Heart Rate Monitor

Benefits
Personal Experience
Shopping Tips
Where to Shop
Resting HR
Maximum HR
Training Zones
Reviews - What Others are Saying…

Benefits

• Helps you develop a consistent pace. Especially useful for beginners.


• Monitor your fitness. If your heart rate is higher with the same effort you may be over training. If it’s lower, you are getting fitter.


• Helps you stick to your training plan.


• Lessen your chance of injury and illness by staying in the recovery HR zone for your easy runs.


• Stay motivated with regular feedback on your training.


• Train smarter and work hard enough in your quality sessions.


• Make subtle adjustments (slow down or speed up) rather than wild swings if you are judging how you feel.

Moving from a lifetime of living at sea level to Reno, Nevada (elevation of 4505 feet) was a real adjustment. I was huffing and puffing around the trails and my times slowed in my speed work (>400m) and races. Wearing my heart rate monitor helped me adapt.

When I began my runs my heart rate was off the charts (170-180+ beats), way too high for easy running. However, after 15 minutes of jogging, my heart rate would settle down to a normal rate (<130 beats). My HR monitor confirmed how it's essential to not skip or scrimp on my warm up.

In the past I've often pushed the pace too hard on my easy days. Come the end of the week, I'm dragging, wondering why my speed repeats aren't faster. Running at a comfortable pace based on heart rate has helped temper my tendency to up the pace on recovery days.

Shopping Tips

With a multitude of heart rate monitors on offer how do you decide? Here are some things to consider before you start shopping for your heart rate monitor.

• What are your training needs? Do you also want to record calories burned, lap times, etc?


• Do you like simple instructions or enjoy reading a detailed manual?


• Warranty and after-care service.


• Is it comfortable to wear? Does the strap stay in place and fit snugly? Consider purchasing a sports bar fitted with the technology if you want to run strap free (e.g. Polar’s Cardio Sports Bra).


• How easy are the buttons to push?


• Can you use the buttons while wearing gloves?


• Is the face large and clear to read at a glance?


• How bright is the light, can you read it easily when training in the dark?


• Is it waterproof? (Sweat, rain, snow and pool running.)

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Where to Shop

ParagonSports has a great selection of brands and discounted pricing, click here for more info and reviews.

Getting Started

To use your heart rate monitor accurately and understand the numbers, you need to establish your Resting HR and your Maximum HR.

Resting HR

The best time of day to take your Resting HR is early morning before you get out of bed. Take your pulse either at the wrist (the radial pulse in line with your thumb) or the neck (the carotid pulse on the side of the larynx).

Place the tips of your index and middle fingers (not your thumb) over the artery and press lightly. Count the beats for 10 seconds then multiply by six to give you the pulse rate for a minute.

Record your Resting HR each day in your running log.

Maximum HR

Your Maximum HR is the greatest number of beats per minute that your heart can contract. You achieve your Maximum HR when you run or exercise all out for 4 to 10 minutes.

Everyone’s Maximum HR is different and there is no accurate mathematical formula to calculate it. The age-predicted formula (220 minus your age) can vary from plus or minus 10 to 20 beats per minute, depending on the individual. Use this method as a rough estimate only.

The most accurate way to directly measure Maximum HR is with an EKG monitoring device during a graded exercise test on a treadmill or bike. However, most of us don’t have access to this equipment, so try the following:

Go to a track and warm up with easy running for 10 minutes. Depending on your fitness run one or two mile repeats (four laps of the track). On your final (or first) mile, run the last lap (400m) as hard as you can, pushing harder at every 100m. The highest number on your heart rate monitor will be your Maximum HR.

For safety reasons and to help you run all out, do this test with a training partner.

Using These Rates

After several months of training you should see a decrease in your Resting HR and your Training HR. As you get fitter your Training HR will return to your Resting HR quicker. You can use these signals to crank up your training, adding more miles or introducing/increasing speed work.

On the flip side if you notice an increase in your Resting HR or Training HR (5 to 10 points) this could be a sign that you're over training, fatigued or coming down with an illness. It might be a good time to rest or back off.

Keep in mind that your heart rate training will be affected by external conditions. Your HR will increase in the heat, humidity and at altitude.

Heart Rate Training Zones

Now you can plan your runs around the various HR zones. Mix up heart rate training to increase your fitness and add variety to your weekly workouts. Click here to learn more.

What Others are Saying…

I like to survey friends and family and read reviews before any major purchase. Here is a collection of quotes from runners about their heart rate monitors to help you decide. Happy Shopping!

If you want a pure HR monitor - go with a Polar and look for the features that you want. The cheap ones do not calculate calories burnt based on HR.

Polar RS800sd - The foot pod is much smaller and lighter and the watch has much more functionality than the Polar RS200.

My Polar F6 has been very accurate and is really easy to use/understand. I also have noticed that I train much harder since using it.

I like the Garmin Forerunner 405CX. A bit pricey but has a HR monitor, GPS, decent tracking software and synch to PC functionality. It's helped me train better. Only drawback is the bezel takes some getting used to and isn't as sensitive to sweaty fingers as it should be.

Garmin Forerunner 305 - I don't use the heart rate monitor part, the strap is too big.

I like the Garmin Forerunner 405CX. It calculates calories burnt based on heart rate.

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