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Your input re: Heart Rate monitors (Read 1591 times)

    I have the Polar RS800sd and I absolutely hate the watch. The HR monitor function itself is good, but the footpod thingy is a total waste considering the amount of $$$ for the watch, the inaccuracy of the footpod, plus all the other quirks about the watch (like the buttons on the watch become impossible to press, the watchband easily breaks, you have to change the battery in the footpod every 15-20 hours, hard to get the footpod to resync with the watch, etc. etc. ) If you're going for a fancy speed+distance+HR watch go with the Garmin.
    JakeKnight


      Hi Lisa. My .02 is don't get a HRM. Learn to run by feel and don't let gadgets get in the way of listening to your body. I've never owned one and I'm a happy runner. Running is really simple if you let it be.
      What he said. He knows lots about running. Nothing about football.

      E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
      -----------------------------


      Imminent Catastrophe

        I've had better luck with the Polar, the footpod is pretty accurate if calibrated properly. It hasn't broken. OTOH, I don't like it either--too $$$$, hard-to-read display, lousy interface and the IR link is not Mac-compatible even with windows (Parallels). I wouldn't recommend it. I do think a HRM can be a valuable tool, especially for aerobic training, sometimes it's hard to judge your level of exertion. I wear one about a third of the time.

        "Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"

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        "The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.

         

        √ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015

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        AnneCA


          For those of you who have HRMs, how does it feel to run with that chest strap on? Does it make a difference if you're male or female? I've been thinking about upgrading to a HRM, but I'm pretty sure that I will be irritated wearing the chest strap.
          I don't notice the strap at all. It's just under my bra strap. FWIW, I got the HRM as a gift. So I use it, because, why not, it's there. But, it's not much more than a fancy stopwatch for me. I collect this additional HR data, I even put it in my log, because, hey, there's a blank for it. Sometimes I say, wow, look at that, I had a high heart rate there. Huh. Mine has a footpod and reports pace and distance, and can auto-record mile splits, which, in theory I like a lot. But I've never been able to calibrate the distance, and it's not terribly accurate; it comes out about 5-8% less than my GMaps mileage, and the mile splits are definitely not even, especially if I've been on hills. (although, actually, my GMaps mileage does always seem to come out a little bit high; either that or I race like a demon. Which if you've seen me run seems unlikely). I think if I'd been the one making the purchasing decision with my own money, I would have either a) bought nothing or b) bought a Garmin with GPS. Happy running!
          gracerunner


            Polar or Garmin. My Garmin works better though.
              For those of you who have HRMs, how does it feel to run with that chest strap on? Does it make a difference if you're male or female? I've been thinking about upgrading to a HRM, but I'm pretty sure that I will be irritated wearing the chest strap.
              I don't even notice the strap for the Garmin. I do wear it tight, probably too tight and if I'm walking around with just my base layer on, which is skin tight........it looks like I have -a little set- going on. Which is embarassing!

              "The drops of rain make a hole in the stone, not by violence, but by oft falling." - Lucretius

              quagga


                Thanks for your feedback on the strap everyone! I'm a little less worried about it now.
                Lisa3.1


                  Your inputs were appreciated. Thanks. I thought I wouldn't settle with one, but I did end up getting a Polar RS400sd Running Computer. Someone from the club that I go to also had a good pt. It made sense to get one for what I plan to do.
                    I was given an F4 Polar HRM 2 years ago and wear it everytime I run. I had problems with the chest strap falling down because the person got the wrong size so now I have pins in it to keep it tight. It looks dumb in the summer if I wear a short top. I think it keeps me on track, I guess, although it doesn't really tell me much. I bet I could do without it. But I have it and use it. I think for me it's like Linus and his blanket. I don't feel right without it. Roll eyes

                    Suffering Benefiting from mature onset exercise addiction and low aerobic endorphin release threshold. Hoping there is no cure.

                      I'm a newbie runner (since November) and I also used a Polar HRM. It was a lifesaver for the first month or so, as I was running way too fast and was very uncomfortable. But after a few weeks, I got the feel of the right intensity and gradually stopped wearing the monitor. I run by feel now and use the monitor for aerobic cross-training. If you're having trouble finding your correct training intensity, I highly recommend a HRM. (BTW the strap feels weird at first, but you quickly forget you're wearing it.) Paul


                      Runner

                        I've got the Garmin 305 and I like to wear the hrm to track my progress from week to week. I don't use it to gauge when to back off or step it up but it is a fun toy to see how hard my effort was compared to other days at the end of the run. Also I like to see how much it jumps up on hills compared w/ the flats. Like someone else said running by feel is better in my opinion but you also can benefit from such a gadget.

                        2010 Races: Snicker's Marathon(2:58:38), Scenic City Trail Marathon(3:26:36), Laurel Highlands Ultra 77(19:13:44), Ironman Louisville(13:07:07) 2011 Races: Mount Cheaha 50k 5:22:47, Tobacco Road Marathon, Mohican 100 Miler

                        easytarget


                          I have the Polar RS800sd and I absolutely hate the watch. The HR monitor function itself is good, but the footpod thingy is a total waste considering the amount of $$$ for the watch, the inaccuracy of the footpod, plus all the other quirks about the watch (like the buttons on the watch become impossible to press, the watchband easily breaks, you have to change the battery in the footpod every 15-20 hours, hard to get the footpod to resync with the watch, etc. etc. ) If you're going for a fancy speed+distance+HR watch go with the Garmin.
                          care to sell it then? I've got a 625x that has worked flawlessly for 3 years, but I'm not opposed to picking up an 800 on the cheap because I know eventually I'll need to replace the 625x


                          A Saucy Wench

                            For those of you who have HRMs, how does it feel to run with that chest strap on? Does it make a difference if you're male or female? I've been thinking about upgrading to a HRM, but I'm pretty sure that I will be irritated wearing the chest strap.
                            Well...umm it depends on your size. I have had issues with it not wanting to stay in place because "the girls" push it down and it interferes with bra support. And I have had chafing (I have a Garmin 301 - dont know if the newer ones are more comfy). If you are small - medium chested I would look in to the polar in-bra variety, but the bras arent supportive enough for everyone.

                            I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                             

                            "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7


                            The Greatest of All Time

                              I have a Timex Ironman HRM. It looks like a regular 30 lap Ironman with more features. I use it to track my average HR at a given pace. I am sure it's like the higher end Polars but I know nothing about these Garmin gadgets everyone here seems to rave about. I don't train in HR zones. I did a long time ago but I don't think it develops speed that well (at least it didn't for me). This will be my first season wearing one while I race as I always used to race on feel. But I think knowing ahead of time where my HR should be at a given pace will help me gauge during a race if I am running fast enough or if I still have some HR range left to get into, and thus go faster. I don't use it to make me run slower because I don't train like that, but a lot of people do with good results.
                              all you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be

                              Obesity is a disease. Yes, a disease where nothing tastes bad...except salads.
                                Well...umm it depends on your size. I have had issues with it not wanting to stay in place because "the girls" push it down and it interferes with bra support. And I have had chafing (I have a Garmin 301 - dont know if the newer ones are more comfy). If you are small - medium chested I would look in to the polar in-bra variety, but the bras arent supportive enough for everyone.
                                I actually wear it underneath my sports bra, which seems to work well. Occasionally I have to 'readjust' but it's not often - not even every run.
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