subject says it all, 10 minutes in the run everything is fine, but for the first 10 minutes there doesn’t seem much I can do to get any heart rate monitor to work reliably (guess my skin is too dry or something, just wetting with water doesn’t seem to be enough either). The gel that came with the first hrm I ever owned worked well, but I have long since ran out and am not sure where to go and get something similar (and not super expensive).
ideas?
ultrasound gel
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Saliva works great, serisously!
Just give it a lick.
You’re already a disgusting triathlete…might as well embrace the moniker.
Saliva works great, serisously!
it does not, it works for like 10 seconds then my skin magically absorbs it or something, it’s very annoying
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ultrasound gel
know of any local sources? 250ml for $4 would be great!
Or - KY jelly…but try to get that one past your GF…
I’ve never gone looking, but I’d give Lancaster a shout. If they don’t carry it they can probably point you in the right direction.
No idea how HRM straps work, I assume it’s based on electrical conductivity, thus maybe something like lemon juice would work to increase the receptiveness.
When I worked at a pharmacy, I always sent people to http://regencymedicalsupplies.supersites.ca/ when we didn’t carry something specific.
Or - KY jelly…but try to get that one past your GF…
+1 on KY, works great as HRM gel and washes off easily, won’t stain, etc.
Or - KY jelly…but try to get that one past your GF…
+1 on KY, works great as HRM gel and washes off easily, won’t stain, etc.
really? I thought gels had to have ‘something’ inside to get them to conduct better, and that the point of using them was this ‘something’ rather than the actual gel-ness
I use Buh-bump cream…made for this exact purpose. Its a bit expensive, but a small bottle will last me a very long time…like almost a year. Other stuff will work, but you have to be careful…I tried using soft-soap, which worked like a champ, except for the painful rash it gave me because my skin didn’t much like it for extended periods of time.
Spot
Have you tried putting it on backwards? The Garmen 305 instructions suggest putting the HRM across the back if you have trouble getting a good connection. Also, I use a little bodyglide, of course I sweat like a you know what in a you know where so I use the bodyglide to prevent chafing, but it seems that my connection is good from the start.
Or - KY jelly…but try to get that one past your GF…
+1 on KY, works great as HRM gel and washes off easily, won’t stain, etc.
really? I thought gels had to have ‘something’ inside to get them to conduct better, and that the point of using them was this ‘something’ rather than the actual gel-ness
All you need is a medium with some reasonable electrical conductivity. Water (or a water-based gel) is fine for this purpose (but a silicone gel would be an insulator and not work). The gel just ensures that there is good contact between the electrodes in the HRM and your skin, and that these gaps are filled with conductive material. You could effect the conductivity of the gel by adding in substrates (ex. salt would help, glass fibers would hurt), but there’s really no need as the gel is sufficient as is.
thanks for the explanation!