8 replies to this topic

[LINAR]

My girlfriend's husband has told her that he wants a HRM and watch for his birthday.  His instructions to her were "Don't buy me a crap one from Ebay.  Get me a Polar".  Obviously, with those sort of vague directions, she has no idea what to buy.

I'm not even sure that he specifically wants a Polar and I wonder whether to him (a Pom) Polar is just a generic term for HRM.  He is a sprinter.  He doesn't cycle or swim.

So I'm hoping for suggestions on what to buy.  My friend doesn't even know why he wants one.  So suggestions would be fantastic.

Cheers

LINAR

[LINAR]

I've just re-read my post and it sounds a bit offensive towards Poms.  It's not meant to be so sorry if I have offended anyone.  

What I was trying to say was in the same way that Aussie runners generally refer to their HRMs as Garmins, maybe Poms refer to their HRMs as Polars.

That's better.

[johnnyboyrun]

LINAR, on 07 August 2012 - 04:48 PM, said:

My girlfriend's husband has told her that he wants a HRM and watch for his birthday.  His instructions to her were "Don't buy me a crap one from Ebay.  Get me a Polar".  Obviously, with those sort of vague directions, she has no idea what to buy.

I'm not even sure that he specifically wants a Polar and I wonder whether to him (a Pom) Polar is just a generic term for HRM.  He is a sprinter.  He doesn't cycle or swim.

So I'm hoping for suggestions on what to buy.  My friend doesn't even know why he wants one.  So suggestions would be fantastic.

Cheers

LINAR

Garmin are the best as a total package hands down IMO.

I have no affiliation with Garmin!

[Pom]

LINAR, on 07 August 2012 - 05:07 PM, said:

I've just re-read my post and it sounds a bit offensive towards Poms.  It's not meant to be so sorry if I have offended anyone.  

What I was trying to say was in the same way that Aussie runners generally refer to their HRMs as Garmins, maybe Poms refer to their HRMs as Polars.

That's better.

None taken

[LINAR]

Any recommendations on which Garmin to buy, given that it is for a sprinter?

[Rafferty]

LINAR, on 07 August 2012 - 07:25 PM, said:

Any recommendations on which Garmin to buy, given that it is for a sprinter?

Perhaps a footpod style watch maybe better than a GPS watch for track?

Added advantage is that batteries are user replaceable.

[Wedgetail]

Rafferty, on 08 August 2012 - 07:50 AM, said:

LINAR, on 07 August 2012 - 07:25 PM, said:

Any recommendations on which Garmin to buy, given that it is for a sprinter?

Perhaps a footpod style watch maybe better than a GPS watch for track?

Added advantage is that batteries are user replaceable.

That's where the Polar models may be better.  I don't think their GPS functions are as good as the Garmin but they have designed things so that you get very good battery life in the watch and all the add ons such as foot pods and external GPS units have batteries that are easier to replace.  

If the user does any running on a treadmill and wants to record these runs a foot pod is needed.  Either foot pod or GPS should be OK for most track although the GPS may cut the corners a bit.

[Delirious]

I'd imagine a GPS would be next to useless for a sprinter, since the error inherent in any training gps system would represent too great a percentage of the distance run e.g. 5 meter error in a hundred meter run, equals 5% error. For a 20km run a 5m error would be trivial.

In any case, no mention was made of GPS capability by Linar so HRM only capability might be the way to go and would (in my mind) make the most sense for a sprinter. Especially without  knowing precisely what features he might want - this can be personal. Perhaps he doesn't know yet not having owned such a device before.

Now, this guy here -



seems to like the Polar FR7 for sprinting. It is a HR only unit with most of the basic features one could want (imagining myself to be a sprinter - which I'm not!)

So maybe something like the above would be a good start. After using the device for some months your friend's husband will then have a better idea of whether this device's feature set is adequate or if he'd like something else - but first of all he needs the experience with such a device in the first place in order to determine this.

I myself use a Garmin 310XT, which is ideally suited to me running up to 100km/wk - this would not suit a sprinter though as far as I can tell.

Cheers,
Nicholas

[LINAR]

I'm wondering about the Polar RS300X with foot pod.  The price seems pretty reasonable on Highly Tuned Athletes.  Any comments on this watch and its usefulness for sprinting?  My friend's husband will only be a sprinter.  He looks at me in horror when I mention having gone for a 12k run.

Edited by LINAR, 08 August 2012 - 07:38 PM.