After years of hating running, this Garmin watch transformed me — and now it's cheaper than ever before

TL;DR: the hybrid-style Garmin Venu 3S just scored a 36% discount that drops the fitness watch to its lowest price ever recorded at Amazon.About a year ago, I decided it was finally time to try jogging again. I had hated the activity since I was a kid, but something about the simplicity of hitting the trail with nothing more than some earbuds, good running shoes, and a fitness watch suddenly appealed to me one day.The problem is that I didn't have a fitness watch at the time, and all of the best Garmin watches seemed too bulky and rugged-looking for my (admittedly) skinny wrists. Fortunately, that's when I came across the Garmin Venu 3S.This wearable takes the hardware of the excellent Venu 3 and packs it into a sleek, discreet wearable that could easily pass inspection as a traditional Android smartwatch. I paid around $350 for it last year (insert crying face emoji), but now Amazon is slashing a record-smashing 36% off the watch, knocking the price down to just $288.The Garmin Venu 3S took my fitness regimen to the next level, and now it's selling at a record low priceThe Venu 3S comes packed full of the detailed metrics you'd expect in a Garmin watch, such as heart rate monitoring, ECG, and Pulse Ox, plus you get useful features like Body Battery and Sleep Score. And for once, you're getting a fitness watch that's actually comfortable enough to sleep in.The Garmin Venu 3S also comes with GPS tracking, 8GB of storage for music files, and over 30 pre-installed activity modes, which means I can take it on hikes and bike rides without skipping a beat. Battery life isn't exactly groundbreaking, but the Venu 3S does last a solid week or so before it needs a recharge (with GPS activated).Is it the best Garmin watch ever built? No, that title probably belongs to the pricey Fenix 9. But is it a reliable fitness watch that's perfect for this (very) casual athlete? Absolutely, and if you've been on the fence about the Venu 3S, this record-smashing 36% discount should encourage you to take the leap like I did. Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android