How fast? How far? Let the gadgets do the work as you run

Submitted by nestorb on Tue, 2007-03-13 19:03.

March 3, 2007 -- Trisler, 28, is a former Carmel High School standout who ran collegiately at Indiana University. In 2006, the Runners Forum employee finished eighth in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.
This is his fourth column for The Carmel Star. Every two weeks leading up to the May 5 Mini, Trisler will be sharing his experiences and offering training tips.
There are two ways to measure instantaneous speed and distance while running. One is by use of a foot-pod system and the other though a global positioning system (GPS).
Polar is the most trusted name in heart-rate monitors. Polar has now released a line of running computers that use a foot-pod speed and distance sensor along with their heart-rate function. Foot pods use inertia devices known as accelerometers to calculate speed and distance.
Accelerometers can do 1,000 calculations per second. They measure momentum changes over time.
Polar claims that these sensors are 97 percent accurate straight out of the box, and after a small amount of calibration can be 99 percent accurate.
People do not feel that accelerometers can be as accurate as GPS, but keep in mind that accelerometers are also used in car air bags, and NASA uses them to measure movement in space. More importantly, most treadmills are not even 97 percent accurate, yet we never complain about their accuracy.
Garmin is the king of GPS. It has now released better sport-specific GPS units for runners, the Garmin 205 and 305. First-generation Garmins sometimes had a problem with satellite communications around forests and large skyscrapers, but that does not seem to be a problem with the new models.
The two main products from each company are the Polar RS200sd and the Garmin 205. Both are priced relatively close to one another, with the Polar at $220 and the Garmin at $250. The big difference between the two is that the Garmin 205 does not have heart rate capability, whereas the Polar RS200sd has heart rate and speed and distance.
Garmin does have a heart rate/speed and distance system, the 305, but its price jumps $100, to $350. The Polar RS200sd is the least expensive (don't say cheap) speed and distance/heart rate system on the market.
So, if you care at all about heart rate, the Polar is the way to go. But if you are a computer-savvy person, then the Garmin is probably for you. The Garmin comes computer ready, and software ready for anything your calculating mind can think of.
With the Garmin, you can download recorded courses and sync them up with Google Earth images. You can graph your speed changes, over your elevation changes, over time, and then store them in a folder so that you can compete against previous runs of the same courses. This little toy can do almost anything you can think of.
Polar does have two models that can compete with the Garmin's computer advancements, but they range from $350 to $500.
Both systems can be set to warn you if speeds are too fast or too slow. It can automatically take measurements for you every mile, half-mile or whatever distance you set it for. In the end, it all comes down to whether you are a computer/running nerd or a practical person/running nerd. I know we are all a little bit of both, but you have to choose one.