There are a number of products on the market to assist triathletes with keeping track of their performance during training. Polar's RS800CX is designed for multiple sports and is able to track essential functions such as heart rate and provide advanced features to help you optimize your workouts as your prepare for your triathlon.
Body Measurement Capabilities
The RSCX800 is capable of recording your heart rate and gives you real-time feedback by using a heart rate monitor band wrapped around your chest. The watch can tell you your optimal target heart rate based on your age and gender and displays your maximum heart rate. A second important factor when training for triathlons is to keep track of your rate of recovery. The RSCX800 does this through a feature called "R-R Intervals/Online HR Variability" that monitors your heartbeats after exercise and displays your recovery rate on the watch.
Measures Cycling and Running Cadence
Saving energy and optimizing forward momentum are two important factors in triathlons. This Polar watch records cycling cadence, which is the number of times you pedal per minute, and running cadence, which is the amount of time it takes one foot to hit the ground, lift off and return back to the ground. By giving your feedback on your cadence, the watch allows your to adjust your pedaling speed to reduce the force you exert each time you pedal and, therefore, to spread your energy use over a longer distance. In the same way, the RSCX800 allows you to alter the time your feet spend in contact with the ground to balance between power and speed.
Charts Your Training Course
Training on the actual race course can help you to familiarize yourself with the race and mimic the actual conditions. The RS800CX has a useful feature that allows it to measure incline on a road or trail and keep track of your position using GPS. Using the ProTrainer 5 computer software, you can download this information and visualize it on your computer or export it to mapping software. When combined with the watch's body measurement and cadence features, you can pinpoint the locations on the race course where you could further optimize your performance.
Records Altitude, Pressure and Temperature
For races and training in locations with great variability in weather and geography, the RS800CX records and displays weather information that allows you to find out the rate of ascent and descent up hills and mountains, which can be useful when biking. Taken together with temperature fluctuations, which the watch also records, you will be able to train your body to adapt to rapid changes in altitude by saving energy in earlier parts of the course.
References
- Polar U.S.A.: Home
- "Sports Medicine"; Physical and Physiological Factors Associated with Success in the Triathlon; GG Sleivert, et al.; July 1996
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