Thoroughly Thriving

Beat Your Impossible

23 Comments

2014-9-29-Disclosure Statement

Today is about beating the “impossible” and cool new technology that lets you do heart training without a chest strap! What?!

Well, before I get into all that I want to share a story about how I beat my impossible.

THE IMPOSSIBLE MILE:
My impossible was my first mile. I’m not talking about a first sub 6 minute mile, or 7 or 8 or even 9! I’m talking about just being able to run continuously for 1 single mile without walking. Seems simple, but oh…how I agonized over it.

I started running in my early 20’s with Team In Training. They put me on a 2-1 run/walk interval and then moved me up to a 3-1. For THREE YEARS, I had finished marathons this way. So why couldn’t I just run one measly mile without the walk break?!

THE ROADBLOCK:
I struggled with the mental aspect of running a LOT! Discomfort and fatigue were huge roadblocks for me. Even for just 1 mile. At the time, my route was a neighborhood street that dead ended half a mile away from home. That was my turnaround point, but I couldn’t even get that far without succumbing to the rhythm of the walk. And I’d kick myself for it. And I’d tell myself, “So you’re a run/walker. No big deal.” But it was a big deal. I wanted to improve.

ONE GLORIOUS MILE:
After some research and uncomfortable (for me) conversations with great runners, I knew what I needed to do. Go out nice and slow and get mentally tough; make myself run right through my roadblocks. One overcast day I decided to try. I failed. The next day I tried again. Nope.

I kept trying. Until I was only stopping to walk twice. Until the walks became so short that I realized I wouldn’t really miss them. Until it was one walk break. Until it was a full mile of an easy, slow run, with no walk break! One glorious mile.

MY POSSIBLE:
Every running victory I’ve had, from a mile to a marathon and beyond, gives me permission to have crazy dreams and set big, hairy, audacious goals. I still remember how AWESOME it felt to run a full mile. To realize I could and did. To know all those days of “beating my head against a wall” had paid off in the end. It was a crazy slow mile, but I’m still proud of it.

WHAT IS YOUR IMPOSSIBLE?

What is your “impossible?” How far would you go to beat it?

I said today’s post was also about some cool new technology. I have new “impossible” goals to beat now and I know that innovative training and gear can be a game changer for me.

So when I got an email about this new product that makes heart rate training possible without a chest strap, I was really intrigued and wanted to share it with you.

SPORT PULSE – Strap Free Heart Rate Training

Jabra has come out with the Sport Pulse. Check this out.

These are wireless headphones equipped with an IN-EAR heart rate monitor.

No chest strap required!

I like this idea because I have issues with the chest straps disconnecting mid-workout. I’ve used PEAR Sports and Armour39. They’re both great products but both want to be right where the bottom of my sports bra wants to be. There’s only such much real estate there and the sports bra normally wins.

Jabra Official Launch Post Sport Pulse: What’s Exciting

  1. WIRELESS & STRAP FREE. I love my Bluebuds X wireless headphones from Jaybird Sport. No dangling cords on my shoulders/back/arms is FREEDOM! The Sport Pulse is a similar product with the added feature of the in-ear heart rate monitor. With one product I can ditch the chest strap AND the cords.
    [Read my Bluebuds X Review here.]
  2. $199 RETAIL PRICE. My Bluebuds X wireless headphones retail for $169. The Armour39 chest strap is $99. I could get the best of both worlds for less with Sport Pulse.
  3. THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT. It looks like the Jabra Sport Life app is also going to function like the PEAR Sports app. As an all-in-one training solution, it will capture your heart rate data, lead you through workouts with voice feedback, let you DJ your music, and be your running GPS device. On both Android and iOS.

Now, this just came out so I don’t yet know how well the headphones fit, how intuitive the software is, and whether or not the Sport Pulse is all that it promises to be. But I’m loving the move toward great sports technology with minimal equipment.

No matter what your physical fitness goals are, we all appreciate elegant and simple gear that helps us beat our “impossible.” I think that’s what Jabra is trying to accomplish with this product and I’m excited to see how it’s received now that it is shipping to customers. Click here to see their website.

