Heart Rate Monitor Question

[tiberius]

I search the threads and could not really find the answer to my question. Are the portable heart monitors and/or gps units for runners/walkers considered by most to be a valuable tool in their fitness program? ...or are they not much more than an expensive and nerdy tech-toy?

I am considering getting a heart monitor, but do not want to waste my money if I will not use it. So, I figured I would put the question out there for the rest of you to find out your good and bad experiences.


[edited to include:]

I have recently added running to my exercise program (well, actually a mix of running and walking at this point), and my program calls for not pushing the running too hard to go past a certain heart rate. As far as the gps, I will use gym treadmill about half the time, and run along roads and paths half the time, so it will obviously be difficult to fully measure distances on the road/trail runs (although most of my runs are for time, not distance).

 

[goofyguy1958]

tiberius, I own both a HR monitor and GPS unit and use them almost every run. The GPS unit works for me because I try and run on a variety of routes and would not be able to figure out how far I have gone without it. The HR monitor is another thing. I have had mine since 1996 and did not use it at all for over 5 years. Then, this year I had a long run of bad races and found myself walking all the time in long runs (anything over 40 minutes) when, in the past, I used to go for 2 to 3 houors without stopping. A doctor I work with introduced me to a training plan by a Dr. Phillip Maffetone that works specifically on your target aerobic heart rate. You move much slower at first, which is hard to get used to, but I have since been able to finish every run during my Goofy Challange training and feel good at the end. I have run as far as 11 on Friday and then 20 on Saturday and was able to get out on Sunday and bang out another 5 without injury. The key is to stay within that aerobic heart rate. My advice: depending on how much you run, your goals and if you are looking at loosing weight (the aerobic HR training helps a lot here) you will benefit from the HR monitor. As far as the GPS: if you are running on measured routes, have a lot of trails or are in the city, it will not work. However, if you run the roads or open trails and do not know the milage, go for it. Hope this ramble helps a bit.

 

[rKyDeX]

I use a Garmin 305 (GPS and HR monitor combo) and love it. I use HR to determine exertion levels for training runs and download the data to my computer to check progress. I like the gadget aspect.

I'm following the book "Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot" by John Parker. I like the method because it "forces" me do "hard" workouts followed by a rest day or an "easy" workout as determined by HR on that day. Sometimes it's hard to go as slow as the HR monitor dictates on "easy" days, but if you follow the system, things really begin to open up on "hard" days.

 

[tiberius]

Thanks for the information. I will list a little more about what I am looking for in my own exercise program onto the original post in order to provide a bit more information to all of you out there.

rKyDeX - I hope to run the Marine Marathon one day, too. I sure hope you will post about it when you do it later this year.



goofyguy1958 - Some of my experience is not too different, I used to run a lot, but then about two years ago stopped due to injury, illness and laziness. Now, I am on a program starting slowly. I have walked only for the last few months and am now starting to run (slowly).