Subject: RE: Tracking with phone. Rick, right now and for the next three weeks, I am just using my phone with the MapMyFitness app. In three weeks I will start using my Timex Global Trainer so I can get heart rate data. MMF will become a back-up. I got my GT on sale on Amazon for $250. You might also keep an eye on eBay for a deal.
I wasn't aware that you weren't allowed to use a phone for tracking during a race. I thought the main concern was not wearing earbuds/headphones during a race, for pacing and safety reasons. Here's what the USAT rules say about it:
Cycling:
5.8 Illegal Equipment. Any participants who any time uses wears or carries a headset, radio, headphones, personal audio device, or any other item described in Section 3.4(i) shall be assessed a variable time penalty.
Running Conduct:
6.3 Permitted and Illegal Equipment. Any participant who at any time wears or carries a headset, radio, headphones, personal audio device, or any other item prohibited by Section 3.4(i) shall be subject to a time penalty.
Section 3.4(i):
i. Unauthorized Accessories. No participant shall, at any time during the event, use or wear a hard cast, headset, radio, personal audio device, or any other item deemed dangerous by the Head Referee. Any violation of this Section shall result in a variable time penalty.
As you can see, there is no DQ penalty for doing so, just a "variable time" penalty, Personally, if I were still refereeing races, I wouldn't make an issue of someone using their phone for tracking, as long as it wasn't playing music or they weren't wearing headphones, and as previously stated, no taking calls unless you were parked on the shoulder and not sitting your bike. After all, nothing in the rules says you can't use a GPS to make sure you stay on the route. So you could make the argument that was what you were doing. |