The RS800cx monitors your heart while you do dishes.
(Credit: Polar)If you're a hard-core runner, it's a good idea to have the right tools at your disposal to maximize your training. In anticipation of the New York City Marathon Sunday, Polar a maker of portable fitness electronics, is now selling the RS800CX heart rate monitor. This is an updated version of the RS800G3 we covered last year.
The three major new features include:
- GPS mapping: Routes are color-coded for "heart rate zones," and can be viewed on Google Earth with Polar's ProTrainer 5 Software
- Compatibility with Polar's speed and cadence cycling sensors
- Ability to combine multisport workouts into one training file
Admittedly, most of this stuff is overkill for someone like me who doesn't take fitness quite that seriously. I am interested in Polar's FT60 and FT80 though.
It doesn't do as much, but most of us don't need that much. I especially like how it tells you the optimal amount of time to rest between sets. As my life stands now, I wouldn't cough up money for these though. The RS800cx is available starting at $500. The FT60 and FT80 can be found for $240 and $350 respectively.
Check out the movie of the FT60and FT80 below (try to ignore the fitness people's banter though).
READY, SET, GO!
The RS800 has been designed for serious endurance athletes and competition runners. The system provides an unprecedented amount of feedback on body performance and enables the planning, tracking and analysis of training to an exacting level near before realized.
The Polar RS800sd Running Computer is a complete system for planning, monitoring and analyzing your training. It provides an optimum combination of features for elite level athletes and their coaches. With the new Polar WearLink transmitter W.I.N.D., the Polar RS800sd? is part of the world's first integrated training system together with adidas running gear. It also comes with the new Polar s3 stride sensor W.I.N.D. for detailed speed/pace and distance tracking, and is compatible with Polar G3 GPS Sensor W.I.N.D.
"If you can learn to run with a shorter faster stride in events like long distance triathlons, half or full marathons you will be more economical and consequently more likely to keep running for the entire event" says Olympic Triathlon Coach, Brendon Downey. Distance running performance is a function of fitness and running economy and there is no other running computer available that can help runners work on both these factors to anything like the level of the RS800sd.
If your one of those people that doesn't like reading manuals then opt for a basic heart rate monitor because this one is so packed with tech it may take a month to learn how to use it. For more information go to POLARUSA
(Credit:
Polar)
There are scads of devices designed to monitor performance while running on the track or treadmill, ranging from MP3 players to running shoes. But digital health equipment pioneer Polar has made it a mission to come up with an electronic fitness aid for cyclists as well.
The CS600 is like an on-board computer with its own software, which Gadgetell says was developed with the help of six teams from last year's Tour de France, "evaluating your heart's performance, bike speed, altitude and cadence." But be warned: Good health often comes at a price, and in this case it's $700.
(Credit:
Gizmag)
With so many products going under water these days, the only thing we can surmise is that people are really taking this whole global warming thing seriously. That would be at least one explanation for the proliferation of gadgets like this waterproof digital movie camera.
Gizmag says the Sanyo VPC-CA6 has a resolution of 6 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom, retailing for around $250. It does take stills as well, but if you're not satisfied with the quality you can try any number of waterproof point-and-shoot cameras. Either way, you can transfer your shots with your waterproof USB device onto your underwater monitor--and view all your work without ever coming up for air.
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