Swim time! If it's Sunday it's Swimday! WIth work the only day I can get to the pool in the morning to swim with the gang is Sunday's at 7:30am so I woke up and decided to bring both the
Pebble Watch and my old Garmin Swim to have a swim off. Last week I posted LINK my first swim with the Pebble Watch. It didn't go so well as the Swim.com software at this time only recognizes Freestyle and Backstroke. For most lap swimmers or triathletes or just fun swimmers that is more then enough. But for IM'ers or those who swim workouts with butterfly or breaststroke the Pebble doesn't cut it as of now. So today I decided to switch watches in between sets to give them a side by side review.
Warm Up - Pebble Watch:
200 Freestyle Swim
100 Freestyle Pull w/o Paddles
200 Freestyle Pull w/ Paddles (500)
Lots of information can be found with the Swim.com website. Bascially you need to install the Swim.com app on the Pebble Watch and then on your iPhone/iPad install the Swim.com Pebble Uploader. Pretty simple and all FREE. The Dashboard at Swim.com is very easy to read but offers pretty much everything you need to know about your swim workout. It is odd that for Stroke Type I get UKNOWN considering it only reads Freestyle and Backstroke.
Drill Set - Garmin Swim:
4x125's 15 seconds rest w/fins
25 Pull
75 Kick
25 Swim (500/1000)
Rut oh! I accidently hit the wrong setting. I thought I was in Drill Mode on my Garmin when I was in a Custom Mode. Mind you this doesn't happen with the Pebble since Pebble doesn't have these modes. I love DRILL Mode on my Garmin to track kicking and dreaded drill sets. One other thing I noticed later on is sometimes with the Garmin watch I don't set the watch to start the next leg of a set. The Garmin makes a low long beep to let you know when it's starting again while the Pebble has a short vibration to let you know it's starting again. Pebble wins on the Vibration but Garmin wins on Drill Mode.
Main Set - Both Garmin & Pebble:
2 Rounds -
200 (50 Free / 100 Stroke / 50 Free) on 3:30
4x50's Stoke Descending on 1:30 maybe. Somethine super easy
rest 60 seconds
50 Sprint.
First round the stroke was back, second round it was breast! (900/1900)
I started the 200 with the backstroke with the Garmin only to remember I could use the Pebble for the set so switched to Pebble.

The first graph/chart is from the Pebble for the 50's Backstroke. Lots of information in a quick view. Thne the next chart/graph is the Classic Garmin view of the 200 with breast in the middle. The final chart/graph is the Modern Garmin view of the 50's breast. The each offer differnt data points but enough for one to understand a swim set. More importantly you can upload your Garmin Swims into Swim.com. I've done it in the past but struggle to do that today.
Drills - Garmin Swim:
4x75's w/ fins IM no free (300/2200)
Sprints - Garmin Swim:
4x25's IM order on 60. (100/2300)
Then I did 4x50's easy free pulling to play with the Pebble. (200/2500)
I'm not done with the Pebble yet. I'm going to swim one more time this week. Do I like it? YES! The screen is big the numbers are big! My old eyes can read it! It stays Bluetoothed to my phone so I get text, twitter and other alerts right on my wrist. For swimming I'm mixed as it yet to read strokes only Freestyle and Backstroke. But I think for lap swimmers who are looking for a watch this is the one to get. IM'ers or swimmers to do stroke work may want to hold off or get the Garmin. Either way upload your workouts to Swim.com.
My Progress for Go The Distance 2014
Month Total Distance
Jan 2.76 miles (=4,850 yards, =4,435 meters)
Feb 4.15 miles (=7,300 yards, =6,675 meters)
Mar 5.82 miles (=10,250 yards, =9,373 meters)
Apr 7.41 miles (=13,050 yards, =11,933 meters)
May 13.59 miles (=23,926 yards, =21,878 meters)
Jun 5.60 miles (=9,850 yards, =9,007 meters)
Jul 2.44 miles (=4,300 yards, =3,932 meters)
Aug 4.15 miles (=7,300 yards, =6,675 meters)
Sep 2.22 miles (=3,900 yards, =3,566 meters)
Oct 2.64 miles (=4,650 yards, =4,252 meters)
Nov 2.67 miles (=4,700 yards, =4,298 meters)
Total 53.45 miles (=94,076 yards, =86,023 meters)
At least I swam more this month so far then last. Got one more swim in to go, hopefully!