Timex IronMan Global Trainer GPS Watch Review
Cheapest Retailer - Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
The Timex IronMan Global Trainer is a GPS watch with a difference. It is one of a select few GPS watches that is suitable for triathletes as well as open water swimmers and along with recording the largest range of training metrics out of any GPS watch, the Timex IronMan Global Trainer can display four of these metrics at any one time – meaning you have the largest amount of customisable training data at your fingertips out of any GPS sports watch. This Timex IronMan Global Trainer Review will analyse the main features of the watch and explain the difference between the Global Trainer and the Garmin Forerunner GPS Watches.
Timex IronMan Global Trainer
Performance Metrics
The Timex IronMan Global Trainer can record up to 45 performance indicators so you can track your training sessions to an incredible amount of detail. Along with the metrics that are standard to most sports watches such as time, distance and laps, the Timex Global Trainer can use its high sensitivity GPS to tell you distance, speed and pace as well as averages and maxes/minimums of all the above. If we were reviewing the Forerunner VS Global Trainer then we would say that the range of metrics that you can record on the Timex watch is vastly superior to wither the Forerunner 410, 210 or 405 and the Global Trainer really stands out when you take into account that it accurately records altitude, power output (bike) and cadence (bike).
Multi Sport Workouts
One of the main highlights of the Timex Global trainer is the ability to define custom multi sport workouts. You can program the distance of each sport as well as the sequence as well as stopping the watch in-between sports to allow for transition stages. The Global Trainer will prompt you to begin your next sport in the sequence when the time or distance is completed and will also tell you then the watch is paused in transition mode.
Performance Pacer
The Performance pacer is another high end feature of the Timex Global Trainer. This allows you to race against a previous workout or predefined workout and the watch tells you exactly how far behind or in front of your previous workout you are in terms of time and distance. This feature is great for race day practice as it gets you used to running at a constant pace in a competitive climate; only you are racing against yourself rather than other runners, cyclists or competitors!
Customized Workout Screens
Whether you are training for an IronMan triathlon or a 5km run, more information is better. The Timex IronMan Global Trainer lets you customize up to 5 screens of data to have whatever training metrics you want displayed. You can choose the four metrics that you want on each screen and can also name the screens so that you can easily remember what date fields are stored on what screen. During your workouts it is possible to change screens at the tap of a button which means that you can quickly view different metrics depending on what sport you are doing and what kind of training you are doing.
GPS Navigation
A Timex IronMan Global Trainer review wouldn’t be a review without going into all the features of the watch. One of the most abstract features of the Global Trainer is the ability to use the watch as a compass to find your way when out on long bike rides or when tracking or hiking. At a flick of a button the IronMan watch turns into a compass that you can then use in the same way as any other compass.
Timex IronMan Global Trainer Compass
The Global Trainer can also be used to find your way to pre determined waypoints. Once saved into the watches memory, the Global Trainer will then tell you exactly how far away the way point is and which direction you have to head in order to get there. This can be a very useful feature if you want to take your training off the beaten track as you can always find your way back to somewhere that you know.
You can also trace back along previous workouts that you have recorded using the Timex Global Trainer. When in track back mode the watch will tell you the direction and distance to the next waypoint that you need to cross in order to move onto the next point on the map. This kind of feature is great for long cycle routes but not so good for running as you spend most of your time looking at the watch and don’t concentrate on the running!
Review Mode
In review mode it is possible to view a array of statistics about your workouts. At any one time during your sessions you can view up to four training metrics in a single view. The Timex Global Trainer records a lot more of statistics other than the ones that you can review at any one time and you can see all of these in review mode.
Automatic Lap/Splits and Interval Sessions
There is nothing more annoying that getting half way through an interval session or race and realising that you have forgotten to click of your splits. The auto lap feature means that individual splits can be clicked of as you train and the watch keeps track of how far or for how long you have trained for and counts off the laps accordingly.
Many Timex Global Trainer Reviews on the internet rate the watch for its interval session. You can quickly set up interval sessions at a touch of a button and can set the distance and time as well as the time for recovery in between reps.
