Heart Rate Monitor

OK I suck nevermind B the whole search thing because I have only looked at it since I logged on right between the store and games. I could edit the OP but I think y'all will get some good laughs at my stupidity! HAHA

there is a search button at the very tip right of the page.  Looks like a magnifying glass.

No, you don't need a HR monitor.  People got by just fine for many years without them...  that said, I sure like having one!  For me, personally as someone just starting to excercise, I find it very beneficial to keep from blowing myself out on the bike and/or run.  I tent to overexert without realizing it, and the monitor keeps me in check.  As I work out more, I'm getting a better feel for what it feels like at different exertion levels and expect I won't really need the monitor much longer, but for now it's very useful for me as I learn what my body feels like when exercising.

You don't need one.

If you do decide to get one, be prepared to spend a lot of time and thought figuring out how to use it properly as a training tool.  (I don't mean 'how to make it tell you your heartrate' -- that's easy! -- but 'how to use the number that it gives you to guide your training'.)

You can get one that works fine for around $30.  My advice: don't be seduced by the bells and whistles ('zones', 'alarms', calorie calculators, etc.).



Edited by Experior 2009-09-11 12:24 AM

Got this one at Wally world
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10719754
 been very happy with it.

I don't think you must have one. I think it would help if you are just starting to run. One of the biggest mistakes for new runners is going out to fast. They wonder why they tire out so quickly, because it feels easy at the start. If one had something to base ones intensity on, one could start out at the correct intensity level and last longer. There are about 14mil web sites that help you find this level. It gets more complicated from there.

Which is a big part of not running continously is too hard at start of my runs. Ok I'm going to go pick up a cheapy although I do want that Garmin forerunner 305 but I'll start with a $50 model or less before jumping up to $175

I'll throw my opinion in here. If you think you are hooked on the tri life and/or active lifestyle, spend the cash and get a high end Garmin or Polar. The reason I say that is you already said you will spend $50 on the cheapy and then the $175 on the Garmin. So essentially you are paying $225 to get the unit that you ultimately want. Spend the $175 up front and save the $50 down the road to go toward a new pair of shoes or shorts.

I bought a Polar FT60 and didn't like it. I wound up taking it back and getting credit for it and ordering the RS800CX. Buy once, cry once. I understand if it just isn't in the budget right now. Then wait until it is and get what you want. Its always cheaper to buy right the first time, even if it is more expensive up front.

do you need one...like others have said....NO

i have trained without one for the first 6 months, problem is i tend to blow up on the bike ALOT.  meaning i would start at 20 mph and push it to 26 only to have to slow down because i was out of breath.  with the hrm you can really monitor where you are and manage your expenditure better.

either buy a decent one or don't buy one at all.  that is my moto....i never udnerstand the upgrade methodology.

here are some example:

Garmin FR50 + footpod +HR strap = $109

- this is what i currently have, the foot pod tells you distance so i never have to worry about knowing how much i ran or where to run before i leave my house.  i only use the hr and footpod, none of the other stuff.....
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-00679-25-Forerunner-50-Monitor/dp/B000UVZ5TA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1252678510&sr=8-3

Garmin FR60 + HR = $129
- updated version of the FR50 above
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-00679-25-Forerunner-50-Monitor/dp/B000UVZ5TA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1252678510&sr=8-3

Garmin 305 + HR = $159
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Forerunner-Receiver-Heart-Monitor/dp/B000CSWCQA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1252678684&sr=8-1


seriously if you are going to spend the money bite the bullet and get something a little bit nicer.  the FR50 & FR60 will suffice and you can use them for alot of other stuff. 

Make sure whatever you get has the Lap feature.  I have a 3 year old $90 Polar (Gift) that doesn't have it and makes doing the LT tests and tempo/interval training less than idea.

I'd loved to centralize my bikes wireless CPU, HRM, stopwatch.  A waterproof Garmin 310 with all the bells and whistles would do! 

the 310 is $400, you can spend alot and i mean alot less and have a centralized watch....the fr50 does it.

footpod - gives you distance
HR strap - obvious
bike cadence - will give you speed on the bike etc.

and i think the full setup is $160 at max.

although the 305-310 watch with gps is nice i find them way way too big....

That would be nice setup for the OP for sure. 

Bought a cheap one from wal mart but after reading more, which I was thinking, why spend the 50 now when I really want the Garmin 305? I'll wait for it to go on sale and jsut keep in mind not to kill myself to early in my 5k sun.

I have only been Tri training for a little over a year.  I received a Nike Triax HR watch as a gift earlier in the year and I find it useful (as someone said above it takes some education on how to "use" it for your training).  It has the lap and interval functions which I have found very helpful.  It will provide my avg HR during a training event but will not display my max or min HR which I would like it to do so I don't have to constantly check it during a run/bike.

Now I wish I had a Garmin with GPS and HR combined......so I guess if I had any advice, I would echo what many above have already said.  Save up and spend the money and get a good combo unit.  You will be happier in the end.

Good luck and happy training!!!

I had one and I ended up mostly using it to calculate my calories burned. I did use to push myself on the run (sometimes on the run I think I'm dying when my HR shows I'm not really). My new tri coach uses RPE and not HR so, when I got my Forerunner 310XT, I didn't even pick up the HR strap for it.I think too many things artificially change your HR and I'm not convinced that training by HR zones is the way to go. I find RPE and pace works better for me. I now use Pace to push myself in the run (or alternately to slow down when I'm going out too fast in the beginning) and it works better than using my heart rate did.I may eventually get the HR strap for my 310, but I haven't missed having one so far and I like not having something tight across my chest or having to worry about whether the watch is picking up the HR correctly or not.

Do you NEED HRM?  No, but many find it useful.  I feel I can more reliably just below my LTHR.  When I go by feel I more likely to blow.  OTOH- Others do fine without HRM.
For me Polar & Sigma have been reliable brands.  Currently I use both Sigma & my Garmin Edge 305.  I use Sigma in the pool or for training runs/rides I don't care about GPS (route, exact mileage, etc.).  Edge is mainly used on bike, but lately I've started using it on weekly long runs carrying it like brick so I can read HR, distance, and pace (mph) during the run.