timex hrm, questions for anyone who has one! - JP Fitness Forums

AF-Temp · 12-29-2006, 03:47 PM

Ok, I was given this heart rate monitor as a gift:
http://www.amazon.com/Timex-Ironman-...UTF8&s=jewelry

It looks like timex makes a gps unit and a 3rd piece for recording your data and sending it to a pc. I'm trying to figure out if these pieces are compatible with what I have already. I think the gps one is ok, since it says it's for all ironman series watches. Here's what I'm looking at getting:

GPS unit:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=3TDL2LH1KS49L

Data Recorder:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=3TDL2LH1KS49L

As near as I can tell, they look like they're all compatible with eachother, but then again I can't really find specs anywhere to say which ones are compatible with which exact model. I just don't want to spend $200 on stuff that won't work with my watch! Anyone have any experience with this setup? Based on the descriptions it seems compatible, but maybe I'm missing something!

gobbla · 12-30-2006, 08:10 AM

did you e-mail timex customer support?

AF-Temp · 12-30-2006, 09:21 AM

Nope, just tried to find specs and stuff on their website! I guess I could try that, hadn't thought of it.

speeddialcoach · 01-01-2007, 03:10 PM

I'd assume that the GPS monitor would need the specialized GPS Speed & Distance tech in the Ironman watch. Now, I don't know if your Ironman is the Speed & Distance version, so this probably wouldn't link up to your Ironman watch.

I have the Timex Ironman Speed & Distance watch, monitor, and Data Recorder to evaluate my running for XC & Track coaching.

Rick Karboviak
http://speeddialcoach.com

AF-Temp · 06-18-2007, 06:58 AM

ya know, looking back at this, I think the heart rate monitor had a lot to do with my improvement in distance running. Back in january I forced myself to keep my heart rate in the 160s (in an attempt to stay as close to the right zone as possible) while I was running 3 miles a few days a week, and 5 miles one day on the weekend. At that time, it was requiring me to do about 10:30 min/mile just to keep the heart rate down. I used to feel like I was practically walking, but I did it anyways.

Now my heart rate stays in the 150s-160s even if I'm running in the 8:30-9:00 min/mile range for 6+ miles, in fact it seems to take me about 15 minutes of running just to break 160s if I go out and just run at a comfortable pace.

It's interesting to see how heart rate effects running performance. Once I get mine over 180 my endurance starts to drop significantly, but lower than that I can maintain the pace for a decent amount of time.

I assume the fact that I forced myself to start slow and just plod through the "long" days is why I have been able to improve my distance and pace so much in the last 6 months. Who knows, maybe these HRM things have their merits!

Phaedrus49er · 06-18-2007, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AF-Temp

ya know, looking back at this, I think the heart rate monitor had a lot to do with my improvement in distance running. Back in january I forced myself to keep my heart rate in the 160s (in an attempt to stay as close to the right zone as possible) while I was running 3 miles a few days a week, and 5 miles one day on the weekend. At that time, it was requiring me to do about 10:30 min/mile just to keep the heart rate down. I used to feel like I was practically walking, but I did it anyways.

Now my heart rate stays in the 150s-160s even if I'm running in the 8:30-9:00 min/mile range for 6+ miles, in fact it seems to take me about 15 minutes of running just to break 160s if I go out and just run at a comfortable pace.

It's interesting to see how heart rate effects running performance. Once I get mine over 180 my endurance starts to drop significantly, but lower than that I can maintain the pace for a decent amount of time.

I assume the fact that I forced myself to start slow and just plod through the "long" days is why I have been able to improve my distance and pace so much in the last 6 months. Who knows, maybe these HRM things have their merits!

I'm totally with you. Before I got an HRM (thanks to Kaiser for guiding me toward the Polar M32), my running was very inconsistent, but now I can keep tabs on my heart rate (similar endurance parameters as you) and guesstimate my pace, though the latter is likely going to change soon--I'm eyeballing a Forerunner 305--so that I can keep better track of my pacing.

AF-Temp · 06-18-2007, 09:07 AM

I'm still using that timex i was given as a gift. The watch only came with a Heart rate monitor strap, so I went out and bought the data recorder so that I could at least keep track of the data over time. The only thing it's missing is a speed/distance type GPS device. I still have to map out my routes ahead of time to know my distance. I might go the garmin route in the future, but it won't be until i get back from training. If I can keep up this running throughout training, I'm actually considering trying to train for a marathon in fall '08.