Polar RS400SD Review - There's More!

I've had an absolute nightmare with my new Polar RS400SD heart monitor, seemingly being unable to connect to my PC via infrared. Well for all those silly people out there like me, the big red button on the watch is NOT the infrared port where you aim the USB stick!! I've been trying and trying since getting my new watch and only realised yesterday. Now everything works pretty well and I don't really have any complaints. Here's how you should connect your watch to the USB port.


What is the big red infrared looking button all about?!? Anyway, I'm all sorted now and happily uploading my runs and hopefully scoring vitality points towards my PruHealth cover...Hooray!!

POLAR RS400SD Review

It finally arrived, after about four weeks of waiting Polar sent me my replacement watch!! It appears to work, at least the faulty button is no longer faulty. In the box you should find the following:

Watch
Software (CD)
Infrared USB Stick
Foot Pod
Heart Monitor - the band that goes around your chest.

The first thing that hit me, was the size of the foot pod. It's quite light but I wasnt expecting anything so big. However, once on it was fine and you dont even notice it.

The watch is easy to use, although the buttons can be a little fiddly. It's fine though and has a decent screen so you can see your pace and heart rate.

Off I went for my first little run, about 4km and here are my results.

My Quick 4km Circuit

I have a 4km circuit that I run regularly, just to give me a good indication of how I'm doing. I ran yesterday in my new running shoes....Debbie's most hacked off that I've bought another pair. It took me 20:22 seconds this time which was OK but it was very hot and I wasn't paying much attention to the time. I'm feeling it a bit in my shins, needed to ice them afterwards which is real pain. The joys of shin splints eh....perhaps icing them after every run is what I need to be doing, and the ibuprofen and the stretching....what next?!?

POLAR RS400SD Hear Monitor Review

Well, it would be nice to have the opportunity to properly review this product, but it was broken when I got it and had to be returned to Polar UK. Three weeks later, I'm still waiting for my watch and not heard a peep from anybody at Polar in that time. Additionally, each time I ring up I get given the run around and end up holding on the telephone for what feels like hours. The whole Polar customer support thing isn't looking very good. Whilst I did get a great discount via Pru Health, unless the watch works it is a complete waste of time. I'm not happy as you might guess and have just been told yet again that somebody would call me back!!

Dorney Dash 2009 - Results

It was a wet and windy Dorney Dash, very different from last year!! I headed down there for around 9am and waited around in the wind and rain, managing a little warm up just before the start. There were around 500 people I think which is half the turn out from last year, perhaps the weather had something to do with it...

At 10am the race began and off we went along the right hand side of the lake as you look away from the Boat House. It lashed down on a few occasions and on the first run back to the Boat House, the wind was strong and horrible but I was doing reasonably well according to my watch. At 4km, I was just over the 20 minute mark but I was pretty tired and by the time the half way point came I had dropped off the pace a little. The half way point left me with one more trip up the side of the lake and then the return leg which seemed like an eternity!!

I ended up finishing in 54:03 which was 1:30 quicker than last years race so I was actually quite happy. Still nowhere near 50 minutes but improving all the same!!!

Here's the official results: http://www.sportsystems.net/Dorney/files/ResultsDoDash09All.pdf

Pictures to follow, if I can find any!!

2009 Dorney Dash 10k - Preview

It's only a couple more days until the 2009 Dorney Dash 10k, a race held at Dorney Lake, the rowing venue for the London 2012 Olympics and home to Eton School's rowing club. It's a fantastic venue, very flat and pretty and ideal for a personal best. Not that I will be looking at a personal best, being a little out of shape this year. I did manage a gentle 4k last night which took me just over 21 minutes and after the Staines 10k, I should be reasonably OK. My worry is the heat, after last years scorcher I was absolutely shot to pieces. Fingers crossed, things will be OK.