Hi,
I've noticed that Navman has added a sports GPS device to their product range, which you can strap to your arm, that will provide you with readings for distance, speed etc.
Has anyone gone out an tried to use one of these whilst paddling? It would be interesting to know if this is viewed as a bit of a gimmick or something that can be useful for providing feedback on training (alongside other information you might gather)
Paul.
Use of GPS whilst training
-
DawnRaider
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:03 pm
- Location: Edinburgh
Paul,
A lot depends on what you want to achieve. For aerobic conditioning, the Ironman guys whose brains I've picked reckon that the important parameters are duration, intensity and frequency i.e. the distance travelled and speed attained are not as important as how long each training session lasts, how intense it is (for aerobic, keep the intensity low), and how often you train. A heart rate monitor is therefore an extremely useful bit of kit (keeps track of time and intensity), but a GPS unit is unlikely to add much value beyond this.
A friend of mine has a Garmin Forerunner (wrist watch) GPS. Yes, the data it provides adds a bit of fun to long distance training sessions, but I don't think it adds much in terms of the quality of the work-out. It's not something I felt I had to rush out and buy for myself.
Given also that slalom is largely anaerobic and skill-limited, I would expect that a GPS has even less to offer once you move out of the aerobic conditioning phase of your training.
Cheers,
Steve.
A lot depends on what you want to achieve. For aerobic conditioning, the Ironman guys whose brains I've picked reckon that the important parameters are duration, intensity and frequency i.e. the distance travelled and speed attained are not as important as how long each training session lasts, how intense it is (for aerobic, keep the intensity low), and how often you train. A heart rate monitor is therefore an extremely useful bit of kit (keeps track of time and intensity), but a GPS unit is unlikely to add much value beyond this.
A friend of mine has a Garmin Forerunner (wrist watch) GPS. Yes, the data it provides adds a bit of fun to long distance training sessions, but I don't think it adds much in terms of the quality of the work-out. It's not something I felt I had to rush out and buy for myself.
Given also that slalom is largely anaerobic and skill-limited, I would expect that a GPS has even less to offer once you move out of the aerobic conditioning phase of your training.
Cheers,
Steve.