The Best Triathlete Watches

Triathletes use specialized watches to monitor their performance in training and competition so that they have an accurate basis for evaluating results and planning future training. The best triathlete watches operate in water, on a bike and on the run. They provide triathletes with data on distance, pace, effort and cumulative time during a competition or training session. The watch should also have a facility for downloading data to a computer for recording and analysis.

  1. Environment

    • Triathletes, unlike other athletes, require a watch that will operate reliably in three separate environments. It must be waterproof to provide information during the swimming phase. Check the manufacturer's description for waterproofing capability. During the bike phase, a triathlete can continue to wear the watch on the wrist or insert it in a special bike mount so that it is clearly visible at all times. Look for watches that come with a bike mount facility. During the run, the triathlete would wear the watch on the wrist.

    Information

    • The information available from a sports watch enables a triathlete to take a scientific approach to training and competition. According to Fun Times Guide, successful triathletes use technology to monitor their bodies and their performance based on continuous, accurate measurement of distance, pace, heart rate, calorie count and time. The watch must therefore provide functionality for all of those measurements.

    Distance

    • A triathlete watch must be capable of measuring the total distance covered in training or competition. Distance-measuring watches use either GPS technology or information from a mechanical device, such as a footpod attached to the shoe or an odometer attached to a bike wheel. Measuring distance lets the triathlete know the elapsed distance at any stage, as well as total distance covered. Used in conjunction with timing functions, a distance-enabled watch also provides valuable information on current and average pace.

    Heart Rate Monitor

    • Many triathlete watches combine time and distance functionality with a heart rate monitor, or HRM. According to the Heart Rate Monitor Company, an HRM lets users know how hard they are working. Triathletes can use this to monitor the intensity of their training or racing effort to achieve their objectives. A triathlete aiming to complete an easy training session can use the HRM to ensure that heart rate does not go above the target rate for easy effort. It can also help a triathlete to maintain an even effort throughout a competition, rather than go too hard in the early stages.

    Data

    • The information available from a triathlete watch can be valuable for analyzing performance and monitoring progress. Look for a watch that has a facility for downloading data to a computer, either wirelessly or via a connector such as a USB lead. Many watch manufacturers also supply special software for analyzing triathlon data.