Polar S625XPolar S625X

First, I must admit that I was not too excited about wearing the Polar S625X. Polar shipped me the watch to wear as part of the Clif Bar Pace Team. Although the watch comes loaded with features, the watch looks oversized and somewhat outdated. I'll agree it's not as massive as a Garmin Forerunner, but it's still not as stylish or eye-catching as a Timex or Sunto.

The Basics

The watch comes with a HRM and a foot pod to track speed and distance. It supports 2 time zones and one alarm (alarm needs to be louder). Data from the watch can be uploaded to my laptop via infrared. Since my laptop does not have an infrared port, I had to purchase an USB/Infrared port (about $40 from Polar). Also included with the watch, Polar includes their Polar Performance software to log and analyze the workout data.

The HRM is fairly standard, supporting up to 5 heart rate zones, max and average during a session along with % of max. The software will breakdown a session by showing how much time is spent in each session. This can be used as a good measuring stick to make sure I'm working hard on tempo days but not too hard on easy and recovery days. I've learned a good tempo pace for me is around a 6:20 - 6:30 min/mile with my heart rate around 150-155 BPM. In my experience, the foot pod has one main advantage over my Timex BodyLink GPS: battery life. The Timex runs about 8-10 hours on one AAA whereas the Polar foot pod will go about 20 hours. While I'm able to use rechargeable batteries (2200 am/h) in the Timex the same batteries don't seem to work in the Polar foot pod. Not sure if the GPS requires less power but I think it is worth noting. Some of my rechargeable batteries don�t seem to generate enough juice to power the device. The foot pod does require calibration (run around the track a couple times). The GPS units don't require any calibration although you do need to triangulate (lock onto 3 satellites) prior to starting a run. The triangulation usually takes about 30 seconds. I've heard people complain about losing GPS signals on tree covered trails and in mountains. I do a lot of running on trails and in the mountains and it's never been a problem for me. I've worn both devices on rainy runs and never had problems, although I've heard complaints losing GPS signals under cloudy skies. My concern with the foot pod is trail running and crossing creeks/streams and covering the foot pod in mud and dirt. It seems like the unit's seal and locking mechanism keeps things dry on the inside so this may not be a worthwhile concern. One final observation has been the foot pod has gone through a couple pair of shoe laces. During the Salt Lake City Marathon, the foot pod rubbed through a brand new pair of shoe laces 14 miles into the race - nothing like trying to makeshift tie your shoes with only half a lace in the middle of a marathon. And since I was leading the 3:15 pace team, unplanned pit stops are usually best avoided.

Accuracy: GPS vs. Foot Pod

I've found little difference in accuracy between the GPS and foot pod. I consider the GPS to be the most accurate measuring device. Running with both units on, I receive similar results. But all things are not equal. The foot pod lasts twice as long on a single battery but it takes a little time to switch between shoes. Here's a summary of pros and cons:

Foot pod Advantages 

Foot pod Disadvantages 

More Data

The S625X provides a lot of data. The altimeter is one of the bonus features that I did not have on the BodyLink (Timex has included an altimeter on their newer trail model). Analyzing workouts and being able to chart an elevation profile can be impressive. You can also view total feet ascended/descended, maximum/minimum/average elevation and % of grade.

Subtle Differences

But beauty is not skin deep, and the real beauty of this watch is in the features. It took some time to master the basic functions of the watch. Most features are nested in menus and it takes a few times of navigating to understand the menu functions of the watch. The watch also doubles as a bike computer, providing lots of data (speed, cadence and power). If you are a triathlete, I highly recommend investing in the bicycle attachments and power add-on. So by the time you have bought all the extras, the total cost is going to be around $600.

Needs Improvement

Running or even riding at night, I find the backlight on the watch does not stay on long enough (about 2 seconds). The foot pod seems to go through shoe laces at a pretty fast clip. Infrared doesn't seem to be reliable when transferring large exercise files (I receive frequent transfer failed messages using the infrared). Would bluetooth be a better option? Bluetooth could definitely expand the abilities of the watch. When my phone rings, my watch could display the caller so I wouldn't need to remove it from my pouch. However, Bluetooth would likely also use more battery power.

My last comment is a way to automatically compare workouts and having a web site that athletes could post their workout data to share with other athletes. Having the watch provide feedback during a session as to how I'm comparing to the same workout/route that I did last week would also be and added feature. Then to be able to flag exercises as the same route to do comparison through the software would be invaluable.

Do I Recommend The Watch

Yes, if for no other reason than downloading the data and using the software. More and more devices are being introduced that include some of the features included in the watch. MP3 players now also have a HRM and some include a pedometer. But nothing that I�ve seen has all the features this watch employs, and being able to double the watch as my bike computer is an added bonus.

1
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws