For three decades I've been wearing a heartrate monitor. Without fail. Back in the 90s you weren't serious unless you wore one...wore spandex...rode clippless pedals...and had barends.
Barends are long gone, I'm not giving up my Time clipless pedals, spandex has its place, but what about the HRM? What am I actually doing with it?
I'll look at the numbers and zones after a ride and say, "yep, looks about right". I was working hard, taking it easy, or maybe a little worn out.
These are things I realize. Without a strap around my chest.
A few weeks ago visiting my kids in West Hartford, I went for a ride. Having surrendered my bedroom to my daughter, I had to get changed in the bathroom. Doing so, my HRM didn't make it back into my bike bag.
Discovering this the next day getting dressed for my commute to work, I began coming up with a contingency plan. I could just put a battery in an old HRM strap and be good to go until I got back to Hartford.
But why?
What am I actually doing with the numbers?
After the few races I actually do these days I'll look at the numbers and say "Looks like my body still knows what to do". Or on a climb look down and see a high number and confirm, yes this is hard. Or cruising home from work and realizing I might be tired.
But I knew these things already.
And yet after 3 weeks of riding free of this metric, I kinda miss it.
Can I sustain myself without the data or submit to a digital addiction?
