals), and you can’t change sports or do a multisport mode during the race, so it’s definitely not as good as using the Forerunner 910 or the Fenix 2, but it did record my HR and I wanted to see the running form metrics that only the 620 and Fenix 2 are capable of recording.
Check out the file here on Garmin Connect. Obviously only the last 13.1 miles are runninng, but I did start a new lap as I ran through T2.
Ben,
I have my first 70.3 coming up and I will also be racing with a FR 620. Did you make any adjustments to the data screens for race day as opposed to normal training? I usually have my watch display distance, total time, and pace, but I keep thinking that I might get confused looking at minutes per mile while on the bike. Any tips would be much appreciated.
Check out “cycling mode” on the 620. It’s not quite as easy to switch between modes on the fly with the 620 as with a triathlon specific watch (like the Forerunner 735XT or 920XT), but there is a cycling “mode”. When you use that you can set up your own data screens that you want to see on the bike, then when you start running, you will switch to running mode and get all your run data shown. Check out this post on DC Rainmaker’s blog, he does a great job of describing how to use every little feature on your device. Good luck at the race!