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| The
Polar S720i - The Good Life |
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Stylish
& Powerful-
The Polar S720i.
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Just when you thought life couldn't get any
better! Polar has released the S720i - their
new top of the line heart rate monitor. The
Polar S720i is an upgraded version of the popular
Polar model the S710.
Like the S710, it records your heart rate,
along with training conditions like altitude
and temperature. Best of all it has great cycling
features like speed, cadence and an optional
power unit. The Polar S720 heart monitor has:
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- Sleek steel case —modern
styling
- Infra Red download and upload of workout
data and definitions
- Easy-to-read (brighter)
display
- 3 Target Zones and Timers
- Average and Recovery Heart Rate
- Interval Workout Capability
- Lap Splits with average heart rate
- Cycling features such as speed (comes standard
with S720), cadence (optional) and power output
(optional)
- Heart Rate data (get samples every 5, 15,
or 60 sec, depending on your preference)
- Altitude recorded with each heart rate sample
- Temperature recorded for each split
- The ability to store several workouts in
the watch and download them all at once. (Great
for weekends and vacations!)
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Exciting new Capability!
For athletes who already have an
InfraRed port on their computer, the Polar S720i allows
you to download data directly into your IrDA —there's
no need to purchase an additional interface. This
is especially nice for laptop users who may already
have an IrDA port built in.
If your computer does not have
an InfraRed interface already, just add the Polar
IR interface ($34.95), and the S720i monitor is compatible
with any computer running Windows 98, NT, 2000, or
XP.
The Polar S720i is PC Coach compatible!
To add even more power to your S720,
add the newest version of PC Coach. PC Coach allows
you to take advantage of all the features of the S720i
- even direct downloading to IrDA.
PC Coach helps you get the most from
your monitor by:
- Providing you with a heart-rate
based training program designed to help you meet
your goals (plans available for Triathlon, Cycling,
or Running)
- Helping you set up your monitor before exercise.
With PC Coach, you can upload your next 5 exercise
definitions — set up your monitor with the
specific heart rate zones and timers recommended
for the workout.
- Download workout data from the S720, and automatically
fill in your PC Coach logbook. Use downloaded data
such as heart rates or distances in long-term analysis
of your training.
- Only PC Coach has the Quick-Setup feature —
which allows you to download your completed workouts
from the S720, upload your next 5 workouts, check
your watch memory, and upload your user data —
all in one step.
You can buy the S720i heart rate
monitor separately, or in a Special Offer bundle,
which includes the S720i, the IR interface, PC Coach
Elite logbook, and your choice of training plans.
Click
here for more details on the S720i.
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| The
S720i in Action |
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I opened my Polar S720i, and easily attached
the speed sensor (comes standard with the S720), and the
optional cadence sensor onto my bike. Both installed in
a minute or two, and there are no wires! When you perform
a workout, you can turn the cycling features on or off (since
it doesn't make much sense to record cadence during your
run). This can be done manually (using the buttons on the
watch) or by uploading your monitor settings from the computer.
I set up my bike data using PC Coach
(you can set up two different bike definitions, each with
it's own wheel circumference, so it gives you accurate speed
and distance data, whether you are riding your road bike
or mountain bike). Using the PC Coach Quick Setup feature,
I uplinked the bike settings to my watch via the IR interface.
I turned on the altitude feature as well. Strapping the
watch to my bike mount, I was off and ready to go.
After a mere 50:00 of mostly uphill riding
(this is my commute home from work), I was done with my
ride and ready to download.
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| Heart Rate and
Altitude Detail |
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| Downloading
and Analysis |
Downloading
my workout data took just seconds. Unlike my S410, which
only gives me heart rate data, I get a clearer picture
of the factors affecting my ride.
You see 4 different data sources on
this graph. The black line near the top is my heart rate.
The axis for heart rate is on the left side of the graph.
Also, the color strips you see in the background relate
to my heart zones, as I've set them up in PC Coach. It's
easy to see just looking casually at this graph that this
was NOT a casual workout. Although I wasn't in my red
zone (zone 5), I did spend a lot of time in Zones 3 and
4.
But why?
The other graphs (speed, cadence, and
especially altitude) tell the real story. The purple line
that starts low and goes high is my altitude data. As
you can see, I start my ride home at 5060 ft, but midway
home I start to climb. You can see how my speed decreases
as I begin my ascent. The red line is the Speed data,
and the blue is my cadence. My speed improves greatly
as I reach the top of the first hill (at about 33:00 into
the workout), and I have a brief period of downhill ride.
But not for long.. again, my speed dips as I start up
the second hill, and only improves when I get closer to
home, and the ride flattens out a bit more.
What have I learned?
By looking at all aspects of this ride,
I've gained a lot of insight into my fitness and climbing
abilities. If I had only been looking at a heart rate
graph for this workout, I would have wondered why, 17:00
into the workout I was consistently in Zone 4 instead
of Zone 3. The altitude graph supplied the answer. If
I had been doing another type of workout - high speed
intervals for example, the speed graph would have been
the missing link. Finally, when doing workouts such as
the High Spin - where cadence is the top priority - I
would have seen my heart rate climb with each spin interval.
The point to be made here is simple
but profound — if you are using heart rate data to
measure your performance, you may be misled if you don't
have all the facts. Of course you know there is a hill
on the way home, but how high? Is it the same amount of
climb as the hill of your favorite triathlon? With the
Polar S720i, it's easy see all aspects of your training.
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