HR rate monitor lets me down

Lots of training going on - 2.500m swim on Sunday, 11km run Monday, 1.500m swim yesterday morning and then a 60 km cycle ride last night.

Last week I bought a new bike gadget - a Polar 220 which does practially everything apart from cycle for you. It has a wonderful heart rate monitor which I have not had time to play about with yet so if you are under your target HR it bleeps and if you are over it, then it bleeps very loudly and continually until you slow down.

OK. So I was cycling across the dunes here in Holland towards the end of my ride last night when a young guy effortlessly flies past me. Instead of letting him go I tried to catch him. Which I did after about 500m. Then I tried to stay with him, right behind his back wheel. I did this for about 1km until a small hill approached. Not to be beaten I cycled my hardest to keep up with him and from nowhere, my HR monitor started to bleep loudly, furiously and quite obviously. Here I was trying to pretend that keeping up with him was a breeze and my HR monitor was telling him in no uncertain terms, "this guy following you is knackered!!!" Very embarrasing when you are trying to look cool.

I dropped back, my HR returned to normal and when I got home I turned the bleeper off.