Heart rate monitors

[Beej]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

I picked up running that last ~year or so after my injury and really love it - it's amazing how in-shape you think you can be from lifting weights only to find out how quickly you get winded running :) at least for me....

Gotcha, running is a different kettle of fish altogether. I'm pretty fit, but running fitness is different to sport fitness or gym.

[Sotally Tober]

Garmin makes great watches with GPS & heart rate monitors. The 305 Forerunner is a particular favorite amongst a few of my friends.

[mass-muscle]

I have a polar

[Sotally Tober]

Actually, you most likely don't need a heart monitor. I personally don't use one. The following is an article from Runner's World regarding heart rates. Based on my PEL's, it seemed to fit quite well.

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Good news for the gadget-averse: Decades of studies indicate that athletes are surprisingly good at distinguishing among training zones by tuning in to their bodies. A 1986 study at the University of Liverpool, for instance, found that instructing runners to run at "somewhat hard" or "hard" efforts was at least as good as heart rate at predicting intensity. More recently, studies conducted by sports scientist Carl Foster, Ph.D., at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse have shown that runners can consistently identify their tempo pace with a simple talk test--struggling to speak in full sentences means you've passed your threshold.

Foster has found that only about 10 percent of the athletes he has studied failed in their perceptions--mostly control-oriented people like lawyers and surgeons, who don't like to admit that anything is difficult. "They're on a treadmill, saying, 'This is easy. This is pretty easy. This is sort of moderate'--and then they're going backward off the treadmill."

Driscoll and his fellow Zap runners start a workout at a certain pace and slow down or speed up according to how they feel. "If you were up till three in the morning with a screaming kid or with a work project, it's okay to adjust your pace," says Pete Rea, Driscoll's coach.

While scientists measure perceived exertion using the Borg scale, which runs from 1 to 10 (or 6 to 20, depending on the version), top runners like Driscoll learn to match their target zones to physical cues like breathing. On threshold runs, for instance, Driscoll knows that his breathing will feel labored for the first few minutes as his body adjusts to the shock of the effort. "But then I settle in," he says. "As long as the breathing gets under control, the legs will usually adjust to the right pace." Learn to recognize clues from your own body and how it feels in each zone, he suggests. You'll be ready for any run--whether you're taking it easy, hammering out a threshold, or running the most important marathon of your life.

Easy Run (recovery zone)
Pace: One to two minutes slower than marathon pace
% Max heart rate: 65 to 70%
Perceived Effort: 3 to 4/easy
Talk Test: Complete conversation


Training Run (aerobic zone)
Pace: Marathon pace or slightly slower
% Max heart rate: 75 to 85%
Perceived Effort: 5 to 6/moderate
Talk Test: Full sentences


Tempo Run (threshold zone)
Pace: 20 to 30 seconds slower than 5-K pace
% Max heart rate: 88 to 92%
Perceived Effort: 7 to 8/hard
Talk Test: A few words at a time


Intervals (VO2 max zone)
Pace: Mile to 5-K pace or faster
% Max heart rate: 95 to 100%
Perceived Effort: 9/very hard
Talk Test: Can't...talk...must...run...

[KC lifter]

I've used 2 of the ones that you wear the chest strap and both were a pain. I don't even bother any more I just keep a moderate pace on the treadmill.