A Cool Training Tool
The 2005 racing season is now history and I’m already contemplating the 2006 season. With this in mind, I’m always looking out for a training tool to help me squeeze out some more speed and crank up my endurance to the next level, and I think I’ve found one – the Forerunner 301 by Garmin.
The Garmin Forerunner 301
Tim, one of my training partners, has the Forerunner and I always thought it was pretty cool; this wrist mounted device displays training time, pace, distance, lap pace, lap time, lap distance, average and best pace, elevation and calories – what you would expect in a quality training tool. But as you are biking along, have you ever wondered what the percent grade is for the hill you’ve been busting your ass on for the last 20 minutes? The Garmin, Forerunner 301 will give you this! I found this little piece of information as Tim and I were riding home from a workout and we had to do the usual slog up 70th street West on the Western fringe of Lancaster to get home and end the workout. To the eye, the slope is not that discernable, as you crank your way South from Ave. L to Ave. M-8, but your legs and heart sure notice the climb. I’ve always thought it started out at around 2% and made it to 5 or 6% or so. I started my usual bitching of the slog to Tim giving him my latest speculation of the percent grade of 70th, and Tim says, “let me check.” He punches a couple of buttons on his wrist mounted Garmin and replies, “were at 3%, oh it just went to 4%.” I’m now thinking, “way cool,” and I’m a complete pain in the butt as I continue to ask him every 20 seconds, “what’s the grade now?” As we closed in on M-8 the grade made it to 7% - I’ve got to get me one of these!
If that doesn’t peak your interest, check out these graphs of our latest hill repeats. Tim and I did a hill workout where you do 4 X 90 second repeats with a 3 minute recovery in between each hill. The idea is to start the hill seated and blast up it for 60 seconds and then drive out of the saddle for the last 30 seconds. Tim does great for the first two repeats beating me by 10 meters. On the 3rd repeat he fades and I shoot past him, by the 4th repeat he literally “blows-up” and I don’t even hear him behind me. The cool thing is, you can see the blow-up on the data graph from his Garmin…again, way cool. Look for the heart rate above 180 bpm on the last hill. Tim’s LT is similar to mine, around 161-165, his maximum HR is higher than mine but Tim’s also several years younger than me so his MHR is a little over 180 to my 176. The 4th repeat spikes his HR right to his red line. Of course, Tim doesn’t need a fancy tool to tell him he’s about to blow a gasket but if you’re a gadget freak like him and me you've got to love this toy.
Check out the Garmin Forerunner 301 at the Garmin site. I’m either going to buy this tool or wait for the new Garmin Edge 305 to come out in November. I haven’t decided yet as I’m still comparing the features of both.
Elevation profile of our hill repeat workout. Of the 7 "bumps" at the beginning of the graph, the actual hill repeats were done on the last 4 bumps.
This is so cool! An over lay of heart rate on elevation - notice the "red line" spike on hill repeat number 4 (the 7th bump at the beginning of the graph.)
Do you have experience with a tool like this? I would love to hear about it, especially before I lay down cold green cash for my new toy. Please drop me an email or make a comment to this posting.
The Garmin Forerunner 301
Tim, one of my training partners, has the Forerunner and I always thought it was pretty cool; this wrist mounted device displays training time, pace, distance, lap pace, lap time, lap distance, average and best pace, elevation and calories – what you would expect in a quality training tool. But as you are biking along, have you ever wondered what the percent grade is for the hill you’ve been busting your ass on for the last 20 minutes? The Garmin, Forerunner 301 will give you this! I found this little piece of information as Tim and I were riding home from a workout and we had to do the usual slog up 70th street West on the Western fringe of Lancaster to get home and end the workout. To the eye, the slope is not that discernable, as you crank your way South from Ave. L to Ave. M-8, but your legs and heart sure notice the climb. I’ve always thought it started out at around 2% and made it to 5 or 6% or so. I started my usual bitching of the slog to Tim giving him my latest speculation of the percent grade of 70th, and Tim says, “let me check.” He punches a couple of buttons on his wrist mounted Garmin and replies, “were at 3%, oh it just went to 4%.” I’m now thinking, “way cool,” and I’m a complete pain in the butt as I continue to ask him every 20 seconds, “what’s the grade now?” As we closed in on M-8 the grade made it to 7% - I’ve got to get me one of these!
If that doesn’t peak your interest, check out these graphs of our latest hill repeats. Tim and I did a hill workout where you do 4 X 90 second repeats with a 3 minute recovery in between each hill. The idea is to start the hill seated and blast up it for 60 seconds and then drive out of the saddle for the last 30 seconds. Tim does great for the first two repeats beating me by 10 meters. On the 3rd repeat he fades and I shoot past him, by the 4th repeat he literally “blows-up” and I don’t even hear him behind me. The cool thing is, you can see the blow-up on the data graph from his Garmin…again, way cool. Look for the heart rate above 180 bpm on the last hill. Tim’s LT is similar to mine, around 161-165, his maximum HR is higher than mine but Tim’s also several years younger than me so his MHR is a little over 180 to my 176. The 4th repeat spikes his HR right to his red line. Of course, Tim doesn’t need a fancy tool to tell him he’s about to blow a gasket but if you’re a gadget freak like him and me you've got to love this toy.
Check out the Garmin Forerunner 301 at the Garmin site. I’m either going to buy this tool or wait for the new Garmin Edge 305 to come out in November. I haven’t decided yet as I’m still comparing the features of both.
Elevation profile of our hill repeat workout. Of the 7 "bumps" at the beginning of the graph, the actual hill repeats were done on the last 4 bumps.
This is so cool! An over lay of heart rate on elevation - notice the "red line" spike on hill repeat number 4 (the 7th bump at the beginning of the graph.)
Do you have experience with a tool like this? I would love to hear about it, especially before I lay down cold green cash for my new toy. Please drop me an email or make a comment to this posting.
posted by Bob Grove at 6:56 PM
