My beloved Bia & unexpected choices

I'm trying to Suck It Up ButterCup, I swear.

I received an email on Friday that I honestly did not anticipate getting. My beloved Bia will stop working the way I want it to on April 3. It will continue to function as a GPS giving time, distance and pace. But if that was all I wanted I wouldn't have paid $230 for it two years ago. The watch doesn't store any information on it so I would lose my mile splits as well as the SOS function, which was the major reason I bought the watch before it was even released. I am annoyed because the watch I loved will not work the way I want it to, I'm annoyed that the features I was looking forward to will not be coming, I'm annoyed I have to spend more money. But I am also sad. Biasport was not just a watch maker--it was a community. We all had this really unique watch because we all believed in this company and this product. I am sad to lose that. I feel especially bad since my blog just convinced someone to buy one in the past month!

So, my options. 

1. I can continue to use it as just a GPS watch.

2. I can go back to using the Garmin Forerunner 305 I had before. 

3. I can use my iPhone & an app.

4. I can get a new watch. 

1. I have big races coming up and I need to track my progress with mile splits. I need more than simple distance/time.

2. If I had been happy with the Forerunner 305 I wouldn't have bought the Bia to begin with. I can't wait 5 minutes to get a satellite signal. I'm kind of assuming it still works anyway. I haven't turned it on in months. 

3. I always run with my phone--for safety reasons. I don't like to run down the battery. I've just started playing music & that seems okay, but I am a little wary of doing too much. Have I mentioned my paranoia when running? Also, I put my phone in my pocket and don't look at it again until I finish my run. I need to look at my watch to know how far I've gone now that I'm doing the run/walk. And so I know when to turn around since I often do out and backs or crazy loops. 

4. The downside to this is $$. 

I'm pretty sure I know what I'm going to do. I'm tempted to find a new watch that doubles as an activity tracker, but I don't think I will. My phone does track my steps and I really don't need more than that. I don't sit at a desk for 8 hours a day. I don't sit ANYWHERE for 8 hours a day. I am constantly on my feet. I don't think I need an activity tracker to motivate me or keep me active. I need a running watch. Garmin has come out with a couple of different models since I bought the 305 and one in particular seems promising. The 220 has what I need-- basic time, distance, pace, but also lap pace, interval settings, custom workouts, beeps/vibrates, and when used in concert with your iPhone it can get the satellite in seconds. Amazon has a rebate for it right now and I also have points on my Amazon credit card to lower the price further... It doesn't have an SOS function, but nothing does right now. (I wouldn't be surprised if Garmin or some other company makes a deal with Biasport and we have a watch with SOS in a few years. But I am not waiting a few years.)

I'm annoyed that I have to make this decision but I am not really annoyed at Bia. They did everything they could to make this work. I just wish more people had realized what a wonderful product it was and helped keep the company alive.