Alternative to MotionBased and Garmin Connect?

August 22, 2008 6:09 PM

Alternatives to MotionBased and Garmin Connect for tracking running workouts with a Garmin Forerunner 305?

Are there any alternative websites that provide running-specific GPS tracking, including maps and heart rate, pace and speed analysis? I had transitioned completely to Garmin Connect, but with yesterday's site update they locked out the Forerunner 305 (not officially supported, but previously working just fine). Grrrr...

I could go back to MotionBased and pay to upgrade my account (necessary to see more than ten workouts), but it's supposedly going to be replaced with the (free) Garmin Connect any day now. I can't tell if I'd be paying for a month or if they'll have their typical 4-12 month upgrade delays. Which means I don't know whether to sign up for a month or a year.

Anyway, my emails with Garmin support are an exercise in frustration and I'm ready to try something new until they get their heads out of their collective asses. Any suggestions? Thanks!

posted by letitrain to sports, hobbies, & recreation (7 comments total)

Do you have a PC or Mac? If you have a Mac, I recommend Ascent. $30, one time fee and the developer is a super nice guy who is quick to answer emails no matter what the question.
posted by Heretic at 7:03 PM on August 22, 2008

I've got a Mac. I've been trying Ascent and and a new program called TrailRunner, and I like both. However, I use three computers and travel a lot, so I'd prefer to use a website so I can access my workouts anywhere.
posted by letitrain at 7:25 PM on August 22, 2008

People are going to think I'm a shill because I've recommended it in 2 or 3 threads now, but TrainingPeaks.com receives data from the Forerunner 305, shows where you ran on a map, elevation, hear rate, time spent in each heart rate zone, pace, calories, total distance on various pairs of shoes, etc. It also tracks nutrition really well.

MapMyRun.com will also receive data from the 305 and plot it on their site. I'm pretty sure you can save some other data as well, but it's not nearly as detailed TrainingPeaks. I think it's also free.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:24 AM on August 23, 2008

I've always gotten great service from Garmin when I CALL them. They aren't so fab with online care, but their phone support is excellent. They've also sent me a free car charge when I needed it. It might be worth a call to ask what they suggest.
posted by 26.2 at 4:21 PM on August 23, 2008

People are going to think I'm a shill because I've recommended it in 2 or 3 threads now, but TrainingPeaks.com...

Thank you for the suggestion. I just signed up for a month, uploaded a few runs and tried to browse around. I'm trying to reserve judgement, but it looks like a much uglier, less-organized version of MotionBased. Plus I'm getting a lot of "Server Application Unavailable" errors.

I'll try to use it for the next couple of days and see what I think after using it under normal conditions. Thank you.
posted by letitrain at 4:32 PM on August 23, 2008

Yeah, TrainingPeaks isn't going to work for me. OK, it's officially Ascent until Garmin gets it together. Please continue to post answers if you know of something better.
posted by letitrain at 1:12 PM on August 24, 2008

Coming a little late to this thread, but you might also want to check out RubiTrack if you are on a mac.

I have only used it for a couple of days (I just got my 305), but I can say that it certainly *looks* much nicer and more Mac like than Ascent or TrailRunner. I'll have to wait and see how it works in the long run...
posted by dyslexictraveler at 10:34 AM on May 20