Technology to Tri
Thursday, June 5th, 2008I admit, I am not an experienced tri-athlete, in fact, just the opposite. I’ve been training for my FIRST triathlon for the past several months. In this time, I have found some cool gadgets that are perfect for beginners.
Let’s start with the essentials - a heart rate monitor! I had not exercised in a while and literally did not know the difference between pushing myself and killing myself. The heart rate monitor basically told me when I was working hard, not hard enough, or too hard for too long. I love this! First I tried the Nike Imara monitor because I liked the design and the price tag. Unfortunately, after about a month, the monitor strap connection broke. I then purchased the Polar F6. I chose this one because it came in my favorite color – green! This thing actually displays a weekly summary of all my calories burned – cool stuff!
While the heart rate monitor is for all activities, it helped me the most with running. For cycling, I found two cool things. The first is www.bikely.com. This site allows you to build out a bike route and estimates your mileage. You can also check out other people’s routes or choose to share the ones you’ve created. While I was on my routes, I discovered that having a cyclometer is fundamental. It’s great to know how far I’ve cycled, and when I am getting tired, it’s even better to know how far I have left to go! I found this great review of the Cateye Strada that I use that has all the details about it.
I have only a few days left before my first event and am already planning my second one. I think I finally found a sport that will keep me interested, but will likely always look for fun new gadgets. Perhaps something new for me to listen to “Tango” by Shakira as I swim!
Are you a beginner who has found some great products to share? How about any experienced tri-athletes with words of advice? Look forward to hearing from you!