“BEAT YOUR BEST” PLAYLIST

No matter how cool these new headphones are, they’re useless without a good playlist, right? Jabra is all about beating your best. So here is a playlist of songs that get me in the mood to do just that.

Overcomer (Capital Kings Remix) on iTunes
Artist: Mandisa
Emotion: Happy. “I can DO this”. Sunshine-y.

Typical on iTunes[Love the music video.] Artist: Mute Math
Emotion: Running away from normal, toward greatness.

Pushover on iTunes
Artist: Manafest
Emotion: Not messing around. Don’t tell me what I can’t do.

A Light That Never Comes on iTunes
Artist: Linkin Park
Emotion: Sticking to a seemingly endless pursuit.

House of Wolves on iTunes*
Artist: My Chemical Romance
Emotion: In-your-face, I don’t care if you approve.
*Explicit

Icky Thump on iTunes
Artist: The White Stripes
Emotion: Deliriously marching onward.

The Good Left Undone on iTunes
Artist: Rise Against
Emotion: So obsessed you lose sleep.

 YOUR TURN:

  • Tell us about a time when you beat your impossible!
  • What is your go-to song to get you pumped for a workout?
  • Have you tried in-ear heart rate monitors yet?

Comments

ADD COMMENT

  5. I love my Polar for heart rate products. 😉
    Jabra makes good products… but I have small ears and often find they don’t fit as well as my JayBird 🙂
    LOVE your beat impossible story… and love the music playlist! (Love Mandisa) 🙂

    Reply

  7. I didn’t know these in-ear monitors were out there. That is so cool. My impossible was running a half marathon – and now I’ve done 7 (still working on the running without walk breaks though 🙂 )

    Reply

  14. I am deciding between the Jabra Pulse and the Pear Sports. I have no issues with straps or traditional headphones. Which would you recommend? Is one more accurate then the other as far as the HR goes? Thanks for any input.

    Reply

    • I haven’t had a Jabra Pulse in my hands yet but if you have no issues with straps or whatever, that takes away one of the best reasons to pick Jabra over anything else, IMHO. So then it doesn’t come down to ease of use and accuracy. My experience with PEAR was that it was comprehensive and quite easy to use as they have a built-in tutorial that takes you through all it’s functions and features. I was tempted to skip it and go right in to using the app but that would’ve been a mistake.

      Reply

      • Thank you for such a timely response! I’m trying the Jabra Pulse now. They also have workouts and “digital” trainers. The sound quality is good, but not very loud. I like to crank it up, which I’m sure I’ll pay for it when I get older. I bought the buds from Best Buy and I can basically try them out and return them by January 15th to get a refund. I think I will pick up the Pear Sports as well so I can compare the two.

        Would the strap HR monitor be more accurate then taking it from the ear?

        While running the Jabra recorded my highest HR at 216 bpm.

        Reply

        • The in ear tech sounds pretty fancy but it’s definitely a newer technology. My instinct would say that the straps are a tried and true method, but I’ve had issues with straps if they aren’t sitting ‘just right’. Did the Jabra have a calibration? Pear Sports does, which you can do as frequently as you like.

          Reply

          • They have 3 tests. One is for your resting HR where you lay down for 2 minutes while it reads you HR. Another that tests your VO2 max level, you walk for 1 mile. The final test determines your stress level and/or what stage of recovery you are in, you lay down for 15 minutes then stand for 15 seconds. These tests should be done first thing in the AM before eating/drinking.

            Not sure if these tests are for calibration

  15. Update***

    There was a firmware update I just installed and I did the 3 tests I stated above. I did the same run and ran 2 minutes faster. This run had my max heart rate at 175 bpm, which was more accurate then the 216. Also, my calories burned were more accurate due to the correct HR.

    So, the firmware update fixed the issues I was having! Now on to compare the Pear Sports…

    Reply

Talk To Me

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Work With Me

Coaching Services
Press
Testimonials
Sponsored Posts & Reviews
Social Media
Disclosure & Policies

Recent Posts

Posts by Category

Posts by Month