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. 

Bia sport watch review

UPDATE 3/20/2015: It is with a heavy heart that I have to say that Bia is "ceasing its operations." As of April 3, we can no longer use the Bia as it exists now. If all you want is a GPS distance/time tracker, you're fine. But if you want mile splits, elevation, SOS and all of things we've come to love about Bia, you'll have to get a different watch. 

Watch, Go Stick, charger & cool packaging

I've been meaning to post a review of my Bia for a while but I thought it would be a good idea to wait until after Ragnar and see how it performed then. Before I get to the review, a little history:

I buy almost everything after reading tons of reviews and getting input and doing research. 80% of the internet research I do is product reviews. I bought my first sports watch, the Garmin Forerunner 305 based on reviews of friends. 

Over a year ago I heard about a kickstarter campaign for a new sports watch and I was intrigued. The watch would have a really cool piece that no others have had-- an SOS alert or "panic button." For a paranoid runner like me who often runs alone down country roads and thinks every white unmarked van is going to kidnap me, this panic button idea was awesome. I checked out the kickstarter and a bunch of other people must have thought it was awesome too because they were fully funded pretty quickly. I didn't add my 2 cents because I didn't really have it to add. 

A little while later I heard they were looking for product testers and in a rare move I actually applied. I didn't get picked, but I was given the opportunity to buy the watch at a cheaper price than what the retail price would be. I decided I believed in the watch so much and the company behind it, that I would go ahead and buy it without reviews, without the product even completed! It was a total leap of faith for me. It took a bit longer than we all thought to get the watch ready, but Bia was very honest and forthcoming and communicated everything to us early adopters. 

The watch is shipped in a cool cylinder with a little drawstring bag to keep it safe. There are two components-- the watch that you wear on your wrist and the Go Stick that you clip anywhere. It should be on the same side of your body as the watch so it can communicate better. The Go Stick is what communicates with the GPS and has a "cell phone" chip in it which enables it to: immediately upload your run as soon as you hit stop & send the SOS text message alert. I haven't had the Go Stick fall off me yet and it picks up the satellite about 3 days faster than my Garmin. The Go Stick is the only thing that needs to be charged. There's a USB cable included that you can hook up to your computer or a wall outlet or a portable charger in a van down by the river. Right now the battery last roughly 6 hours, but they are rolling out an update this week with a 17 hour battery life! I'm not sure how long the battery lasts on stand by. 

The watch fits nicely and is shaped so differently than any other watch I've worn. I've had no problems with the fit. Once I think some of the velcro strap attached itself to something I was wearing and the watch was yanked a bit, but once I realigned the velcro better it didn't happen again. 

There's one button and only one button on the watch. It's large and easy to press. You can choose between run, swim or bike. There are some options listed that aren't available yet. But because of the handy dandy cell phone chip, this watch updates itself! You don't have to go run out and buy a new one when they add a new feature. Already since I got it I have had it update to include mile splits. Unless they change a hardware feature, there shouldn't be a reason to need a new watch for a while. Which is AWESOME. The directions on the watch are pretty straightforward and easy to follow. When your run is done it also gives you a little compliment ("Badassery") or motivation ("Just one more?") or instructions ("Breathe," "Go Shower"). 

The one button is on the left.

I used my Bia during the Ragnar and had no problems. I brought a portable charger with me just in case and charged it but I don't think I really needed to. I was concerned about my night time run because there's no backlight on the watch, but if it's dark enough for me to need a backlight I probably have my headlamp on, which was the case at Ragnar and I had no problem seeing the watch with the headlamp. Once I got in the car and there was no light I couldn't see the screen but I didn't really need to. It was so convenient having my runs automatically uploaded when I was sitting in the van. I brought my Garmin as a backup but never used it.

I love the look of the watch, I love the feel, I love the SOS (it sends a text message to phone numbers you input. In a later update it will also notify emergency services. The text includes a map of your location!). I love the instant uploading. I use Running Ahead as my log so I still have to input it there, but I can download the raw data and upload it there if I don't want to do it manually. Right now it will automatically send info to its own Bia site, Strava, and Map My Run. I love so many things about this watch and I am so glad I took the risk and pre-ordered it.

