This is an example of what I was writing about in What Is Your Heart Doing While You Are Windsurfing.
The picture of the training session with heart rate and speed you can see on the right, but also you can visit the shared training on PolarPersonalTrainer, with interactive map.
The first 13 minutes is warming up (something that I don't want to skip anymore). This is nice, in blue and green (60-80% of HRmax).
However, you can see that heart rate goes up immediately after starting. In short 3 minutes I am in red zone (90-100% of HRmax). Next 13 minutes, I stay there, more or less, with some minor lowering in upper yellow zone (80-90% of HR max). Well, I would say, this is too much, especially in the beginning of the session.
My conclusion is that initial warming up was not enough. However, I doubt that any amount of on-the-land warming up would cure this beginning red zone alert. Probably, the second phase of warming up has to be done with the board and sail, on the water. Something like this: short 1-2 minutes run out and back again, rest for a 1 minute; 2-3 minutes run out and back, rest again, and so on for at least 15 minutes. I suppose that would prepare me much better for actual session. All in all, this would be 30 minutes warming up (15 on the shore and 15 on the water), before starting the real windsurfing. It is not too much. The thing is that I am, like most windsurfers, always in a hurry to get in clinch with the wind. However natural this may be, it is not a good policy when it comes to the heart.
After that initial "wrongness" the session gets better, especially in the second part when I was able to sail comfortably in the green zone, around 75% of my Hr max, which is perfect.
If you play a little with the interactive map (going with the cursor over the heart rate and speed curves and looking where it is on the map), you can see that the heart rate increases with speed, but the highest peaks are in turns.
All in all, this was a good session, averaging cca 132 bpm (which is ok, but I would like it to be lower). The equipment I used: RRD X-Fire 98 and Loft Blade 7,0. Bora (NE) wind, gusty, from 10 to 25 knots, flat to choppy conditions. Max speed was 35,3 kt, 5/10 average 31,9 and some good gybes @500 at 22,4 kt.
The main lesson of this session: prolong warming up to 30 minutes - 15 minutes on the shore and 15 minutes on the water.
This is a translation of my answer to comment (in Croatian) regarding comparison between Garmin and Polar multisport watches (on Soulwindsurf Facebook page). Hopefuly, my experience can be useful to others.
ReplyDelete"Unfortunately, Polar made GPS is not useful for more precize messuring of speed during windsurfing - too many spikes. It is ok as a orientation, but is still far from the precision of Garmin 205, and of course uncomparable to Locosys GT31. However, for this purpose it is not importnat, since it is quite enough for showing the relationship between HR and speed.
Note that Polar sport watch with integrated GPS (RC3) is not meant for water sports. Polar watches for safe usage in the water do not come with integrated GPS. You can buy GPS device separately (small device, 2x3 cm, cost around 100 euros).
On the other side, a big plus for Polar is HR transmiter which actualy works in the water! Garmin did not succeed to make one yet - their best product with integrated GPS (Forefunner 910XT) is supposed to be a triatlon computer (so, swimming included), but you will find out, written in small print, that HR transmiter will NOT work in the water!
So, Polar vs Garmin, we have pluses and minuses. Garmin gps is more precise and comes integrated in some watches which can be used during windsurfing, but you can forget about HR in wet conditions, especilly while swimming (that means the HR will go amok as soon windsurfer gets in the water for any reason, and as we know, this is the part of the story and can't be avoided). Polar solved this problem, but their GPS device is not so much relaible in measuring high speeds.
Note also that Polar multisport computer RCX5 (I am using that one and I have only best words to say about this miracle piece of useful technology! I am warmly recomending that one for any serious recreactional or profesional athlehte.) comes with hybrid HR transmiter (or H2), and this WORKS during swimming (so it will work during windsurfing, too, and thus is better than Garmin regarding HR). However, usual Polar HR transmiter - H1, will hardly work in the water. During any contact with watter longer than second or two, it will go mad, and will need few minutes to normalize again. Even H2 will have spikes in the water, showing every now and than impossible numbers as 0 or 230 bpm. So, it works but not perfectly. The solution comes from Polar in the form of special coded T31 transmiter. It is completly bound in plastic (you CAN'T change the batery, but it will work 2500 hours, which is quite enough for couple of years usage in watersports). You have to buy T31 separately (costs around 40 euros), but it works without a mistake in any conditions: swimming, waterstart, falling in, or whatever situation that you find yourself in the water."