Less Can Be More

Several months ago I purchased an iPhone application that would allow me to track my cycling performance and help me maintain my heart rate within specific ranges to improve my fitness goals. I should have paid closer attention before I downloaded the application because my phone belonged to a generation that did not support communication between electronic fitness wear and the phone. Fortunately, I had not purchased a wrist nor a chest band before realizing the incompatibility.

When I upgraded to a phone that will accept wireless syncing I decided to update the app and see if I liked it. I started to use the app without the optional biofeedback but found that I enjoyed the mile by mile updates on my average speed. The little bit of information drove me to want even more information to better understand how my body was responding to my cycling exercise.

To celebrate International Book Day, I had dropped my children off at a local bookstore that shares a storefront with Best Buy. While I had my children choosing books, I quickly went to Best Buy looking for a wrist band that could transmit the data with the belief that I could improve my health with just a little more information. Five minutes of sticker shock later I gave up and picked up the kids and bought their books. I had been hoping that the device cost would range between $40-$100 instead of the $150-$300 range.

While my good health may be priceless, that amount was more than I was willing to spend without doing some item-specific research. Before I had the chance to review the benefits of these phone/fitness inventions I encountered both radio and newspaper reports about the inaccurate results that these very devices produce. Apparently the numbers that are produced do not match more sophisticated and validated machines that reliably report our heart rate. So it seems that the promises of improved health may not be realized if invalid data results in improper training.

My disappointment didn't linger long. Seriously, did I really believe that the purchase of some device would lead to some incredible change in the way I ride? I seriously doubt it. First of all I ride because of the joy I get while sitting in the saddle and pedaling through the city. I seek the positive energy that comes through the pursuit of a perfect rhythm, a connection to the earth, wind and even the rain, a connection that I find while moving through the open air.

Normally, more information is something I eagerly seek. The more we know the better we can understand. I wonder, though, what information I would miss by focussing on my heart rate, calories burned, elevation change and miles per hour travelled. I'm thinking that I'll leave some of the electronics behind and I'll find better health by focussing on the blue skies, the gorgeous mountains, the sunrises and sunsets and the beauty that completely surrounds me.