Originally Posted by
COUGAR
I got a T4C in the end. I've been using it since the beginning of September and I think I am beginning to see some improvements in my performance which is obviously pleasing but it is hard to be sure if this is down to the training with the monitor or a change in medication (I have a not particularly serious but annoying health condition which can play havoc with my running if I dont manage it carefully) - but hopefully its a bit of both. I ran a PB at Thats Lyth by 20 minutes or so last week so maybe it is working. As far as I can tell the coach function makes some good recommendations, and I like the way it adjusts the programme if you do something else instead, but you do need to wear/use it for it to do this because it obviously needs to 'know' what you have done. For example todays recommendation was a training effect of 1.5 in 60 minutes (a very easy session) - instead I did the Jarret Jaunt, total TE 4.4 in 50 minutes - and its now telling me to take a RD tomorrow instead of another easy session. It has just moved me up from activity level 7.5 to 8, which is encouraging - I also find it makes me push myself harder to reach the recommended targets (eg in the past - push hard up Blencathra, think 'well done' at the top. Nowadays push hard up Blencathra, look at HRM and depending on the session recommended think Oh Bugger, hard work not over yet - and its no good running down fast, it simply wont update to the higher targets unless you get your HR right up there, so you have to do some sustained hill reps or something if you want to meet the target). The 'time to target' function helps with this if you know roughly how long a particular run will take you, you can try and pace yourself to hit the target at the summit. On other days of course you find yourself doing something ridiculously easy and struggling to go slowly enough - so it introduces some rigour and tells you when it thinks you should push hard. I also got the PC Pod, handy to download and look at sessions, surprising how the miles rack up.
Bottom line - I'm certainly convinced enough to carry on training with it, its making me push harder to meet targets at points in runs when in the past I have probably taken it easy thinking I'd had a good session and would enjoy a jog back to the car, and its also prompting me to rest - but its flexible enough to do what you want (such as todays race) and adapt its programme to suit. The one annoying thing is the recommended session sometimes changes overnight - not a problem really but if you want to follow it it can be a pain if you were expecting a rest day and it suddenly thinks you need a beasting!