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Thread: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

  1. #1

    Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    Has anyone tried any of the suunto heart rate monitors? I'm thinking of getting a new one but I'm not sure about the 'Training Effect' feature on them so any feedback from someone in the know would be appreciated.
    Basically, apart from the usual features the monitors claim to measure the 'training effect' of any particular session on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being little or no effect and 5 basically being 'overtraining'. What I cant get my head round is whether or not this is a genuine measurement of the value of a session or simply a counting of beats over time - for example a long low intensity session might eventually add up to a five simply because a moderately low to medium beat over four or five hours adds up to a lot of heartbeats and the monitor thinks this is a hard session - but its clearly not the same as 30 minutes of hill reps (and what if it reaches the level half way round - I suppose I should walk back!). Also what if I want to train for a specific time at a specific level? Can I use the Training effect function for this or I do I simply revert to trying to keep within a zone for however long I want to train for, in which case I might as well buy another make.
    I suppose what I'm asking is whether or not anyone has used the training effect function on one of these, and if so is it any good or is it just a gimmick? Sorry to be so long winded!

  2. #2
    Senior Member jimbob's Avatar
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    Re: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    I have a T6 for a few years but quickly got bored with all the functions. I now only really use it as stopwatch, sometimes as a HRM and sometimes paired to my bike skewer. Since getting Garmin, it's not used much at all.

  3. #3

    Re: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    You might want to have a chat to Sarah and Phil in your local bike shop- they've been training with them for a while now. I think they're quite knowledgable about the technical side of the training functions, and have used them extensively during Sarah's Ironman training.


    Rhiannon

  4. #4

    Re: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    Thanks Rhiannon, thats where I first saw one and I've had a good chat but what I still cant work out is whether or not the training effect business can really be valid for everyone from a sprinter to an endurance runner because as far as I can tell it doesn't differentiate between the two, except possibly in the total hours training chosen per week, and I would expect training programmes for each to be quite different. However Sarahs Ironman speaks for itself so the HRM must be capable of doing something right for endurance training, although I'm not sure how much she used the coach functions or simply trained to zones. I'll think about it while I'm away on holiday and decide when we get back.

    Mark

  5. #5
    Master Alexandra's Avatar
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    Re: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    Cougar, what did you decide? I am terribly tempted by the Suunto T6C because of the EPOC training effect function. I don't care at all about the alitmeter. I have scoured this forum, but reports are contradictory. Worryingly, someone says the Suunto T6C is useless off-road. I returned my Garmin because THAT was useless off-road, and had finally accepted I would have to use a foot pod. I can't find any reviews on the net. Help!

  6. #6

    Re: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    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!

  7. #7
    Master Alexandra's Avatar
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    Re: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    Quote Originally Posted by COUGAR View Post
    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!
    Fascinating! You have pretty much sold the Suunto to me. I take it that your oriiginal doubts have all been laid to rest? It sounds too as if you are satisfied with the T4C off road. Why did you choose the T4C rather than the T6C? Does it offer the same real time EPOC as the T6C? I only ever run every other day - could the Coach function cope with that? I am also wondering if the foot pod would still work if covered by a light gaiter - I am addicted to wearing these to keep the mud off my socks.

    Congratulations on the progress despite the ailment. I know all abut the frustrations of training with health "issues".

  8. #8
    Master Alexandra's Avatar
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    Re: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    I now know that only the 6 has EPOC and only the 4 has the Coach. I'd really like both. Plus the 6 has lots of features I DON'T want, which I suspect will greatly shorten battery life.

  9. #9
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    Re: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    Quote Originally Posted by COUGAR View Post
    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.
    I'm going to get a suundial instead I think...

  10. #10

    Re: Anyone tried a Suunto HRM?

    Why did you choose the T4C rather than the T6C? Does it offer the same real time EPOC as the T6C? I only ever run every other day - could the Coach function cope with that? I am also wondering if the foot pod would still work if covered by a light gaiter - I am addicted to wearing these to keep the mud off my socks.
    [/QUOTE]

    Price was a factor in choice - but the T4 seemed to offer everything I needed. I'm sure the coach would function with training every other day, I suspect it might eventually give you more harder sessions and fewer 'recovery' sessions to accommodate. Sorry, dont know about the footpod, I have a PC Pod that lets it download to my computer and produces lots of graphs etc with training summaries and the like - you can input some extra details such as resting HR, event, distance etc if you wish.

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