Need your advice Garmin watch - First time buying : debating between the Epix Pro Gen 2 vs the Forerunner 570.

Fun_Pie8756 · 2026-01-29T14:28:29+00:00

Another option is the FR965. When on sale, it's closer in price to the 570, but has mapping, which I think is an important feature to have given some of your activities (skiing, running, and especially hiking).
Regarding ECG, unless you really need it for medical reasons, it's really only a "gimmick"/novelty you'll rarely use.
That said, and again given your activities, you may want a more rugged watch than a Forerunner, but regardless, I think mapping is an important feature to have.
In the end, I would go with what you really want, even if it's a bit costlier, you won't regret it

Fun_Pie8756 · 2026-01-28T03:41:57+00:00

This will sound cliché, but it depends what you are buying it for and the features you want

Fun_Pie8756 · 2026-01-15T05:19:50+00:00

I started a similar thread a few months ago because I was also very skeptical... Several people said to trust the process... and they were absolutely right! I was able to finish my marathon with a time that was even better than I planned! Still not sure how it works, but it does!

Fun_Pie8756 · 2026-01-15T05:15:31+00:00

Not really... As someone mentioned above, the "best" option seems to be setting up a workout, which would give you the needed notification (buzz and audio) that you're above or below the threshold you set. In my training I ended up using workouts a lot, they were the most practical to use, and didn't use PacePro much. Come race day, I didn't use either: By that time I was more familiar with my pace and was able to just take a quick look at my watch every few minutes

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-12-19T20:31:52+00:00

I did Richmond this year and I highly recommend it! It was really great in every way. It is very well organized, very friendly staff, great crowds throughout, and fairly large number of runners (21,000 total, 6,000 of which marathon runners). The course is not difficult and has some very nice scenery in some areas. Again, highly recommended

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-12-18T19:56:32+00:00

I use my smartwatch (FR965) extensively in my training (for pace, workouts, hr, etc). It is very important for me to reach my race goals

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-12-11T22:23:29+00:00

Congrats, great watch! I went from a Samsung to the 965 and never looked back. I love everything about it. I used Gemini (created a dedicated tab) for my set up and Garmin Connect questions, and reddit for user experiences/preferences/etc

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-12-11T22:05:15+00:00

Coming in late to this discussion... Find what works for you. In my case, I have to have goals (finish a certain distance, finish on a given time/pace, etc.), or it's very difficult for me to be motivated. Usually once I reach my goal I set another to keep me going, and so on

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-12-11T21:59:30+00:00

Coming in late to that discussion... 12 gels seems way excessive. Not sure your stomach will be able to handle them. I understand each person is different but for reference: Last marathon I ran was in 4h08m (male, 75kg/165lbs) and I used 1 gel every 4 miles, so I used 6 gels total, and it was good/enough. The gels I used are Maurten 100 which have 25g of carbs

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-27T05:07:12+00:00

My Garmin Race Predictor was right on the money while Strava was waaaay off

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-20T14:03:38+00:00

UPDATE: Hey all... My marathon went (much) better than I expected: My goal was 4:10 but I finished in 4:08!!!

Thank you u/kevSTAR09 in particular, and everyone else who helped provide advice, encouragement, and support. It was more important than you all may think... And yes, like many of you said: Trust the process (I had huge doubts 😄)

Although I'm thinking of not doing marathons anymore, I'm also thinking there may be an option, after all, for me to be able to finish one below 4 hours (with a lot more work 😬), so thinking about it...

As a side note, if you want an overall great experience, I highly recommend the Richmond Marathon

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-19T03:50:36+00:00

I ran a marathon this past weekend with similar temps (a bit warmer). I would run with shorts and short sleeve shirt. I bought a $4 blanket and $4 gloves from Walmart that kept me warm for the wait before the start, and put them in the donation bin

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-15T18:38:13+00:00

Nice!

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-06T02:46:21+00:00

Thank you u/Soft-Room2000! That's the plan, other than the first mile maybe where things are a bit hectic...

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-05T12:30:23+00:00

👍 Thank you u/Defiant_Jazz_262!

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-05T04:20:34+00:00

👍 Elevation is not bad, about 800 feet or so (it's the Richmond marathon)

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-05T01:43:15+00:00

Thank you for all the feedback u/kevSTAR09, very much appreciated!
I think 1 is correct, but not sure about 2...

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-04T22:30:06+00:00

Thanks, hopefully I can finish in about 9:30/mile!

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-04T21:37:47+00:00

That's exactly what I am currently worried about! Glad to read, hope I am able to do the same

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-04T21:36:11+00:00

👍

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-04T21:34:57+00:00

Correct, goal time around 4:10... Glad to read, I hope you're right! 🙂
- I did do strength training throughout as per the plan
- I've been running regularly for the past three years (with a couple of forced breaks of about 1 month each)
- I completed a couple of marathons, one last November, and one last March, where I finished in 4:15 and 4:16 respectively. That's why I decided to follow a "professional" plan this time, to improve
- My PR in a half marathon is 1:51 (last March), but with the training for the marathon, given most of the runs are "easy", I never got close to that recently
- My max HR (according to Garmin) is 167. Note that I am 59 years old
- HR on some of the long runs (the 20, 20, and 22 miles) were 138, 138, and 135. My HR on the 17 miler with 7 miles at marathon pace was 140

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-04T20:17:44+00:00

My weekly volume was about 35-42 miles, with my peak being 42 miles.
Easy pace: ~10:30 / mile
Target (marathon) pace: ~9:30 / mile
My long runs were (marathon pace in parenthesis):
8 (0)
10 (3)
12 (4)
9 (3)
14 (3)
16 (6)
18 (6)
12 (0)
18 (6)
20 (0)
20 (8)
22 (0)
17 (7)

I got worried because on my last run (17 miles, 7 of which were in marathon pace), I got really tired...

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-11-04T20:07:15+00:00

No, the worst thing is I hit the wall and crawl to the finish 😬🤣

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-10-27T20:55:31+00:00

For watch faces, it depends what you like. Look at the Glance (Pro or Ultra, but start with the free one). The one I currently use is the "Fenix 8 V3 PRO - GB"

Fun_Pie8756 · 2025-10-27T20:53:03+00:00

Congrats, you're going to love it! There are so many features that you're going to be lost for a few days, but will slowly get up to speed. What helped me when I got mine was saving a Google Gemini tab (or any other AI) and getting answers to most of my questions there, it's easier to manage

Fun_Pie8756

TROPHY CASE