Seems like I remember my older model Polar Hr monitor had a 2 minute test built into it that looked at Hr variability and gave you a fitness score from it. Called owncalc or something like that. No experience with this deal though.
After incurring many symptoms of adrenal fatigue, a sport medicine doc put me on a regiment of measuring my HRV each morning. Both as a means to know when my body is experiencing a lot of physical, mental, and environmental stress, and as one tool to track my progress in dealing with the adrenal fatigue. Over the last 6 weeks my HRV number (higher is better than a lower number) has climbed from the high 60s during week 1 to now stabilizing between 75 -80 over the last two weeks. The difference in my sense of well-being is night and day. These last two weeks my energy level is sky high, mental alertness very sharp, and training (although at moderate intensities to address my adrenal fatigue) is FUN. When the HRV software indicates I may be incurring stress, I take an easy or complete day off. And although my training intensities started out in very conservative acerbic zones when I began addressing this 6 weeks ago, my quantitative training numbers also show I am gaining fitness and my intensities are progressively increasing (via watts and pace) while my HR stays in a very aerobic zone and my HRV trend line is upward sloping. I simply use an iPhone app named ithlete. The app is free but requires a purchase of the little device that plugs into the phone ( it is not that expensive). This app and device is much less expensive scenario than the website link identified in the first post.
This may sound like heresy within the Haus or just my individual arrogance/ignorance rearing its ugly head...but IMHO...there are only so many things you can measure, and many of these are ultimately/seemingly interelated. Instead of searching for the next thin-sliced measure of these variables we need to more holistically be able to listen/feel and understand what our own bodies and mind tell us...then have the willingness and courage to manage our efforts accordingly....if you are feeling run down but your HR monitor or last power test/race result tell you differently are you going to go pound yourself into the ground...conversely if you're feeling great are you gonna take a day off/hold back your effort 'cuz some instrument told you otherwise...
I train and race to get away from work & the analysis-paralysis I am surrounded by and subject to each day.....Dave Scott ran the fastest Ironman WC ever and didn't even wear a watch or heartrate monitor.....and I am rapidly learning that tools that I really really like such as my Garmin running gps...can also be limiter because they deem to tell me what pace(s) I can run within and so I run to those paces...overthinking and limiting....rather than freeing my mind and body to run through them.....this is what I have been thinking about alot lately (after reading IronWar...highly recommend)...another example...I am running repeats/tests on the TM in the winter...my current vdot Z5 pace is 6:05...the TM only goes to 10mph...are these two data points limiting my mind and being a barrier to my pushing my 5k TT faster...sub6 (I used to run sub6 in college)...I think these things and too many other measurements...while providing guidance also become boxes/limiters....and we need to disengage from them to break through...
Okay...stepping down off the box and taking my prozac now...LOL...please disregard the luddite in spandex tri shorts.
Feels a lot like TSS applied to biofeedback instead of a more subjective measurement of activities performed at a certain intensity and duration (as determined by a study of the group averages). I like the idea. It seems logical that your body would be the best judge of whether you are adapting to the last training load or being broken by it. Curious as to the science behind it (not much on the website)...a topic for further study. Thanks for sharing!
Comments
This may sound like heresy within the Haus or just my individual arrogance/ignorance rearing its ugly head...but IMHO...there are only so many things you can measure, and many of these are ultimately/seemingly interelated. Instead of searching for the next thin-sliced measure of these variables we need to more holistically be able to listen/feel and understand what our own bodies and mind tell us...then have the willingness and courage to manage our efforts accordingly....if you are feeling run down but your HR monitor or last power test/race result tell you differently are you going to go pound yourself into the ground...conversely if you're feeling great are you gonna take a day off/hold back your effort 'cuz some instrument told you otherwise...
I train and race to get away from work & the analysis-paralysis I am surrounded by and subject to each day.....Dave Scott ran the fastest Ironman WC ever and didn't even wear a watch or heartrate monitor.....and I am rapidly learning that tools that I really really like such as my Garmin running gps...can also be limiter because they deem to tell me what pace(s) I can run within and so I run to those paces...overthinking and limiting....rather than freeing my mind and body to run through them.....this is what I have been thinking about alot lately (after reading IronWar...highly recommend)...another example...I am running repeats/tests on the TM in the winter...my current vdot Z5 pace is 6:05...the TM only goes to 10mph...are these two data points limiting my mind and being a barrier to my pushing my 5k TT faster...sub6 (I used to run sub6 in college)...I think these things and too many other measurements...while providing guidance also become boxes/limiters....and we need to disengage from them to break through...
Okay...stepping down off the box and taking my prozac now...LOL...please disregard the luddite in spandex tri shorts.