Tri Zones Training

There are several things to think about when purchasing a heart rate monitor – the most important one is how much functionality you’d like to have.  And you definitely want it to be water resistant, as we will be using our HRMs during swim workouts.  As with most purchases, the old adage is true: you get what you pay for.  :-)

If you already have a sports watch that you like and you don’t mind wearing two instruments, then a plain-jane heart rate monitor that only tells you your heart rate is sufficient.  With some shopping, you should be able to find a bare-bones entry-level heart rate monitor for $20 - $30.

Most people like to combine sports watch functionality with their heart rate monitor.  Prices for these (if you shop around) can be as low as $40 - $60.  The two things we hear frequently from team members who had a HRM like this that didn’t quite meet their needs is that they really wished their sports-style HRM allowed them to record splits, and that their HRM had a light.  Being able to record splits (multiple laps) allows you to keep track of the amount of time spent on different segments of a single workout.  It’s not really needed at first for beginners, but within a few weeks or months, you’ll see the benefit of it.  It’s especially helpful to time yourself in the swim, bike, and run portions of the triathlon on race day!  :-)  The light is helpful so you can see your watch and HRM during nighttime workouts.  It's not really needed during the first few months of spring and summer training.  But our team members have found that in the fall and winter they really wished their HRM had a light.  Based on feedback from past members, if you’re going to pay for a HRM with sports watch functionality, you’ll probably want to go ahead and look for those two features – splits and a light. Some HRMs will beep if you get out of your target zone, and some also keep track of how much time you spend in each zone.  If you’re an analytical type who likes to keep track of stats and numbers, you will love this feature.

Then there are some high-end heart rate monitors with lots of bells and whistles, including GPS tracking for speed and distance, cadence counters for cycling, the ability to upload data to your computer.  But unless you are really into technical gadgets and have the money to spend, you really don’t need these fancy heart rate monitors when you’re just starting out.

There are lots of reliable brands of heart rate monitors.  The most well-known manufacturer is Polar. Other brands of heart rate monitors include Timex and Sports Instruments, and Acumen and Cardiosport seem to be getting good reviews.  You can go to Google and type in “heart rate monitor reviews” to find more information.

If you’d like to shop locally, the following stores carry heart rate monitors:  Jack and Adam’s (10% discount for Tri Zones members!), RunTex (10% discount for Tri Zones members!), Mellow Johnny's, Performance Bikes, Bicycle Sport Shop, Academy, and REI (periodic 20% discount for REI members).    There are several online options as well:  Amazon.com, Nashbar.com, and PerformanceBike.com. Coach Gina, of the south team, has had good service at this web site for heart rate monitors.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact your coach!