Advanced Alerts
Another feature that all Timex Global Trainer Reviews rave about (including this one) is the alerts feature. You can set the watch to alert you with chime if you go above or below certain levels for a variety of different training statistics. Other GPS watches and even other Timex running watches can alert you regarding things like pace, heart rate and speed, but the IronMan Global Trainer is the only watch to alert you concerning altitude and when combined with a cycle sensor can alert you to not only your cadence but your power output as well. It is the ability of the Timex Global Trainer to alert you to these performance metrics as well as just recording them that makes the watch an invaluable and dynamic multi-sport training tool.
Computer Sync
The Timex IronMan Global Trainer can store up to 20 workouts on the watch. If you want to track your long term goals then you need to hook the watch up to your PC and transfer the workouts using the USB cable attached. You can then upload your workouts to the award winning TrainingPeaks software to graphically track all of your past workouts as well as set training goals and plan your future training sessions, meals and share other people’s workouts.
Global Trainer TrainingPeaks
Using the BodyLink system you can also change any setting on the watch using your computer to save fiddling around with the watch controls. This is especially useful when setting up the watch as you will want to configure the Global Trainer to your own personal settings. You can set things like you bike wheel size, heart rate zones and power output as well as making adjustments to the calorie computer to make sure the Timex is accurately recording your expenditure.
Timex IronMan Global Trainer Review
To round up this Timex IronMan Global Trainer Review, the Global Trainer is the most advanced GPS Sports watch ever created. It can track and record over 44 important performance metrics (five more then the closest competitor) and as well as having essential features like GPS tracking of pace, time, speed and distance you can also track cadence and power output on the bike race against yourself using the pacing feature, use the watch as a GPS navigator and even swim or dive with the watch.
Cheapest Retailer
The best place to buy the Global Trainer is online and the cheapest retailer by far is Amazon. Direct links can be found below.
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Timex IronMan Global Trainer: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
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Love it, love it, love it!
I have been running with a GT for about a month now and absolutely love the thing (can you tell!!). I was a little worried at first about the size of the watch but after a few minutes of wearing it you forget it is even on your wrist as it is not heavy at all. I use it mainly for the pace trainer and the pace/speed/distance stats and dont know what I would do without it!
Glad you like the Global Trainer Steph! If you have any feedback about the watch that you think people should know about then give me an email and I will include it in the article. Happy running!
Hey Ross, good detailed info on the Timex IronMan Global Trainer GPS Watch Review. I really liked the Multi Sport Workouts and Customized Workout Screens features. The Advanced Alerts in IronMan Global Trainer is something unheard of but its really a good feature with extra benefits. All in all I must say its a very good runners watch.
Hi Ross, thanks for the review. I am looking into buying either a Forerunner 410 or the Timex Global Trainer for my husbands birthday in a few weeks time but cannot decide which one to go for. I have read both of your reviews and I am not sure if he would use all the extra features that comes packaged with the GT so am a bit confused with which one to go for. He runs a lot and has been talking about getting a racing bike for the summer so which watch do you think I should go for? Money is not a sticking point but I obviously dont want to pay for extra features that he isn’t going to use if I dont have to.
Hi Sophia, good to hear from you. The customizable workout screens make all the difference as you can switch between views easily without any extra fiddling with the watch. Trust me, when you jump out of a lake and onto a bike in a triathlon it is hard enough peddling in a straight line let alone messing around with a watch at the same time!
Emma, it sounds like you have already done your research and honestly I think that your husband is a very lucky man if he is going to end up with either watch on hid birthday!
In a nutshell, the Timex Global Trainer is probably the most advanced GPS watch available at the moment and so if your husband is thinking of taking up news sports such as cycling and swimming then the GT is the watch to go for.
The Garmin 410 is a great watch in its own right but if we were carrying out a Garmin 410 vs Timex Global Trainer then the fact that the GT is water resistant swings things massively in its favour. Both watches are compatible with cycle sensors but the Global Trainer lets you display up to four stats on each screen instead of three. It also has a larger screen which makes things easier to read when wobbling around on the bike.
Hope that helps!
Hi Ross,
I’ve been using the Global Trainer for about 6 months now, and until about 5 days ago I thought it was a decent training watch. The interface lighting seems to have stopped working. While the watch features such as the GPS and chronograph seem to still function adequately, I can only read the watch interface if i tilt the watch to almost a 180 degree angle. Is this a known issue with the watch and if so, do you know what the best way to resolve? I am in traning and am 7 weeks away from the Boston Marathon so it is incredibly frustrating to have this defect happen to my watch after only 6 months of use.
