Hi I am training for London marathon (& possibly Milton Keynes). my heart rate is around 151-156bpm when training on a long run - this equates to around 70/75% for me. This weekend just gone I did a half marathon & my rate was about 156-168bpm (75-90%) as I ran quicker than in training. I am a slow runner at a pace of 11-12min mile. My question is to check running at 75-90% is normal or ok? Not a lot I can do about it but my breathing is ok, though I always get tired in training & races towards the last 3mi. I feel like I have no energy despite gels & a sports drink plus eating plenty of complex carbs a few days before. I don't want to slow down even more - my goal is sub 5:00 (or as close as poss). I have done a marathon before in 6 hours but had to walk a lot due to injury. Any polite suggestions welcomed. Many thanks.
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75-90% is a hell of a range. 75% I'd be working steadily. 90% I could probably do for an hour tops before my eyeballs burst.
Aim to do most of your runs at a pace you can chat at. For your long runs - aim to run them 90 secs per mile slower than your goal pace at the marathon.
On the day - adrenaline and cardiac drift affect the figures so much that a HRM might not be that much use.
90% peaks in a half-marathon race is fine, but 90% in training will leave you too tired to train effectively in your other sessions. For the marathon you won't be able to sustain 90% for very long, you should be looking to stay below 85%.
PS There's something wrong in your figures as 156bpm (75%) gives a max HR of 210 bpm, but 168bpm (90%) gives a max HR of 187?