There are some things I would improve (and some of these may be addressed in future updates):

1. It's impossible to see the lights on the Go Stick when you're in sunlight. I wasn't sure if it was awake the first time and had to go in the garage to check. Minor quibble.
2. The only way to know if it needs to be charged is to start a run. While you're running you can see a battery indicator, but I would like to be able to look at it (either the watch or the Go Stick) the night before and know whether or not I should plug it in.
3. There's no auto-pause (yet) so when I stop and pee I have to manually press the button. You then have the option to continue your run or stop it and save. But if you get distracted and don't save your run right away the only option is to continue. Hopefully auto-pause will fix that.
4. It would be nice to hear a louder beep at each mile. If there's any sound I haven't heard it yet.

It seems to be pretty accurate with the mileage and pace. I used it at the same time as my Garmin and the only difference was because of the auto-pause of the Garmin. It doesn't have as many bells and whistles as the Garmin does--right now it doesn't do intervals. But they are adding features as we speak. They are very responsive to feedback, whether it be through email, Facebook or twitter, and they take customer suggestions very seriously. The company was created by women and run by women and that's an added bonus. You get the sense that they really want to offer a great product and they are willing to take the time to make it right. The bottom line really seems to be customer satisfaction and not just money.

I'm holding on to my Garmin for now but my kids are using it more than me. But I don't see myself giving up the Bia any time in the foreseeable future.

**If you want to buy one, you can here: http://bia-sport.com
edited to include link on 5/22

********
I bought the Bia with my own money (okay, birthday money) and was not compensated in any way for this review. This is my honest, unsolicited review.

Badassery

Five out of six of us ran a race this past Saturday. We got there later than I wanted to because what else is new? I said I wanted to leave a particular time and Vader sat in front of the computer. I wound up having to wrestle Lightrunner to get him dressed and we ran out the door 10 minutes later than I wanted. We live very close but I like to have time to park and get our bibs. Chewie's sprint was first so she and I got out of the car before Vader parked and ran to get her bib. We got to the starting line just in time and she ran her 200 meters. As she said she "didn't come in first" but she smiled an awful lot.

Next SkyWalker and the Princess had their 1 mile run. Vader ran with the Princess and SkyWalker ran ahead. He said he had to stop and walk but then the Princess's friend ran past him and that motivated him again so he started back up. He finished in 10:16 which really isn't bad for a lazy kid. Vader and the Princess came in after him at 12:05. They all enjoyed it.

It turned out to be a great day, not cloudy or raining at all. The sun was nice, the temperature was nice and it was an overall beautiful day. When the kids finished their race they had to leave for Chewie's first soccer practice so I was on my own for the 5K. Luckily I had a gazillion friends running it.

Last year when I ran this race I was shooting for the 28 minute range and I finished in 28:26 and I was pretty happy because I felt like I had given it my all. I ran hard and did the best I could do. This year I was aiming for 28:00 again and finished in 28:32. I did not run really hard and did not give it my all and I am still pretty happy. I'll be honest when I saw the clock I thought "really? again?". But this wasn't my goal race, I didn't want to go all out and really when I think about it I did exactly what I set out to do.

First race with the Bia. Slightly off but nothing to complain about.

I wanted to use this race to see where I am right now and what else I have to do in the next 2 weeks before my goal race. The entire time I was running I was breathing fine, I was feeling fine, and I could see my friends just up ahead. My mile splits were 9:14, 9:16 and 9:17. I kind of did the tempo run I've been trying to do for months. I was definitely not running at 100% and I'm actually pretty happy that I ran so consistently because I usually don't. 

Wearing my Strong Running Mama shirt.
So grateful for friends taking pictures!

The last tenth of a mile I ran really REALLY strong. I actually wound up passing the friends I was following. I could hear people yelling my name which was really nice and is one of the many benefits to running a race in your own community. I was completely focused though because I wanted to come in as strong as possible. I was totally excited that I had that final kick because I haven't had in a while. If I had started it just a bit sooner I could have finished closer to 28. 

Because I love to laugh at myself. Belly.

I am pretty confident that if I could do a sandy trail run at 80% effort and come close to my goal that I can do what I want to do for my next race. And then maybe actually earn the "Badassery" label from Bia!