Help with my Heart rate

[Deleted User]

Living in Germany and running by myself has meant that my training has become less motivated and very hard,running just 4 miles is a chore when i know that i can ru much further.To help motivation and training i have purchased a monitor on my husbands advice,thing is i have no idea how i work out my max rate ect.Husband has ran with one for 2 years but is unable to help with my queries.Is there anyone that can tell me how i work out what i should be running at to make my training more effective.I am 33 years old,5f 3in and weigh between 91/2 and 10 stone(don't own scales so not accrate weight available).I cycle as well as run so would the settings be any different.I would be truly grateful for any input.Debs.

[Deleted User]

hello, am in not so sunny UK, there is a great book which everyone sings about called the Idiots Guide to Meart Rate Monitors, it goes through all you need to know and if I can understand it so can you
good luck

[Deleted User]

You sure that book isnt

Heart Rate Monitor Training For The Complete Idiot by John L Parker

Great book, loads of rave reviews on here too.

[Deleted User]

Your max HR is worked out on a hard workout. Parker suggests a warm-up and then about 6 hard 200m hill climbs. At some point during that session you will hit your max.

You need to also check your resting HR a few times in the morning.

Sums are simple. Your working heart rate (WHR) is your max minus resting. So to train at 70% you take 70% of your WHR and add your resting. eg say these are your rates:

max = 180
resting = 50
WHR = 180-50 = 130

@70% = (130 x 0.7)+ 50 = 141

[Deleted User]

Thankyou for the above advice,my new monitor ha set the heart rate according to my age and is between 122-140.Ran last night found it hard to keep under 140 but will continue for now.As for 200m hill climbs,I need to locate a hill,i must live in the flattest part of Germany!My runs are on long and flat roads with maybe the odd stoney lane,fartlecking no probs but again doing it on your own i tend to lack the motivetion and support.I will not give up though.

SHADES

You can do a MHR test on flat ground too. Just do a fairly hard interval session and go hell for leather on the last rep and see how high your HR goes.

[Deleted User]

If you don't fancy running flat out to get your max heart rate try this formula-

226 minus your age. In your case;
226-33=193.
Max aerobic benefit (training heart rate) occurs between 70-80% of max heart rate.

So try to keep between 135 and 154 bpm. Heat, hills and head wind all affect your training HR range.

I find it dead hard to stay below 80% of my max HR but I'm running in quite a hilly area. I find 85% more realistic.

SHADES

YY - surely aerobic training rates should be 70 - 80% of WHR (working heart rate) not of max?

and the formula doesn't always work, my max HR is 150!

so 70% for me is 150 minus 56 (RHR) = 94 x 70%= 66 + RHR = 122