RunningAHEAD - Topic: Another heart monitor question

Bear_Poop

posted: 11/5/2006 at 8:47 AM

My heart monitor seems to give nutty readings for the first half mile, either that or my heart rate is above 100% (125%)of my max at times for that distance. Then instructions say use a contact gel or get it wet. I put water on it and also wet down that area of my chest and I still get those nutty readings. Does a contact gel really make it work better? And where does one buy some?

To paraphrase an old poster: Today is the first day of the rest of your training. It doesn’t matter where you started or how far you’ve come. Today is the day. Your training didn’t start 6 weeks ago. Your training started the last time you hit the road. John “the Penguin” Bingham Life is not tried, it is merely survived if you're standing outside the fire

Wingz

Professional Noob

posted: 11/5/2006 at 10:12 AM

Okay, it's gross, but I've found that just a little bit of spit wiped on the back of the electrodes is all that's needed for the monitor to start working. After that, well, I sweat enough (even in wintertime!) that moisture's never been a problem. ... Evil grin

Are you unusually hairy in the areas of the electrodes? You could try shaving... Evil grin

I've never tried the contact gel, but one thing I have found is that certain geographic locations make my monitor say my HR is 220... when it's not. A particular corner is especially guilty of this. I don't know what kind of electrical signals are going on there, but it's kind of strange. Does your monitor act up for the first bit if you're starting somewhere else? Or, alternately, does it act up in the same spots on your way back from a run?

Roads were made for journeys...

vicentefrijole

posted: 11/5/2006 at 10:24 AM

I think you're correct to assume it's a contact issue. I've noticed that if I dont' wet my a little bit I get weird readings until I start to sweat. Just a tiny bit of water (or spit Wink

) does the trick for me. Contact gel might be okay but I'd be really careful that it doesn't get into the little cracks around the battery compartment. I've read that salt from sweat can get in there and ruin a HRM so I can't imagine some weird gel product would be very good. Maybe consult the manufacturer? They must hear this all the time....

Bear_Poop

posted: 11/5/2006 at 1:30 PM

I have tried spit and water and have even used spit during the start of a run when I know the monitor is nutty. And the reading on the retrun through that area seems to be OK. I get the feeling that the salt in the sweat is what is making the contact better during the run. And lets face it the colder weather is going to make sweating harder and harder to do as fall turns into winter. Ain't global warming a bitch? We have had 3 months of below average temps in a row here. Then again I was out for a rather long time and maybe the begining of my runs drive my rate up higher than normal right now. My HR was OK before the injury. Occum's Razor. At least I hope so.

To paraphrase an old poster: Today is the first day of the rest of your training. It doesn’t matter where you started or how far you’ve come. Today is the day. Your training didn’t start 6 weeks ago. Your training started the last time you hit the road. John “the Penguin” Bingham Life is not tried, it is merely survived if you're standing outside the fire

JoeOs

posted: 11/5/2006 at 4:08 PM

I find that Aloe Vera Gel works, but even more important is location and tightness of the straps.

Age is not an illusion

Intherunning

posted: 11/5/2006 at 5:17 PM
modified: 11/5/2006 at 5:24 PM

Could it possibly be a low battery issue? I definitely have trouble with the hair thing. Getting an electrocardiogram was an interesting experience. (A battery that is just beginning to weaken does sometimes come to life when warmed, in this case by the contact with body heat.)

Discipline is never an end in itself, only a means to an end. (RF)

Bear_Poop

posted: 11/5/2006 at 5:41 PM

Well if is a battery thing, I will be a little unhappy. It is just a few months old yet. I guess it could be. How long do they last?

To paraphrase an old poster: Today is the first day of the rest of your training. It doesn’t matter where you started or how far you’ve come. Today is the day. Your training didn’t start 6 weeks ago. Your training started the last time you hit the road. John “the Penguin” Bingham Life is not tried, it is merely survived if you're standing outside the fire

poose

posted: 11/5/2006 at 5:46 PM

I know polar straps are supposed to last 2-5 years (~2500 hours), depending on what kind of strap. I also use spit on the strap before runs -- I've also found that aquaphor works well.

Intherunning

posted: 11/5/2006 at 6:00 PM
modified: 11/5/2006 at 6:01 PM

It's not a battery issue if it is that new. Hey, Joel!!! How have you been???

Discipline is never an end in itself, only a means to an end. (RF)

vicentefrijole

posted: 11/5/2006 at 6:01 PM

Quote from Bear_Poop on 11/5/2006 at 1:30 PM:

Then again I was out for a rather long time and maybe the begining of my runs drive my rate up higher than normal right now.

Is the only thing that is abnormal is that your heart rate seems too high? It might just be that your heart rate shoots up when you first start (before you get in your 'zone' and your stride smooths out). I've seen that happen with mine, even when the connection is good and it seems to be monitoring perfectly. I think it just takes me awhile to relax and find a smooth pace. Anyway, it could be that.. though the hair-chest thing seems like a likely problem.

Intherunning

posted: 11/5/2006 at 6:04 PM

My hairy chest causes the meter to go to 260 and above!!! At 53 I think that exceeds my MHR by just a little. Have to get out a beard trimmer every month or so.

Discipline is never an end in itself, only a means to an end. (RF)

Wingz

Professional Noob

posted: 11/5/2006 at 6:05 PM

Quote from Intherunning on 11/5/2006 at 6:00 PM:

It's not a battery issue if it is that new.

Still could be. Depending on where he got it, it could have been a return... sitting on the shelf... battery slowly draining away... Or the battery they put in the thing might not have been new. Gregg, next time, why don't you try taking your HR manually about when you think it's acting up? That way you'll know for sure if it's the machine or you. If you just want a quick-and-dirty pulse rate (which will get you in the general range but not be super-accurate) you can just count pulses for 6 seconds and multiply by 10. Of course you might have to wear a second watch to do this... which would look really goofy... Wink

Roads were made for journeys...

Intherunning

posted: 11/5/2006 at 6:09 PM

Good point. It certainly won't be the last time our declining work ethic rears its ugly head!

Discipline is never an end in itself, only a means to an end. (RF)

Bear_Poop

posted: 11/5/2006 at 7:16 PM

Quote from vicentefrijole on 11/5/2006 at 6:01 PM:

Is the only thing that is abnormal is that your heart rate seems too high? It might just be that your heart rate shoots up when you first start (before you get in your 'zone' and your stride smooths out). I've seen that happen with mine, even when the connection is good and it seems to be monitoring perfectly. I think it just takes me awhile to relax and find a smooth pace. Anyway, it could be that.. though the hair-chest thing seems like a likely problem.

Chest hair? What dat?

To paraphrase an old poster: Today is the first day of the rest of your training. It doesn’t matter where you started or how far you’ve come. Today is the day. Your training didn’t start 6 weeks ago. Your training started the last time you hit the road. John “the Penguin” Bingham Life is not tried, it is merely survived if you're standing outside the fire

cordovez

posted: 1/12/2007 at 3:19 PM

Also, maybe you have mis-calculated or mis-measured your Max. heart rate. Re-set your HRM to the highest reading you get on that initial mile.

Will be weightlifting and running to get into the best shape I can before turning 40. Here are my progress pictures: http://tinyurl.com/584qwt

Another heart monitor question (Read 769 times)