I have been training with the RCX5 for a couple of months now and generally like the watch. However, I have never raced a triathlon with this watch. I use the GPS for running although I do have the foot pod as well but it always seems to be off. If you are racing with the RCX5, when did you start the GPS? (mine always takes a few minutes to turn green), did you swim with the GPS in your swim cap? I have the components on my bike so I do not need the GPS for that. Also, how did you manage transitions? Should I be leaving the GPS at home for races and just use inaccurate foot pod and bike components? I would like to calibrate my foot pod with the GPS, but the watch can’t seem to do that.
For Polar watches:
To get GPS, do you have to wear a separate arm band? I recently bought a Polar watch (can’t remember the model) that the GPS unit was a huge brick that you wore on your arm. When I go home and realized this, I quickly returned the item for a refund. I’m looking for something to replace my Garmin FR60 (not GPS) and the Garmin options seem quite large to wear on the wrist. I know lots of people use them, but I think they would be uncomfortable.
ETA: Sorry for the thread hijack.
The new GPS is very small. You can wear it on your arm, but I put mine in my tri pocket or in my swim cap if I am swimming. I wear the watch 24/7 so the Garmin wouldn’t work for my on a daily basis because of it’s bulk and need to recharge.
Hi Mandie
I recently did a test and the G5 stays on for over 2hrs, so technically you can leave it on in the transition area if you elect not to swim with it. In theory you could do a half mile warm up with just the G5. At the 1/2 mile mark, stop, turn G5 off and S3+ on, run the exact 1/2 back to start and calibrate the S3+, so if after the .5 it states something different, adjust it 
I’ll try that. I find when I go to the track to calibrate it, it doesn’t help since I get fatigued during my run and my stride changes. I have a couple of out and back runs that it will work on:-)
I did an Ironman distanse this summer with the RCX5.
Did have the GPS module in the swimcap and then moved it to a pocket in my trousers on the bike and run.
Worked very good. No problem with the transmission or anything else either.
So I can recommend it if you don´t think it is to hard to move the gps module from the swimcap to a pocket/armband etc during the transmission.
I raced IMFL with the GPS in my swim cap and moved it to a pocket in transition. I double plastic bagged it and taped it to keep the water out. The signal works fine as long as the GPS isn’t in my center jersey pocket. I couldn’t find a good way to do transitions so T1 ended up added to my swim time and T2 added to my bike time.
I didn’t have much time to play with mine before the race so I was still figuring things out. Be sure to clear some memory space if you are saving a lot of splits in a long race. I had ended up having enough room but got a warning of 90% memory full with about 1/2 the run left.
A big thanks to Wayne for helping me figure everything out.
You don’t need to run hard to calibrate. Run a regular pace, no need for fatigue.
Take it easy doing your calibration like another said no need to go hard. A 1/2 mile is a 1/2 mile wether fast or slow. I find that I use the gps a bit more now because I am always transitioning from bike to run. The arm band is comfortable enough and after a while you do not realize it us there. One time I went to work with it on and did not realize it was there till someone mentioned it about 3 hours into the work day.
Actual gps unit is about the size of a pack of wrigleys chewing gum. Only a little thinner. Nice thing about the Polar watch (I know Brocken record.) is you can wear it out on the town and get lots of compliments. Also when you do use it in exercise you do not know it is there. For users who have it now if the display is to small you can hold the light button in for 5/8 seconds and display gets larger.
Thanks for the information. I must not have bought the most current model. The one I bought was on a huge discount (clearance sale?) at Best Buy. I will search out the Polar RCX5 and see if it is different than the one I bought and returned.
That sell them in different bundles here is a link.
http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/products/maximize_performance/running_multisport/RCX5
Hre is a different link to figure out which you have if it is not the rcx5. Any questions feel free to ask me and I will do my best to answer for you :0)
http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/products