Do I Dare Buy A Heart Rate Monitor?

[[old] freestyle]

I am a borderline (?) obsessive compulsive and a raging hypochondriac. I cannot watch programs dealing with disease lest I wake up that night with those symptoms! I spend 1 1/2 hours a day working my body out and an equal amount of time analyzing and fretting about the same workout. I fear that a heart rate monitor could become my "little preciousss" ala Lord of the Rings! Is it worth it? Is a monitor really valuable? Or is it just another toy for self absorbed middle aged guys with too much time on their hands? I really relate to Mike Caviston's style. His WP workouts specify 4 levels that deal mainy with pace, stroke rate, duration, and intensity. WP does not have much written on constantly monitoring hr. However, other respected posters comment frequently on ut1, ut2, etc and their hr during training pieces. Their focus seems to be more on their hr than trying to maintain a preset pace and stroke rate. I admit one of the qualities I like about erging is the ability to monitor my pace, spm, power on every stroke. There is no "hiding" while erging. But do I need another device to peruse?<br /><br />Which kind of workout do we prefer? On one hand we have a poster who runs barefoot through a park---he feels fast, light, and enjoys the outdoors and communing with nature. He is not monitoring anything----just enjoying the moment. We have another poster who ergs for 60' without tv or even music. This is so he can concentrate and monitor technique, pace, spm, etc. I am much like the second poster----but wish I could be more like the first one. <br />Having said all that---if I buy one---what should I buy?!!

[[old] Cran]

If I use the HR monitor I set target pace based on projected HR to get the required lactate level, but I don't actually pay too much attention to the HR during the session, I just check the graph afterwards to see what it did and compare it to other sessions.<br /><br />At the moment I'm more interested in relaxing balancing my boat than I am about working hard, so just enjoy the moment.<br /><br />Garmin forerunner 301 is good if you do running/cycling type stuff as well as it also has GPS<br /><br />Otherwise I'd either get the cheapest one you can find (to just view the HR) or get a decent one that logs the data and downloads it to a PC. Cardiosport tends to be cheaper than Polar for the same features, and the belts are interchangeable.

[[old] Byron Drachman]

<!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I am a borderline (?) obsessive compulsive and a raging hypochondriac </td></tr></table> <br /><br />Consider the possibility that you are right about exercising and most of the rest of the world is wrong. After all, the recommended minimum amount of daily exercise seems to be increasing, at least according to some experts:<br /><br /><a href='http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/rele ... _diet.html' target='_blank'>http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/rele ... tml</a><br /><br />While we're doing public confessions, I admit I've spent some time reading the hypochondriac's Bible: The Merck Manual.<br /><br />Byron

[[old] mpukita]

<!--QuoteBegin-Byron Drachman+Jul 7 2005, 12:31 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Byron Drachman @ Jul 7 2005, 12:31 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I am a borderline (?) obsessive compulsive and a raging hypochondriac </td></tr></table><br /><br />Consider the possibility that you are right about exercising and most of the rest of the world is wrong. After all, the recommended minimum amount of daily exercise seems to be increasing, at least according to some experts:<br /><br /><a href='http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/rele ... _diet.html' target='_blank'>http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/rele ... tml</a><br /><br />While we're doing public confessions, I admit I've spent some time reading the hypochondriac's Bible: The Merck Manual.<br /><br />Byron <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Even though I am massively a beginner at rowing, I've found a nice, easy, "Just Row" done at a really low rate ... AND EFFORT ... to be quite enjoyable at times, just like I enjoy running with my wife now and again because I'm forced to run at talking pace (or lower), shoot the breeze (it's all about socializing and expending calories for her, not CV fitness), and enjoy the view (I never really "see" anything when I run alone, except my watch/HRM).<br /><br />

[[old] judgedread]

Hi,<br /><br />I always use mine but then again that is because i feel i understand them and what they are showing me. I have an old Polar protrainer NV (so old they no longer make this model!)<br /><br />If you do get one see if you can find from the library a quite useful book - "training - lactate - pulserate by peter gjm janssen" - ISBN 952-90066-8-3. Mine is the 5th edition 1995 so there is likely to be an updated version.<br /><br />There is little reference to rowing but gives background to the principles of HR training

[[old] Coach Gus]

<!--QuoteBegin-freestyle+Jul 6 2005, 09:46 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(freestyle @ Jul 6 2005, 09:46 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I am a borderline (?) obsessive compulsive  and a raging hypochondriac. [right] <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />The better question is do I dare NOT buy one? Used properly a HR monitor can keep you from allowing your OCD tendancies to control your workouts and keep your hypochondria in check since you know you aren't dying even if you feel like it.<br /><br />Keep in mind that you don't need a HR monitor to track your HR on the C2. You just need the HR interface from C2 and a chest strap. No addtional piece of equipment is needed.<br /><br />Also, you can still and should use rate while training to HR. Pace beccomes rather unimportant to the training as HR controls your effort. Pace just follows as allowed by the HR. Overtraining is much less likely if you train to HR.<br /><br />I never erg without monitoring my HR.<br />