Heart Rate Monitors

Shauna,
I love mine. I have the Polar S-210. It is a really great tool once you figure out how to really use it. Unless you are a professional athlete it is really hard to not over train w/o one. We just about always go out to hard and do not allow ourselves a proper recovery. If you get one that you can swim in, they are great tools for racing. It lets you know if you are caught up in all the adrenaline of the race and need to slow down so you will not bonk/crash at the end. There is a great book buy Edmund Burke " Precision Heartrate Training". Check this out also Sally Edwards has several books to help. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Scott

I was glad that I wore mine for a couple of races - its very helpful to realize that even though your legs feel like lead, you've got plenty to push it on the run.  Since July (when I got mine), my biking and running have really improved.  I strongly recommend getting one. 

A heart rate monitor will let you know if your easy workouts are truly easy and your hard workouts are truly hard.

Yep....the best thing that has happened to my training is a HRM.....I can swim and work on my stroke and technique to increase efficiency a lower heartrate for the same speed, on the bike ensure I keep my heartrate down when doing base miles and likewise on the run, when time to do hard work I can pick my effort and have real meaningful feedback.....

kev

i also stronger recommend heart rate monitors. i would have never been able to learn to run and enjoy running if it hadn't been for the hrm. it has been an invaluable tool. my husband bought me a timex hrm in february, and i upgraded to a woman's model with more functions just last month (and now my old monitor has been handed down to my hubby!).

Absolutely!  Not to say you need one, but it can really help. If the bio feedback part of training interests you , it is a neat toy (woops I  mean tool!).  Some good info on past threads too.

There is a definite learning curve to it, but great once you get the hang of it and learn to incorporate it.

Check out the Polar S-150. It has basic HRM functions, will record and can be used on the bike as a bike computer. I have had mine about 6 weeks and can tell where I should be by it but do not get too caught up in the HR. My first 5K with it I never looked at it but it was in alarm after the first 100 yds. I was done for after 2 miles. In a 10K last week I watched the HRM closely but also went by how I felt as their were lots of hills. Had no problems and finished strong. The combination of how I feel and what the HRM is telling me is begining to work out rather well.

Fred

i concur with everyone else.....

1. lets you know if you're training hard or too easy

2. is a good measure on how you're improving (ie if heart rate gets lower over time for the same expended workout you're improving)

3. keeps you from going too hard, too fasat.

4. plus they're fun to play with!