The Gizmophile

For my first official entry, I’ll start with one of my favorite gadgets of all time, the heart rate monitor.  To date, it has been the most beneficial.  It has transformed me from leading a relatively sedentary lifestyle to one where my workouts have been targeted to specific goals.  I don’t think I would have been able to train properly to even attempt at starting an Ironman event much less finish one.

The transformation started one day in early 2003 when a routine medical checkup revealed an elevated cholesterol level and high blood pressure.  Though not quite life-threatening, I was a little concerned.  I thought regular weekend mountain bike rides with friends were sufficient but it was not.

That summer, I decided to purchase a road bike to get more cardio workouts.  And what does a roadie put on their bike?  That’s right, a bike computer.  It measures various statistics such as speed, distance and cadence (pedal stroke).  I got one too but quickly learned that a heart rate monitor could make me a better rider by being able to train more efficiently.

My first HRM was the Polar 720i and was the best $300 I spent at the time.  I was able to fully utilize this device to improve my endurance on the bike by being able to relate my heart rate to my cadence.  The downside to this HRM, however, is its limitation to only capturing bike workout data.  You can somewhat adapt it to swimming and running workouts but a few key features were definitely missing.

Luckily for me,  my 720i became water-logged during one of my triathlon races.  With Polar’s warranty program, I was able to send it back and  upgrade to a model that suites a triathlete better.  Ever since then, the Polar s625x has been my trusted training partner.  Check out the Polar Website for more info on their products.

Meanwhile, I think I got my eye on the Garmin Forerunner 405.  I don’t really need it since my s625x still works.  But hey, this thing is cool and I don’t have to worry about changing the battery on the S1 foot pod or having to calibrate it since the 405 is GPS-enabled.  What’s more is it actually looks like a watch unlike it’s older brother, the Garmin Forerunner 305.

If you’re thinking of investing on a heart rate monitor, you don’t have to spend as much as I did.  There are a number of products out there that suits anyone’s needs as well as light on the wallet.

Checkout the following:

• Garmin Forerunner 50
  
• Polar RS100
• Polar RS200
• Suunto T1

These are just a few suggestions and hopefully something to start you off to a an active lifestyle.  Do your research if you’re planning on getting one and checkout sites like cptips.com and marathonguides.com for training tips.  Lastly, share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

-thegizmophile