Running with knowledge - Beets BLU Wireless Heart Rate Monitor Review

Now my son is slowly starting to recover from his running injuries, he is managing to run up to 30 minutes without major issues.  All thanks to the work of his physiotherapist for guiding him and planning his daily exercise routine and running sessions over the last few months.  We are hopeful that this will continue to get him back to full strength and competing, which he has badly misses.

His new training device, a heart rate monitor, is also another tool he can use to when training to track his fitness, endurance and performance.  He tried the Beets BLU heart rate monitor which is wireless, so need need for any adapters, it has a long life battery that lasts up to a year, is really lightweight and  not bulky to wear at all.

The heart rate monitor came with an elasticated strap which is quite soft to the touch and is adjustable.  The actual monitor snaps into the strap with strong press studs.  Set up was really easy as he already has a Nike running app on his iPhone, so as soon as the strap (with the electrodes) and monitor touched his skin it started automatically.  Then it was just a case of  pairing the devices up and that was it! (The device can be used on a number of recommended apps too)

So now it was set up and we knew what we were doing it was time for him to try it out whilst running, both to see how it felt for him and how well it worked. 

Simple to wrap around your chest and then click/snap it in to it's final position.  Obviously you don't want it too tight, it has to be comfortable enough to be able to run.

Off he went on his first run with the heart rate monitor and I'm pleased to say he managed to run another 30 minutes without any major issues from his calf and foot.

When he returned and had cooled off, he couldn't wait to see how he had been measured throughout the run.

The image above shows the overall monitoring throughout the run, the image below shows that you can scroll throughout the run to find more information at a given point.  (Different running apps will show different information or displays). 

It's so great to get this information from such a small device.  As his fitness increases his heart rate should gradually reduce and his pace compared to heart rate should gradually improve. It will also help him to track his endurance too by seeing how long his heart rate holds before it increases as he tires as well as prevent overtraining.

There will no doubt be other features within his running app that the heart rate monitor will be useful for, which we will have the fun to find out.  Plus this will also be a great addition when working on the treadmill and when we go cycling, especially while I'm on my detox and trying to lose weight.

 

Check first to make sure your phone/tablet is compatible.

Compatible devices: Apple iPhone 4S (and later) - Apple iPad 3 (and later)

Any smartphone with Android 4.3 (and later) with Bluetooth 4.0

UK £25.95 available at Amazon

US $29.95 available at Amazon

From the Beets BLU website....

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Sharon x

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Sharon Martin Blogger & Promoter at Beck Valley Books beckvalleybooks@gmail.com | http://beckvalleybooks.blogspot.com

Track and Field Season has begun with sad farewell to Clairville Stadium

So the track and field season has finally begun, marking the end of another cross country season and happy news for our washing machine!  Both our boys take part in both, although track and field is their favourite type of running. This season it's all about times and seeing if they can beat their personal best times.

We had a great day out at Clairville Stadium, Middlesbrough on Sunday as they took part in the last ever Cyril Elliott Open Track and Field Meeting.  Sadly after 50 years, Clairville Stadium has been marked for closure by the council due to budget cuts and is to be replaced by planned new facilities nearby.

The weather certainly wasn't kind to us on the afternoon, which is when both boys races were scheduled for. Although I'm thrilled to say both boys gained a PB time and our eldest won his under 17's 1500m race with a time of 4 minutes 31 seconds, our youngest ran his under 15's 200m race and gained his PB time of 28.49 secs.

Oldest son taking his second lap in the 1500m

Youngest son in the 200m nearing the finish line

This is the fourth outing for the boys on the track this season the 1st was at Shildon for the Anne Read Memorial meeting in April, where our eldest son won a bronze medal in the 800m.  The other two meetings were part of the North Yorkshire South Durham league with 4 meetings to go.  Our youngest son has recently competed for his school at Clairville Stadium and ran a 300m PB of 45.1 secs.

Hopes are high to continue with their improved times and our eldest son is hoping to achieve National Standard times in order to compete in the English Schools National championships and in order to do this he has entered the North Eastern Track competition.

Wearing suitable sportswear is key to results and can also be expensive, from training wear to running kits and that's not before you start to consider running shoes for both Cross Country and Track and Field. The boy's have been testing out the latest editions to their kit - Nike Filament Running Tights, Nike Miller Dri-Fit UV Long Sleeve Running Top, Nike Filament Running Shorts and Nike Dri-Fit No Show Running Socks, all of which are reduced between 10-20% off at SportsShoes.com.

Nike Filament Running Tights with the Nike Miller Dri-Fit UV Long Sleeve Running Top

First response from both boys were that they were 'cool' which I think translates into extremely stylish.  Not only are they comfortable to wear they felt that it made them feel and look more professional too. Due to the fit of the shorts and tights both boys commented on how it made them feel warmer yet the material did not make either of them sweat or itch while running which can be a problem with some clothing.  As you can see from the picture above the reflective parts of the clothing works really well even against a camera flash.  The running top also got the thumbs up with it being lightweight, loose and comfortable. The socks were much better than the normal running socks they wear, much more cushioning and very comfortable to wear although they did feel that they slipped down while they were running so maybe next time we will try the quarter length.

Nike Filament Running Shorts

Nike Filament Running Shorts

Nike Miller Dri-Fit UV Long
Sleeve Running Top

All the new kit can be found over at SportsShoes.com they sell all the leading brands and you can easily manage to find what you need there.  At the moment there are some fantastic 50% off finds!!

Both sons also enjoy representing their running club, Billingham Marsh House Harriers, the competition from the other club members really help them progress.  Of course there is also the social side of being part of a club with different events being held and how they all support each other in their relative races.

Training in the new kit

History of The Cyril Elliott Open Track & Field Meeting
Cyril was a popular figure amongst the younger members of the club who he coached and benefited from his expertise, he was the only member of the club then called Mandale Harriers to be awarded life membership, and passed away in 1986 at the age of 63.






The new training kit was sponsored by SportsShoes.com in exchange for our thoughts and honest review

Sharon x

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