with regard to your Q of whether an hrm works in a financial setting.... i do deals for a living and have found that my polar with the big ugly red button makes for a much better discussion piece than the submariner ever did. it gives you something to talk about with those on the other side of the table that are either curious or know what a polar is for. i rarely wear my sub these days.

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jg

I've got a Timex Ironman Heart Rate monitor that I wear to work everyday, and I work in the Treasury department of a bank. I've been very happy with it as both a watch and a monitor, and no one has complained. This is the watch:

http://www.rei.com/...008000&langId=-1

I have a Timex Performance Monitor that looks relatively pedestrian. I love watches and have a pretty decent collection. I only really wear the Timex now or my old Casio G-Shock Codeman from the Army. sometimes I think fancy watches are like sport cars- they're making up for inadequacies in other areas. I remember Bill Clinton getting a lot of positive press for wearing a $49.99 Timex instead of a $20,000+ Rolex President iced out, in 18Ks. I like fancy watches, but I rarely wear them.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I used to sell to the IT depts of the big institutions in NY. Lots of guys in those offices wearing Movado, Rolex, Philippe Patek, etc. Most of which were bought on the street downtown for $15. The thing about the finance culture is that you have to fit in, but you also have to stand out by having the next new thing before everyone else.

Most interesting conversation I had was with a guy who was wearing a Suunto dive computer as his daily watch. I think I asked him if he had enough nitrox left to survive my pitch. We ended up talking about diving for the entire meeting.

To anyone but an athlete, a sleek silver or black Polar HRM is going to look like a sleek modern watch -- it'll be hip and cool. And athletes are always on the lookout for one another, and that big red button and big face is a giveaway. I bet you find more people than you imagined will ask what you're training for.

Lee

I wear a Concord Impresario Chronometre for work, as it has an extremely practical purpose for me (timing chemical processes), as I destroyed my Ironman from the hairspray (it was permanently gummy, despite best cleaning efforts). I have never looked back since; though I use a Nike analog timer for my run intervals.

Some of the Suunto models look good enough to wear to work. Oakley doesn't do an HR that I am aware of, and I had decided that the Polar HR was best left on the bike, as I did not want it permanently gummy. If there were a stainless steel HR watch that looked every bit as good as my Concord, I would consider it instead.

By the way, Demmerly- not all of us who wear an expensive swiss watch have to make up for anything- same inadequecy thing can be said about a guy with over three bikes :^)

Call me a geek (my friends do), but I wear my POLAR 810 AND the chest strap almost daily. I'm a data type athlete. Believe it or not, you can learn a lot from your HR monitor, wearing it through the day not just during workouts. And they really freak when I go to the doctor, take my shirt off and see the strap. My co-workers think I'm nuts with the beep, beep, beeping. Seriously though, I gauge my level of recovery (to a degree) by my HR during the day at work. I am a programmer so I sit in front of a PC all day (so mostly resting HR). I have my 810 programmed to start beeping when my HR goes below 48. On days that it beeps a lot, I train hard. If it doesn't beep at all, I'm probably not recovered from yesterdays w/o or I'm coming down with something or sleep deprived - which leads back to not recovered. This system of using my HR monitor to act as a recovery indicator works well for me. I competed in 20 triathlons (AG 35-39) this season and placed in quite a few and with no injury so it's obviously working for me. And you'd be surprised how your HR rises as your need to go to the bathroom increases and after you eat (digestion takes work!). I just wish POLAR made their watch face more scratch-proof.

Additionally, since the 810 records every heartbeat, I sometimes wear it to bed to get my absolute lowest resting HR. Lowest I've ever recorded is 37, twice. Frequently in the low 40s. Incidentally, I have never observed my HR under 40 while conscious. So I believe true resting HR occurs while asleep. At least for me it does.

In contrast, I have worn my 810 during sex with my wife. Now I know you're laughing. She knows me, but laughs anyway. But you would be surprised at how low your HR is during sex. My guess is that for endurance athletes like us, sex is not that taxing aerobically. And yes, I AM sweating during sex like a normal person. OK, I'm ready for the humorous replies to this post now...

As your name says... you gottabekidding...

To sound off to the poll:

Occupation: Investment Banker

Watch of Choice: Timex HR Monitor (sans strap)

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Animal!!!

I'm no fan of the Timex right now. My last two have had buttons fall off. last one was an Ironman sleek, that I used only for running/triathlon, got it for fathers day, already broke.

So I guess the Polar would be good. I'm not really worried about looks, or prestige, I've just always wore a nicer watch to work, and kept my 'running' watch or HR monitor with my workout gear. I'm sick of doing that, and ready to just wear the same thing all the time. The Polar does store multiple workouts? I don't enter my workouts into my computer log but 2-3 times a week normally.

Now, Gottabekidding, this sex thing has got me intriqued. Are there any particular features of the Polar you mind most helpful during that time with your wife? The Max/Min HR alarms? Do you have a certain HR 'zone' you try to maintain? Do you download that info to your computer and count it as training time? Also, does the cadence feature of the 810 work for sex? Seems that might be most useful.

Dude....



I have to admit, I would love to see the heart beat readings in the sack.

This is a tough one for me, as I am somewhat of a watch freak (split my time between slowtwitch.com & timezone.com)...

Believe me, it's very agonizing when I have some free $$ whether to buy another watch or another tri-related doohicky (triathlon's been winning lately)

The only problem with wearing a Polar full time is that you'll have a hard time buttoning your long sleeve shirt over it; and if you did, try actually pulling back the cuff to see the time. You might have better luck with the Nike or Timex in that regard

BTW - my daily watch is a 1958 Omega Constellation Chronometre - it's totally cool without being ostentatious, and instantly recognizable by other watch guys as being a quality piece

ahhhh, Timezone.com... a few years ago i used to spend more time on that site than any other - back when i was lugging around that xtra 25 lbs that i don't ever want to see again. Watches, for some crazy reason can be addictive. Shield you eyes, say no to Timezone!

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jg

I use my Polar HRMs (M51, S710) also as daily watches. The S710 is quite big (and can more than you need). But another Polar S-Series would probably suit you. They have some models with steel cases that look better.

I don't know if a 'dress code' in your office financial type environment.

Felix

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http://www.weilenmann.ch.vu

WARNING!

Take it of before you try to enter an airplane! The security-personal goes nuts ... I did that misstake once ... wasn't that funny ...

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__________________
http://www.nasvik.se

ooops. Me too.

I never beep otherwise, and I couldnt for the life of me remember what metalic thing I could be wearing...HRmonitor. duh.

Have you tried to put the strap on her but keep the monitor? Instant feedback and... no possibility of faking it, LOL...

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-
"Yeah, no one likes a smartass, but we all like stars" - Thom Yorke


smartasscoach.tri-oeiras.com

That's a great idea I never considered. Heck, I do all the work most of the time so she should have a low reading. But perhaps with her on top going at it I could see some 140+ peaks. We'll see. I hope no women are reading this post. LOL...

BTW - my daily watch is a 1958 Omega Constellation Chronometre - it's totally cool without being ostentatious, and instantly recognizable by other watch guys as being a quality piece

Cool watch. Steel or gold?

how is it that this thread has gone on this long without anyone asking the bunny about the excessive hairspray use?

where's customerjon or the gopher when you need them?

Thanks! ....the watch is stainless, with white gold markers. I also have (among other things) a 1964 14K Omega Seamaster DeVille (it was the original predecessor to today's DeVille dress watch) which is also a pretty neat piece

Scott

This rabbit gets PAID to run his fingers through beautiful women's hair. This also entails spraying the shite out of it.

No, I do not do what Warren Beatty's character did in the film "Shampoo", as it would make me have a former Mrs. Bunnyman #2.