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Re: [RC] [Fwd: Garmin Forerunner 301 First Impressions] - Roger RittenhouseApril (etall)- Hey thanks for a great write up. The new human hi-tech tools are getting better all the time.Adapting them to the horse use was something I felt was appropriate. No different then the current 'equine' HRM systems - they are all just the human devices adapted to work with the horse. The problem with the new hi-tech human transmitters is they are all digital. There was no way to use the current interface of an analog transmitter and a set of snap-on leads. Placing the strip transmitter under the girth does not work very well for MOST riders. I had to develop a method to adapt the strip transmitter to the lead wire-electrode setup. As well as not to damage the strip transmitter. Looks like the GARMIN HR components are working better on the horse then the TIMEX. I had to tinker around to get it right. The TIMEX transmitter is very sensitive to electrode movement. I have it working very well now. The TIMEX data logger is working great-- but I really would like to have it ALL in one box. I am concerned I may loose the small logger device. The TIMEX is not as well versed with the computer program as the GARMIN appears to be. My TIMEX setup works well for me. I will stick with it for now. Sure has been a great tool to help with pacing and the working HR levels. Data collection from the logger is bothersome since I have to remember to bring the unit in the house and DL the data. Since I only work one horse, for many miles and years, data recording has not shown me anything I did not know. It does re-enforce what I saw and felt during a workout. I do use it for every workout. I think it will be interesting to log a whole ride to see what happens when I am not looking. If nothing else but to confirm what I 'know' or to let me know IF I missed something. The comparison from one workout/ride to another will show if some subtle problem is starting. I use 5 BPM higher at a set level of effort (SET) as the trigger point to inform me something is not right. There is NO WAY I could note that small delta in HR by a 'feel' of how well the horse is working. The same goes with the pace/speed. I no longer have to guess if we are working at 8 or 10 mph or what ever I think we should be doing or REALLY doing. I really do know how to pace, with many miles and years at ECTRA CTR and endurance at xxx speeds, I can estimate my speed 'close enough'. But the GPS really lets me know how my guess is not accurate. Sure helps to correct the major error with riders who claim they 'go 25 miles' all the time. Most of us only guess, since we do not have a measured course. I have validated the TIMEX GPS on measured trails. It is accurate enough for me. At most rides the loop distances have been within a mile or so. Over a 10 to 15m loop that is very accurate for me. The GPS+HR combo devices - from any mfgr, are the best way to learn what your horse (HR) is doing at various gaits/speeds. Just gives you that real-time hard data to augment what the rider 'thinks' they feel. I have yet to find a rider (that does not use a HRM) who can tell me absolute numbers such as 'we are doing 10 mph and the HR is 135'. Its just a guess. I prefer absolute data. Tools such as these, show us the real working data. I add that to the intuitive knowledge and I 'learn to read' my horse faster. It does not take as many months or miles to baseline your horse's work efforts. Even the best WC riders use the HR to condition and most use it to compete. Wonder how many riders in the WEC will be running (racing) with a HRM? I know all the USA riders and I know most if not all use a HRM and many have been using a GPS. I know the UAE riders use HRM's. (I sold them) :)) A post thought, can you save some of the workout charts to JPG and post an email? I planned on posting some of mine to my web site later after I get a few more. Have to get to work here and get ready for the Fla rides.
April wrote: > I just wanted to give a brief first impression of the Forerunner 301. > > For those of you unaware, the 301 is Garmin's recent sports GPS. > Announced early this month, orders started shipping 10 days ago. The > 301 combines the functionality of the 201 with a heart rate monitor. > The unit has a suggested retail price of $325. It comes with a human > chest heart rate transmitter, the 301 watch unit (of course), a USB > cable and a disk that installs drivers and the Training Center > program. > > www.garmin.com/products/forerunner301 > > Of course, I could care less what MY heart rate is on a ride (although > that would be interesting to know, too). I want to collect heart rate > data on my horse. So I contacted Roger Rittenhouse of VMAX Equine > Performance Technology and ordered one of his transmitter adapter kits > to use the Garmin chest transmitter on my horse. > > I received both my Forerunner 301 and the adapter kit last week. My > husband and I did the adaptation of the heart rate transmitter. It was > simple and straight-forward. Today, I braved the frigid cold of low > 20s and 10 mph winds to test out my new tool. > > The heart rate monitor worked great. The GPS worked great. My horse > worked great! :-) When I got back, I loaded the data onto my computer > and looked at graphs with heart rate and speed over time or distance. > Very handy. Also was able to see a summary of my horse's average heart > rate over each lap (like 10 minutes of trotting). > > Since the 301 is very new, there are no programs besides the Training > Center that can get the heart rate data along with the location > trackpoints from the unit. But that will change as software developers > incorporate support for the 301 in their programs. > > Another feature of the 301 that I really like is the ability to set up > workouts on the computer and load them onto the GPS unit. You can > specify a series of steps or laps. For example: 15 minutes at a walk, > 10 minutes at a trot, 5 minutes at a walk, 3 minutes at HR between > 160-185, etc. The GPS will alert you when to change speeds or heart > rate zones. I can see a lot of possibilities for this feature, > including setting up custom interval training workouts. > > I'm quite excited to have this unit and am very pleased that Roger's > adapter kit allowed me to even have it. The directions that came with > the kit were very easy to understand and the adapted transmitter > worked great the first time with no fiddling. > > I'll be using this unit from now on. I highly recommend it and Roger's > adapter kit. > > For those interested, I bought the 301 from tvnav.com > (http://www.tvnav.com/forerunner301.htm) for $225 after shipping. And > of course, bought the adapter kit from Roger at www.vmaxept.com for > $50 (free shipping). > > April > Nashville, TN > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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