General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Heart Rate Monitor?? Rss Feed  
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2009-12-26 12:05 PM

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Subject: Heart Rate Monitor??
My wife was great to me this Christmas...copy of What it takes, new aero bars, and some new training gear.  But no heart rate monitor which was on my "maybe" list.  I start training for IMLP in Feb. and am wondering if I should purchase this for myself.  As we all know, the amount of $$$ spent on Tri's is infinite.  Is this a must-have for a 1st time IM'er?

Completed a few marathons, a few olympics, and one HIM without it.  I usually just log the hours I spent in training and not the intensity.

All advice is much appreciated.

Thanks,
Kevin


2009-12-26 1:13 PM
in reply to: #2578146

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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
I doubt that anyone here will tell you that it is essential.  Some people use them with good effect.  Others measure intensity in other ways.

I would suggest that you should have SOME way of determining the intensity of your workouts (whether you log it or not).  HRM is one way.  There are others.
2009-12-26 4:44 PM
in reply to: #2578146

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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
I don't think it's a must-have.  It would be nice to have, but there is always Valentines Day. . .
2009-12-27 8:11 AM
in reply to: #2578146

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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
Used properly it's a very good training tool and for a basic one, not very expensive at all.
2009-12-27 12:16 PM
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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
Absolutely not a "must-have."  Some people use them, some people don't.
2009-12-27 6:55 PM
in reply to: #2578146

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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
After two seasons of racing, I got into HR monitor training recently, and really think it is valuable to get better once you have built up a good base. The coach I am working with talks about "HP-to-weight" ratio, and refers to the difference between your max HR and your resting HR as your "heartpower" or "HP", and your body weight as the denominator in this equation.  I get a lot more out of my spin classes now that I can calibrate to a known HR goal, and my home trainer rides are already more intense. My only advice is this: If you get a basic HRM with no computer graphing capability (like entry level TImex) then go cheap. Otherwise spend a little more (like Garmin 305) for something that will plot your HR versus time, pace, distance, etc.... so you can really see how you are responding. My max HR ever recorded is 174, during a 5K race recently ... and again today I hit 174 in a tough spin class. My max is about 184 (I'm 43, but with a little lower-than-normal RHR) and already want to hit 175 during my next  tough training session.

Edited by jsselle 2009-12-27 6:56 PM


2009-12-27 7:38 PM
in reply to: #2578192

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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
Long story, point at the end...

When I first started endurance sports, I was an HR junkie. I made sure to always wear it, I rarely exceeded the "correct" zone for a workout, and my race plans were all HR limited plans (as in, "run first 5 miles at 170, next five at 175" and so on). Over time, I learned to run more by RPE and other measurements, and wasn't quite such an HR slave.

Then the morning of th 2006 Portland marathon, I discovered I left my HR strap at home. No HR monitoring for me! My race plan had HR limits but I also had expected paces, so I just ran to pace and RPE. And I PRed that marathon with a 3:53, blowing away my 4:00 goal and my previous 4:11 PR. I strongly believe I would have not ran that hard if I had had my HR monitor, because I would have backed off my pace to the HR limits.

My fastest marathon since was a 3:31 in Arizona. I wore my Garmin 305 for pace and never bothered to look at the HR. I was recording it for future analysis, though.

The point is that an HR monitor is a tool, something to inform you as to what your body is doing. I am a believer in HR training, zones and all that, MAF tests and so on, but that's only part of it. Buy an HR monitor, and use it as a tool but don't be a slave to it and don't let it artificially limit you.
2009-12-27 9:48 PM
in reply to: #2579353

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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
brucemorgan - 2009-12-27 5:38 PM Long story, point at the end... When I first started endurance sports, I was an HR junkie. I made sure to always wear it, I rarely exceeded the "correct" zone for a workout, and my race plans were all HR limited plans (as in, "run first 5 miles at 170, next five at 175" and so on). Over time, I learned to run more by RPE and other measurements, and wasn't quite such an HR slave. Then the morning of th 2006 Portland marathon, I discovered I left my HR strap at home. No HR monitoring for me! My race plan had HR limits but I also had expected paces, so I just ran to pace and RPE. And I PRed that marathon with a 3:53, blowing away my 4:00 goal and my previous 4:11 PR. I strongly believe I would have not ran that hard if I had had my HR monitor, because I would have backed off my pace to the HR limits. My fastest marathon since was a 3:31 in Arizona. I wore my Garmin 305 for pace and never bothered to look at the HR. I was recording it for future analysis, though. The point is that an HR monitor is a tool, something to inform you as to what your body is doing. I am a believer in HR training, zones and all that, MAF tests and so on, but that's only part of it. Buy an HR monitor, and use it as a tool but don't be a slave to it and don't let it artificially limit you.


^^ That's my biggest issue with seeing people become slaves to HR monitors.  Like so many people have said, they are a potentially powerful means to an end, but I often see people treating them as an end in themselves, where a successful race is ultimately about adhering to preset limits.

This was echoed in a comment Macca made at a Q&A I attended not too long ago in speaking about power meters, actually...his point (which was that relying on devices was a recipe for "settling" for most people...that they held you back from allowing your competitive edge to take you into the sort of "uncharted territory" a winner needs to get to) applies to most such devices.  As he put it, using them to establish general parameters for training for a season is great, but then you can wean yourself from them and push yourself to see where your real mental and physical limits are, either solo or with training partners.
2009-12-27 11:16 PM
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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
tcovert - 2009-12-27 7:48 PM

Like so many people have said, they are a potentially powerful means to an end, but I often see people treating them as an end in themselves, where a successful race is ultimately about adhering to preset limits.

This was echoed in a comment Macca made at a Q&A I attended not too long ago in speaking about power meters, actually...his point (which was that relying on devices was a recipe for "settling" for most people...that they held you back from allowing your competitive edge to take you into the sort of "uncharted territory" a winner needs to get to) applies to most such devices.  As he put it, using them to establish general parameters for training for a season is great, but then you can wean yourself from them and push yourself to see where your real mental and physical limits are, either solo or with training partners.


Exactly. People are adhering to preset limits, and call it "racing their plan" or "good execution" and all that. Execution goals have their place, especially while learning, both learning how to train and learning how to race.

At some point, though, one has to remember to actually race the event. That's when it's time to abandon preset limits and go for that uncharted territory.

My experience in Portland was proof of that for me.

Edited by brucemorgan 2009-12-27 11:19 PM
2009-12-28 8:03 AM
in reply to: #2579482

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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
tcovert - 2009-12-27 9:48 PM
This was echoed in a comment Macca made at a Q&A I attended not too long ago in speaking about power meters, actually...his point (which was that relying on devices was a recipe for "settling" for most people...that they held you back from allowing your competitive edge to take you into the sort of "uncharted territory" a winner needs to get to) applies to most such devices.  As he put it, using them to establish general parameters for training for a season is great, but then you can wean yourself from them and push yourself to see where your real mental and physical limits are, either solo or with training partners.


Funny enough, Macca uses a HR monitor on the bike and has a preset HR limit he won't exceed. For an event like an IM, pace and effort management are much more important than a Half IM, marathon, or short course triathlon. That can be very tricky and HR monitors or Power Meters can solve for that.
2009-12-28 12:31 PM
in reply to: #2578146

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Subject: RE: Heart Rate Monitor??
Thanks! 


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