It’s the HR monitor, not my heart!

[ktsok]

SO… it may be that I’m not a hummingbirdheart, after all! I’m definitely not a whaleheart (yet). So somewhere in between… I reckon… catheart?! (120-140bpm).

It turns out that the most obvious thing was the thing: the Garmin watch HR monitor, which has probably been getting confused with my cadence (which averages about 180). I dusted off my old CooSpo chest HR monitor the other day - spent a few minutes changing batteries and scratching my head before it beeped at me and I remembered it only wakes up when it’s in contact with flesh. (Ahem). And guess what? Instead of the usual 56bpm to 140bpm in 0.10 seconds - not quite, but the graphs show a near vertical increase as soon as I start running (see pic) - this time, my HR practically SAUNTERED its way up! I spent 58% of this 25m run in zones 1 and 2!

You may have gathered from the capitals and overuse of exclamation marks that I am quite excited about this.

It means my easy runs that feel easy are in fact… easy!

Which is ironic, because I actually found todays run not so easy - but it was a beautiful run, because my 13yo son did his C25K 25 minuter today, and we chatted together the whole way round.

Bliss 😍

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

Well... I did ask about this recently... 😎

Good that you finally know.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to John_W]

You did, you did…

[Jell6 Graduate]

I'm sure realising this and writing about it is very cat-heart-ic.Apologies, I'm ill in bed, with a cold that feels worse than my last bout of covid 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Good run by the sounds of it, and you were able to talk throughout. Sounds perfect 🥰

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Jell6]

You poor thing. I don’t know about you, but I seem to forget just how awful a common cold can make you feel until another bad one comes along and reminds me. This will pass! And hopefully, one day later, it is passing?

I hope you have a functioning boiler too?

[Jell6 Graduate in reply to ktsok]

Err no, and no🤷🏻‍♀️, I now have a chest infection. Hopefully it will settle over the next few days. Typically, I am on a weeks leave. Re the central heating, the plumber is meant to be confirming a time for tomorrow. I'm toying between gently prompting him, or looking for another one.

[ktsok Graduate]

oh no 🙁

You know, you are legally entitled (I think) to postpone your A/L and take it another time if notify your employer at the time you are sick and can then prove you are too ill to work (ie, have a sick note)? I think that’s the case…

Feel for you Jell. I hope the plumber sorts out the heating and you make a quick recovery x

[Jell6 Graduate in reply to ktsok]

The annoying this about this week's leave is that it's a use it or lose it sort of week. So even if I got it back, I wouldn't get it back🤷🏻‍♀️. The plumber is meant to be here now so🤞

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Jell6]

😖

[nowster Graduate]

It's quite common for watch optical HR sensors to get confused between cadence and HR.

Apparently there's a bug in recent Forerunner models which causes them problems with this in cold weather. (Reported to be fixed in the current beta.)

One other thing to note is that lithium coin cell batteries can "go off" in the packet over time. I had problems with a HR strap earlier this year, changed the battery, no improvement. Then I found that the "new" battery was lacking in charge due to being many years old. I had to hunt through my packs of CR2032s for a good one.

A good test of the battery is a blue LED (if you have one lying around) across the battery terminals. Blue LEDs need about 3V (the same as a lithium coin cell) and draw a few milliamps. If it glows brightly the battery is good; dimly the battery is shot; not at all, try connecting it the other way round. Red LEDs only need about 2V and aren't suitable for this test.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to nowster]

That’s interesting. Whether it counts as recent or not I don’t know - I’ve got a Vivoactive 4s. It’s prettier than the enormous FRs and therefore more wearable day to day, but doesn’t have the same credentials. Maybe I’m meant to just lounge around in it looking good?!

I’ll keep an eye out re the battery - at the moment I like what it is telling me, so I’ll leave it be…

(It’s a bit like how I shop for weather forecasts - I shop around and go with the one that tells me it’s driest/sunniest)

🤪

[nowster Graduate in reply to ktsok]

I find weather radar more useful in the short term than forecasts.

One app I use is "Netweather Radar".

[ktsok Graduate in reply to nowster]

Accuracy isn’t the aim with my system!