Garmin Foot Pod SDM4

Comments about Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 Monitors:

size is great, fits in my nike shoe cutout. it's maybe 1 1/4 inch maybe.
great for indoors where my gps 305 garmin wouldn't work.

Comments about Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 Monitors:

I use the Garmin Foot Pod in conjunction with a Garmin 405 CX w/HRM as a racewalker & cyclist and have found it to be invaluable for monitoring & improving my performance.

Anybody who is serious about aerobic training needs a good heart rate monitor. The Garmin 405 CX w/HRM is a great HRM and it's GPS functionality & bundled software also make it a great tool for tracking the duration and distance of your workouts. The optional foot pod (which is Nike+ compatible) is a great addition for those times when you might workout inside or on wooded trails where GPS satellite 'visibility' might be limited.

The Garmin 405 CX w/HRM is also great for interval workouts. I work with a performance coach who provides me with weekly 'treadmill interval' workouts. I use the bundled Garmin Training Center software to load my workout intervals to the 405 CX and then take it to the treadmill. The 405 CX guides me through the workout and keeps track of my heart rate all the way through. After the workout, I download the heart rate data to my computer and send it to my coach who then looks at my performance and sets the intensity of the next week's interval work.

The Training Center & Garmin's online software, 'Garmin Connect,' allow me to see and analyze a wide range of performance parameters from my workouts including: distance, pace, calories burned, course traveled & cadence (for cycling or walking / running with the optional foot pad).

The software also interacts with Google Maps so you can automatically plot the GPS data to see where you worked out. The 'positional' accuracy of the Google Maps plot is not bad. I train on a narrow bicycle path and the plot is usually within 20 feet of my 'real' location.

The distance accuracy is quite good provided that you keep a relatively unobstructed view of the sky for GPS satellite connectivity. I have verified the distance accuracy against a measured mile for running, racewalking & cycling several times and have always found it to be within 1% of the actual distance.

I have used the Garmin Foot Pod & Garmin 405 CX w/HRM on a daily basis for over a month and have had no problems with it. Under the guidance of a performance coach it has helped me to track & improve my performance so that I have been able to recently improve my 5 km personal best by a substantial margin.

A great product for runners, racewalkers & cyclists that I highly recommend!

Comments about Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 Monitors:

I use this when I have to run indoors on the treadmill. It is as accurate as the treadmill and there was no set up required, other than hitting yes to the "use indoors?" question on the Garmin watch.

Comments about Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 Monitors:

Novice Runner but wanted accurate info. as I get more into running. Paired without any problems. It was easy to use

Comments about Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 Monitors:

The Garmin Footpod provides an accurate measure of cadence when walking or running. It will extend the use of your GPS by allowing you to measure the distance when used indoors on a treadmill or track. Also it is very easy to attach and un attach to running shoes.

Comments about Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 Monitors:

Great way to keep track of distance when in thick woods or on a treadmill. Only problem is that it does not work with the mapping feature on Garmin's connect.

Comments about Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 Monitors:

A significant upgrade from the original AA battery footpod. Smaller lighter and easier to install on your shoe. This foot pod is motion activated, no off button, [...]