Five Essential Hacks for Your Garmin Forerunner 70
The Garmin Forerunner 70 is a budget-friendly GPS running watch that boasts a range of advanced features, often found in pricier devices. If you’re looking to get the most out of your Forerunner 70, here are five expert hacks to help you unlock its full potential.
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Use Shortcuts to Mimic Hotkey Support
One of the most significant advantages of the Forerunner 70 is its ability to assign shortcuts to various buttons, allowing you to customize the experience to suit your preferences. To do this, navigate to Watch Settings > System > Shortcuts and assign new functions to different buttons or combinations of buttons. A personal favorite hack is to assign Do Not Disturb (or Silent Mode) to the Down button, eliminating the need for multiple steps to silence notifications during a run.
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While customizing your watch, it’s also worth stripping down your data screens to optimize the information you need during a workout. This can be done within the Garmin Connect app.
Let Quick Workouts Do the Thinking for You
The Forerunner 70’s Quick Workouts feature is a game-changer for runners, allowing you to select a workout duration and intensity level based on your current fitness data. This ensures that your workout is tailored to your specific needs, taking into account your Training Readiness score. To access Quick Workouts, follow these steps:
- Scroll down and select Training.
- Select Quick Workout.
- Select an intensity level (easy, moderate, hard, very hard).
- Select a workout duration (30, 45, or 60 minutes).
- Press the upper-right button to select a workout option.
Run Like an Ultra-Marathoner with Rest Timers and Waypoint Tools
The Forerunner 70 is equipped with features typically reserved for ultra trail runners, such as course time cutoffs and Up Ahead feature, which shows upcoming aid stations or waypoints along your route. To access these tools, add Ultra Run to your list of activities and follow these steps:
- Press the START button on an Ultra Run.
- Select Ultra Run Settings.
- Scroll down to Lap Key and select the desired setting:
- Lap: Records a lap and displays lap details when the Lap Key is pressed.
- Rest Only: Starts a rest timer when the Lap Key is pressed. Press the Lap Key again to end the rest period.
- Lap + Rest: Records a lap, displays lap details, and starts a rest timer when the Lap Key is pressed. Press the Lap Key again to end the rest period and record another lap.
Use Record Only Mode as a Breadcrumb Trail on Unfamiliar Routes
The Forerunner 70’s Record Only mode creates a breadcrumb trail of your route without the battery cost of turn-by-turn navigation. This feature is particularly useful when exploring new routes, as you can use the breadcrumb trail to retrace your path if needed.
Additionally, be sure to turn on Find My Phone before heading out on an unfamiliar route, especially when running in areas with limited phone signal. This feature allows you to ping your connected phone with sound and vibration, ensuring you can locate it if it slips out of your belt.
Don’t Let Easy Workouts Drain Your Garmin’s Battery
When training on familiar routes, consider turning off Always-On GPS to conserve battery life. This hack will help extend the lifespan of your watch’s battery by reducing the number of full charge cycles.
As with any training device, it’s essential to care for your watch’s battery in the same way you treat your muscles during a training block. Avoid topping off the battery to 100% every time, and instead, aim to charge it around 80% to slow down battery degradation.
