My heart is stronger than my Adidas Heart Rate Monitor. The latter survived only 2 years of constant use. It just died. The Adidas was model was quite old and was phased out of production. Main reason being it just used up too much batteries. ( Imagine free battery replacement for life in it’s warranty) Adidas Service Center said that Adidas will not produce anymore heart rate monitors in the watch format, but with other innovations. Hence I could not get my Adidas Heart Rate Monitor to be repaired.
I was without a heart rate monitor for about 6 months and I ran dangerously, being 66 years old and coupled with several medical conditions. But I still ran, for I know if I had stopped running, I’ll stopped writing into my blogs as well. I searched for a replacement heart rate monitor each time I went shopping at the malls. They were fairly pricely and I could not budget for one just yet.
Luck was with me when I was at the Ironman Langkawi 2010 in late February. A Timex Heart Rate Monitor was on promotional sales. I bought it without a second blink of the eve. I am very pleased with my new Timex Heart Rate Monitor as it had all the features I needed. It is a full fledged Heart Rate Monitor and serves as a personal trainer as well. The only features lacking were the GPS, speed and cadence . Otherwise it comes with loads of functionalities. It is very stylish, light and easy to set/operate.
I append some notes about Heart Rate monitors from the Internet.
By monitoring heart rate, the simple observation that the harder we exercise, the faster our heart beats is put to good use. Professional athletes and amateurs alike have for decades been relying on the information provided by their heart rate monitor for the following reasons:
1) A heart rate monitor is like a rev counter, giving a precise measurement of exercise intensity.
2) Training at your own ideal pace is made possible with a heart rate monitor.
3) Direct measurement of heart rate during exercise is the most accurate way to gauge performance.
4) Progress can be monitored and measured, increasing motivation.
5) It maximizes the benefits of exercise in a limited amount of time.
6) It introduces objective observation. Are you on the right track? Are you improving?
7) It is a tool for regulating frequency and intensity of workouts.
8) Because of the immediate feedback it provides, heart rate monitoring is an ideal training partner.
How does it work?
When you start training, your heart rate increases rapidly in proportion to the intensity of the training. The transmitter belt detects the electrocardiogram (ECG - the electric signal originating from your heart) and sends an electromagnetic signal to the wrist receiver where heart rate information appears.
The heart moves blood from the lungs (where the blood picks up oxygen) to the muscles (which burn the oxygen as fuel) and back to the lungs again. The harder the training, the more fuel the muscles need and the harder the heart has to work to pump oxygen-rich blood to the muscles.
As you get fitter, your heart is able to pump more blood with every beat. As a result, your heart doesn’t have to beat as often to get the needed oxygen to your muscles, decreasing resting heart rate and exercise heart rate on all exertion levels.
Read benefits of a Heart Rate Monitor here.
So there you are. Don’t you need a Heart Rate Monitor ?
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