As most of you know, I like to run. I also like technology. Throw in the fact that I’m a bit of a tightwad and the GPS/heart rate monitor/running watch I found online for about a third of what they usually cost was a trifecta for me.
This watch does everything. The built-in GPS gives me accurate distances and elevations during my run, it calculates my speed, my pace, how many calories I burn, and allows me to monitor my heart rate. All I had to do was enter my age and weight into the watch, strap the monitor around my chest, and I was ready to pretend like I was the Six Million Dollar Man.
The watch has a ton of different screens that show various information (I think one of them even tells you what time it is – oh yeah, it’s a watch). I settled on a screen that showed my time, distance, and my heart rate. When you set the watch up, you enter your age and weight. The watch uses your age to calculate your maximum heart rate then tells you whatever your heart rate is at that moment as a percentage of your maximum heart rate.
The watch decided that my maximum rate was 183 beats per minute. Before I set out on my run, I checked my heart rate – 65 beats per minute and 36% of my maximum heart rate. Not far into my run, my heart rate jumped to 83% of my maximum heart rate. A couple of minutes later, it seemed to stabilize at 90 – 92% of my maximum heart rate. Then came a long uphill section… 93%… 94%… oh crap… 95%.
What was about to happen to me? It looked like I was quickly approaching 100% of my maximum heart rate at which point I would presumably tear a hole in the space/time continuum or spontaneously combust. My escalating heart rate caused anxiety, which of course had the effect of raising my heart rate even more. I glanced back at the watch… 96%… stupid watch. I’ve done this exact run probably 400 times in the past four years with no problems and now this little piece of technology had me fearing for my life.
I don’t know if I ever topped 100%. I was afraid to look back at the watch until I got into the downhill section – by which time I was back in the low 90s. I guess this little watch will take some getting used to. It was supposed to be a training aid, but it ended up being a quantifiable limitation. It gave me a real number that told me I was close to giving 100% of all I had. I don’t like that. I’d rather believe there’s still more to give whether it’s actually there or not. I guess that makes it a challenge. I will reach 101%. I’ve got to prove to that little piece technology that it can measure how fast my heart beats, but it can never measure how stubborn I am.