Thank you.
Jamie
Hi Jamie, bad luck with your GT. I have never heard of anything similar happening on any other units so your problem is news to me. Have you been in contact with Timex yet to organise a replacement?
HI Ross, A great review as usual. One of the guys in my running group bought a GT about 4 months ago. Sor far he loves it and is really pushing everyone without a GPS watch to get one. I will be in London next week. Hoping to run along the Mall.
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I love my Timex Global Trainer. I wonder when they will start shrinking them down. Until then, I love downloading my run to find out how fast I was, how high I climbed, and if I was dogging it on the heart rate.
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Hi Ross,
I have heard of GT GPS updating is very slow as compared to forerunner 310XT. Forerunner 310XT is live speed/pace whereas GT is per 2 sec. And also is quite easy to get GPS signal loss. Pls advise on that. Thanks
Hi Desmond, I didn’t have any problems with the GPS when I tested the Global Trainer and I ran with it for a good few weeks. The distances that were reported were in line with my Garmin 405 and average pace seemed to be reflective of my usual pace.
Hope that helps
Ross,
You seem to know TGT like the back of your hand, under the Automatic Lap/Splits and Interval Sessions heading you state the following:
“Many Timex Global Trainer Reviews on the internet rate the watch for its interval session. You can quickly set up interval sessions at a touch of a button and can set the distance and time as well as the time for recovery in between reps”.
I am wondering how i can set up my TGT to do efforts sessions in the same way in can on my Garmin, by that i mean i would like to do for instants “6 x 800m efforts with a 1 minute rest period in between” this may include a warm up and a warm down.
Is it possible to this? your statement would suggest so but i am unable to work out how to do it. Can you please provide assistance?
Danny
I just got the GT and really like it but during the run the pace indicator seems to go up and down erraticly. The average pace and distance however is always right at the end of the workout. I watch lace way too much but this is annoying! Ideas?
Jamie or anyone else who may have advice for me – I’m having the same problem with my watch where I need to tilt it to read the screen. It seems to still be working fine. How did you resolve this problem? Interestingly enough, I have owned the watch for exactly 6 months.
Thanks for helping,
Brian
Great review, Ross. Thanks for taking the time to make it available.
I have a question about the GT’s altitude measurements. With the GPS feature enabled does the watch record altitude above and below sea level or does it just record your change in elevation during your run? Also, can you have the altitude displayed on one of the screens or is it just stored information you can only access through the USB connection?
I’d appreciate some insight as I’m currently looking for a good sports watch and an altimeter of some kind is one of my desired features.
Thanks,
John
I have a quick question. I’m about to invest in the GT, does a heart rate monitor come with or is it reading from the wrist? Sorry can’t figure out!!
Ross- Your description mentions repeating previous workouts by use of waypoint coordinates but can GPS coordinates be programmed into the watch in advance of a ride or run? I’m thinking like orienteering or cross country events. – Great details in your review I haven’t found before. Thank you!
Hi All,
Need some help as I can’t figure out the alerts with Intervals. I’m trying to get alerts on the various HartRate zone’s that I have set up in the timer. So, no issues to set the intervals. Just like to know how I can get sounds alerts if I’m under or above the set HR zone’s.
I did figure out the alert on HR zones in the “configure” menu but this is only working with one HR zone.
Here an example to make my point clear:
5:00 warming up HRzone: C1 (110-12)0
8:00 interval HRZone: C3 (130-140)
2:00 intervak HR Zone: C2 (120-130)
6:00 interval HR Zone C4 (140-150)
5:00 cooling down HRzone: C1 (110-120)
Hope somebody can give me the tip. It must be something simple but can’t find it in the manual or cruising through the watch.
Thanks!
hello, i cannot seem to sync my GT with my Macbook. is it compatible, or do i have to sync with a windows based computer?
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Ferdie
I got my Timex Ironman Global Trainer a week ago. I downloaded it one of my workout but all I see is the time….How can I see the distance, speed, HR, calories burned? Am I missing something? HELP!
Thanks
Hi Ross,
I just got my TImex Ironman Global watch, went for a nice run yesterday, when I got home I did download my workout but I just see my time…How can I see my pace, HR, distance, calories burned? Do I need to export my results to another software? HELP!