get a different model from a different company
I have owned this worthless item for a while now. To this date, this item has not helped me to improve anything at all. I spend most of my time just getting the thing to work. So far all it has done consistently is dump my information, suck battery life, and take my free time. I am constantly pairing the item, constantly trying to get it to sync correctly with my computer, and so far, I've lost several running sessions because it blanks out on me and dumps my information. I have to unscrew the back to "re-adjust" the battery so it starts to work, and it has 4 of the smallest screws and the battery is fixed in so tight, you have to peel back some fitted plastic piece just to get it out. There's no gps unit in it to tell you how far you have run. You have to buy three other accessories just to get the one benefit of tracking your distance and time, whether you're riding a bicycle, or running on the street. For that amount of money, you might as well just buy a hand held gps and a regular heart rate monitor, because this item is just going to waste all of your time.

Lame. works only some times.
Hate it. (hate a pretty strong word for this review). I'd like it if it worked. It works only some times. Most the time it resets itself, or doesn't pick up the heart rate or cadence pod for the bike. just getting it started is a long combination of button pushing memory madness. It is not a simple heart rate monitor. Buy a better modle. This one is bad. I've even sent it back to have it repaired and it came back noted as, "in working condition". Since the "repair" it's even worse. i'm not even going to try and resale it. I'd feel that I'm selling something broken.

A great watch, while it lasts
I got this watch about 9 months ago, and was fairly happy with it until it stopped working. It went through the first battery in about 5 months and after having it changed it never seemed the same. I tripped during a race this Fall and while I didn't hit it on the pavement, it reset from the shock. Poof, mile 4 of a half marathon and my watch reads 00:00. Since then it's repeatedly reset at the slightest bump or jostle and now the battery's dead again. Now I have no watch and am not sure I want to give Garmin any more of my money.

Good for HR monitoring, kind of annoying as a watch
Been using this sucker with HR strap and footpod for about 6 months now, running a LOT.

Pros:
*I had never used a HR monitor before. Fantastic training method. Can't compare it to any other HR monitors (e.g. Polar), but compared to NOT using a HR monitor for training, it gets five stars.

*Small, lightweight, waterproof.

*Got the entire set (watch, HR monitor, and foot pod) for 0.

Cons:
*Having used many other regular watches, from Casio to Timex's Ironman, as a basic watch, or even a workout watch, it's crappy. First of all, the light from the light button does NOT stay on long enough. Some of us actually exercise at night, you know? Ironman watch: much better.

*Effectively non-standard start/stop/save button functionality. That face button for lap is just plain annoying. The buttons in general I don't find that good. And, if I'm trying to time many short events (sprint times of other people) it's a total pain and slow to be able to start, stop, clear, and restart. I realize that's not what it's necessarily made for, but it's annoying.

*Battery life is marginal. My footpod battery was dead out of the box when new. That was annoying. Had the system 6 months, and changed the watch battery twice now and the footpod once (total of four batteries in six months if you count the DOA footpod). Glad I'm comfortable doing so myself, as paying someone to do it would be annoying. That said, I do like replaceable better than a rechargeable watch itself as sometimes you're just not near power. Best would be if I felt comfortable enough to try out the RCR-2032 batteries (rechargeable versions; they're out there) but am worried that the higher voltage will kill it.

Overall, if you've never used a HR monitor system, I think it's just dandy. But, I wish the watch were as functional and high quality as the Ironman series, the light stayed on longer, the buttons were better, and DEFINITELY wish that it took a velcro sports watch band.

works great, lots of set up and battery stinks
My wife loves it! she has used it so much for her runs that the battery went out in 6 months! We went to a watch store to change it. It had no power unless we adjusted it, then it would lose power again...uggg. My wife loved it so much we just got a new one. I hope the battery last longer, if not, looks like she'll have another one for her birthday (easy gift). The set up is a bit of a pain, but if you call Garmin, they can help and it's only a one time deal. Other than the set up & battery, it's great. Tracks speed, distance thru-out the run (i.e. when you slow down it shows you on the computer via graph and text when and how long during the run you slowed down and what speed you going). Pretty cool. Just make sure you get the foot pod also.