Heart Rate Monitors

How timely, I just worked out today for the first time with my new Polar S120. I paid $90 for it at an online tri shop. It's simple to operate, has some limited file storage and seems to be built well. I can give you more info as I use it. For those of us that are beginners this unit seems to be the best value for the money. I did a fair amount of research before I bought. Hope this helps.
Mike

Jim I brought a POLAR HR monitor, but, my question is do you need the file system? Its not hard to write in your training log and may save you some money. Just a thought

Craig

Let me know how it goes for you.

I don't think I do. I don't mind Keeping data in a log with everything else. I wasn't sure why it would be a big deal to me. Which model are you using? I am looking at a Polar brochure and since I haven't used one before, how important is it to have it keep track of my Exercise Sets? I see you can program your key workouts. I am not sure how this is done or why I would need to do this. Are they pretty user friendly?

ive used a Polar HRM for a long time i currently use an older model call "protrainer XT"
it doesnt have a lot of the fuctions the new models have but it use it religiously.
If you plan on doing Heart Rate "Zone Training" and their are some good sites on the web the you'll need one that has the zone settings. Otherwise look for something that at least gives you your current working heart rate, Average Heart rate and Max Heart rate also one that has the timers for lap/split settings, stopwatch.
It all about what your looking for in a training devise.
Polar has a great web site (www.polar.com) that gives you all the different models and features plus training tips. excellent for heart rate training.
also check out the others like Timex,Nike, etc (though im partal to Polar).

The 120model is an excellent unit with a lot more features than mine and a great price

Mine is the older modle of the Polar A1, basic functioning however great for what I wanted. I just log my readings in my diary. Keeping track of your sets will help you build up, Im not a big one for letting a computer control my exercise sets, your body should be able to tell you what you should be doing.

Craig

I have the polar 410 and I love it. I like being able to graphically see my work out. May be a little more expensive than you would like to spend, but just giving you my 2 cents.

Still Tri'n
Michael :-)

for your input and anyone else who wants to respond.

I have a Polar S-120 also. I really appreciate it. I was doing some over-training last month & this gadget really helps keep me from over-doing it. The S-150 has a cyclometer to.

madmedic is right on, I too was overtraining. I'm finding that I feel much better this week since I started HRM training. More energy, less soreness. My times in the run are slower, but as fitness improves time should be better.
Mike

I received the Polar s610i last May. I love it. Being an engineer, I love being able to download to my computer and graph training sessions with heart rates and lap times. It cost a little more, but if you don't care about the download to computer, a cheaper one would be good. Polar also has a model that is made to work with cycling and help with cadences.

IMO, all I need is something that gives me a readout of my heart rate. I don't need it to graph the cosine tangent pathagoreum hyperbola of whatever, or to call up my favorite recipe, I just need a number that tells me "slow down a bit" or "speed up a bit", based on my goals for that session.

Obviously, I'm trying to be funny, but IMO what HRM you need depends on your experience/competing level and how serious you are taking this.

I found my 5 zones and use the HR readout to stay in whatever zone I need to be in. What would be handy is a HRM that dials 9-1-1 when the readout drops suddenly from 190 to 0

I bought mine for $17 online and use in on the bike, on the street, in the pool, etc. If I do this (tri-training) for awhile and show that I can be pretty good it, then an upgrade will be a reward. For know , I just bought what I needed to train productively.

As a newbie to tri-training (3 months), it seems to be similar to golf in the regard that people like to talk about their equipment as much (if not more) as their performance.

Edited by TripleThreat 2003-11-25 8:18 PM

If you are looking for a basic hr monitor go to
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/subcategory.cfm?Cat_ID=8&Sub_ID...

they usually have some basic hr monitors on clearance.

Still Tri'n
Michael

If you live in a major Canadian city or in Minneapolis MN, you can get a free Polar heart rate monitor when you sign up for the resolutions run. Click here to see if the race is in your area...
http://www.runningroom.com/content/?id=594

Amber Dawn

I just bought a Polar M52 HRM. I saw it online for $99...obviously I agree with TripleThreat here and figure most of what I will buy will be rewards for certain accomplishments. I did however score this from a friend of a friend who hasn't even taken it out of the box for $50. More than I probably needed to spend but I deal I was willing to take. Now to figure out how to use it without taking a class is another story. I have used it twice and once I get it figured out along with my body and after some use, I will provide a decent product review for anyone who is thinking of buying one.

I agree a simple one is probably enough. Mine was a birthday present, so I got some bells and whistles. I find the graphs to help with tracking heart rate trends over time during training and to see improvements in cardio fitness level. Fo rinstance, when I first started running, HR would average 10-15 beats higher for a shorter run than it does now. It lets me know that I can increase speed on easy runs. You can also do this without the bells and whistles by using the average HR for the run. One other benefit is if you do intervals, you can't really just watch your HR during faster runs, so you can analyze them later on a graph and you will be able to see the zones you were in.

That is true....I have only used it twice and I am still trying to figure it out. I honestly don't know if I would consistantly look at the graphs and analyze the data. I know myself well enough to know that I would probably do it for a while and then stop. However, I do notice that my average HR is definatley affected because I start each run with a walk and then end with a cool down. All I get is an average HR for the entire workout. I need to decide how I am going to work this out. I could just not start the HRM until the run or I could reset it before the run ect... It would be nice to see a graph to determine what my numbers are during different phases ect. That may be an upgrade after the season for next winters training.

I usually start the HR stop watch when I start running and stop when done and don't include the walking portion for warmup and cooldown. That way avg is for run. I usually watch it on cooldown to get close to 100bpm before stopping cooldown.