Polar RS200sd Heart Rate Monitor with Speed & Distance Review

As an enthusiastic but novice runner I decided that it was time to invest in a Heart Rate Monitor that would help me with my training and track my progress. After much consideration I decided to buy the Polar RS200sd, as not only did this give me the heart rate monitor, stop watch and lap timer it also included the Polar S1 foot pod so I could monitor my distance.

I'm 100% satisfied with the Polar RS200sd Heart Rate Monitor and it has helped in many ways, by enabling to keep an accurate track of the training I've completed, how hard I was pushing myself whilst running and also by using the Polar training plans via the website I've had a plan which I can stick to. I would thoroughly recommend also the WearLink chest strap as this is very comfortable and you hardly know you're wearing it. My fitness levels and running speed have increased brilliantly since buying the heart rate monitor and I would recommend buying one to any regular runner from novice upwards. It's fantastic.

The functions/accessories I use most frequently are:

Sports Zones - which monitors how hard you are working (via heart rate) and for how long...this helps me to keep track of how hard I'm working whilst I'm running and when I should slow down or push myself harder. As these are recorded and saved in a file on the Heart Rate Monitor, I can compare results and track my progress.

Lap timers - this breaks down your time/distance over a set lap e.g. 1k/1 mile - this is ideal for helping set your pace in timed races. I've used this to focus on reducing my lap times and hence overall time.

Fitness tests - the Heart Rate Monitor can complete a fitness test which measures your level of fitness - I measure this every few months to see my fitness results improve. It also predicts your individual maximum heart rate, saving the need for any complicated calculations.

Foot Pod - attached to your running shoes to enable you to monitor your distance as well as time through the RS200. The foot pod is fantastic as it enables you to monitor how far you have run, so saves time in having to plan and measure routes when training - you can just go.....

Chrissie (London)