I like the fact that the Polar RS400 can measure pulse while swimming. If you have used an RS400 in a race, how do you setup the sensors for the bike and run parts of the race?
I have used a s625x in a race… If I wear a wetsuit the suit does indeed hold the chest strap in place and measure my HR during the swim. I don’t use any extra bike gadgets w/ my polar, only the footpod for the run. So, I set up a “race” exercise in there with the zones, etc. that I want to watch for each leg and tell it to measure run speed. I use my bike computer to watch bike speed/mileage/etc through the bike part, and when I get to T2 I turn on the footpod first thing, it syncs with the watch in a few secs while I do other things and I’m off.
So, the resulting file looks like 5 laps (swim, T1, bike, T2, run) with a speed measured only during the last lap (the run).
Not ideal, but I don’t know of a way to switch measuring devices within the same file. So if I cared about the bike speed getting sent to the watch, I’d have to stop the exercise after the swim, start a new one (set to bike speed) in T1, then stop it and start a new one (set to run speed) in T2. That’s too much messing around for me.
RS800, pretty much similar to the RS400. I press the start button when I get out of the water, then press lap when I start cycling to get net bike leg HR and time, then when I arrive at T2 I press the options/seek sensor button to activate the foot pod. No, not ideal and I don´t waste the time in a sprint or oly.
I train/race with a S625x.
I set it up for cycling, and just press start at the start and lap when I get out of the water and when I start the run (and at mile markers when available).
I get HR for the swim (as well as the bike and run obviously). The altitude gets all goofed up, but I fix that later by cutting the HRDATA section out of the the hrm file and edititing it with Excel, and then paste it back in.
I get HR, speed, cadence and altitude for the bike. AWESOME!
I get HR and altitude for the run. I rely on mile markers on the run for pace.
For training, I’ll use the footpod for running and think it works quite well. I want to get a CS400 for when I am biking only. I want to get all the data I currently get with the S625x without having to wear the watch.
I use the RS400 for triathlon to get HR and run distance/speed
I start the watch as the swim starts (sometimes 10 sec before) hit the lap button as I get into T1 and then out of T1.
I normally forget to hit the button going into T2 but hit it on the way out. When I put my shoes on I start the footpod right then.
Most of the time I will take the watch off of “autolap” so I can watch my total run time. On the run I will watch run time, distance and pace on the same screen.
While on the bike I’ll watch HR, lap time and total time.
jaretj
+1 to this (except I do not use my foot pod inthe race). I usually hit lap splits if there are mile markers.
I usually will put it on during T2 and turn it on as I’m leaving the rack.
Depending on the day I’ll use another watch to get my culmulative time, or I don’t worry about it…
I use it and the footpod. Footpod worked well for me, as I kept an eye on not dropping below a certain mph.
Just curious why you put it on in T2 instead of swimming with it?
To the original poster’s question I am using mine this weekend for the first time and don’t plan on using the footpod. Like another poster said take a lap at T1 and T2 and every mile marker on the run.
Because sometimes I use another watch for the race to watch my total time - and I just use the RS400 for speed/mile splits - as it doesn’t have the memory for 1 sec recording at IM races.
For shorter races I do the same to practice turning the footpod on and starting the watch, etc - other times it’s because my swim is consistant enough that I don’t need to know my time, and my SRM PCV tells me my HR, power, speed, bike split.