After 3+ years of my Garmin 310XT following me everywhere I went and keeping track of exactly how fast I was going, my most loyal running companion had died. Is it a coincidence that the new version of this watch came out the same month that mine decided to hit the crapper? Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think not. So I scrapped together a shit load of pennies, a whopping $450, and bought the new model.

The low down: Those of you who have a 310XT that is still working will find it not worth the upgrade. This watch is nearly identical to its predecessor barring a few slight changes such as the font of the numbers, and a few additional swim functions that only a serious simmer would find helpful. (I have het to delve into these options as I personally would sooner drown that make it 3 laps in an Olympic length pool).

The biggest benefit of this very expensive piece of sporting equipment is that I know it will be reliable for the next 3 years until they come out with the next model which will likely have a choice of color or some other insubstantial novelty setting it apart from the previous model.

Those of you not familiar with this watch, or that do not have any kind of GPS or heart rate monitor, this bad boy is the top of the line. If you don’t do any kind of swimming or cycling, go for a cheaper model such as the 410 or 610. If you do get on your bike and currently find yourself without a bike computer, drop the $450 on this fucker and thank me later. (A decent bike computer alone is anywhere form $100-$300.) Unless you’re a natzi about your cadence, go with the forerunner 910XT and kill two birds with one stone. (I strap my watch around my handle bars, although they do make a handlebar mount for this particular model).

In short: This model Garmin was designed for tri-athletes and is complete overkill for even the most serious runner if you’re not doing any cycling or swimming. If you’re at all interested in cross training, this watch is for you. But start saving now because it will inevitably crap out in 3 years or when the new model comes out, whichever comes first.

Buy this watch and know exactly how fast you’re going -or go on vacation. Your choice.

Note: The heart rate monitor for the 310xt is not compatible with the 910xt, so those of you hoping to save $50 on the upgrade can forget about it. Bend over and take it.