Heart rate monitors are useful for training only insofar as you understand the physiology of cardio conditioning. The best book I've seen to date on the subject is: "SERIOUS Training for Endurance Athletes" by Rob Sleamaker MS Exercise Phys. (Director of Sports Med. US Biathlon and US Cross Country Ski teams.) Ray Browning MS Kinesiology (Seven time Ironman Triathlon winner.) Human Kinetics Books, www.humankinetics.com (I'm not on the payroll.) This book provides informed discussions of training, recovery, diet, scheduling work-outs and competition, record-keeping. . . It makes extensive use of target heart rates and training with heart rate monitors. The heart rate monitor I use is a Vision Fitness. . . is completely water-proof, even salt water, and provides a strap for securing the read-out monitor to handlebars or a paddle. The more expensive monitors allow one to set a target window with an alarm that sounds when you're out of the window. There are visual signals too; I can't hear the alarm on most streets. SERIOUS (it's an acronym) notes five performance zones for exercise. The monitor shows only one zone. It's easiest to simply print out your zones on a card, laminate it and fasten it to your sleeve. (You can write down the numbers on the underside of your hat brim, or just memorize them.) The expensive monitors have features that you may or may not use. I rarely use the stop watch. Time of day and date are pointless. The "target window" feature I can live without. Knowing your "numbers" and a monitor that reads your pulse rate is all the technology you really need. I've been "seriously" training in one form or another for about 40 years, racing bicycles and running sub-three-hour marathons. "SERIOUS Training" the most useful book I've seen on cardio conditioning. It saves me a lot of time and "burn out" exposure when conditioning for paddling. ----------------------------------------------------- Get free personalized email at http://email.lycos.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Oct 23 1998 - 20:32:39 PDT
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