By Shawn Loeffler

Google’s Latitude might be able to track your every step, but it’s Garmin’s FR60 line of watches that will track the effects of each step. Now, given Garmin’s reputation as a leader in the GPS navigation market, you’d think that the company would have offered something similar to Google’s latest, but no, instead it has offered consumers an incredible sports watch that functions as a personal trainer.

Much like the Nike iPod—except there’s no 30-pin plug-in to connect to gym equipment or a blind faith in the Greek god of victory, and there’s wireless connectivity to your computer—the Garmin FR60 brings a whole new level of intensity to your workouts. Fine, you’ll still need to use the wireless foot pod in order to track your speed and distance (indoors or out), but considering that the accessory is included in the $129 price tag of the Garmin FR60, you’ll be glad that you made this choice instead of purchasing the Nike package.

The nuts and bolts

What makes the Garmin FR60 a thing of true fitness beauty and uniqueness is the ANT dongle. With ANT you’ll be able to wirelessly interface your Garmin FR60 with such compatible devices as heart-rate monitors, foot pods, fitness equipment at your gym, and computers. The benefit of having this interface is such that it allows you to easily track your heart rate, speed, distance traveled, calories burned, and step and cadence. Also, with the ANT Stick plugged into your Mac or PC, the data stored on your Garmin FR60 will automatically and wirelessly sync up with your computer once you’re within range. With up to 15 hours and 100 laps of in-depth data, you’ll want to share and compare, which is why Garmin has seen fit to establish Garmin Connect; it’s an online forum where you can interact with and share your stats with coaches, friends and family, or just competitively eye someone else’s progress.

While the Garmin FR60 is pool friendly and weighs a mere 44 grams (41 for the women’s model), I’d find it hard to part ways with my POLAR, but that’s just legacy affection. There’s no doubt that at $129 the Garmin FR60 is an excellent choice.