Meredith Dietz

Meredith Dietz Senior Staff Writer

Experience

Meredith is a marathon runner and stand-up comedian. As Lifehacker’s Senior Staff Writer, she covers personal fitness tech, home gym equipment, and more.

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April 14, 2026

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Credit: Meredith Dietz

Table of Contents

In the past few years, I’ve gone from being a defiant minimalist runner , to becoming a humble fan of Garmin’s most entry-level running watch, to now falling in love with the company's top-of-the-line Forerunner.

A quick cheat code to understanding the model numbers in Garmin’s Forerunner line: The first number tells you how fancy (and expensive) the watch is. This means that my upgrade from the Garmin Forerunner 165 to the Forerunner 970 is not a small step up the ladder. Honestly, it's more like skipping the ladder entirely and taking the elevator to the penthouse.…