HRM question

HI Guys, sorry if this has been asked and answered a thoushand times i tried a search and scanning through old threads but could not fins and answer.

I have just signed up  for Ironman Wales, so I have a bit of time to prepar. Any way

I can run a comfortable 10 km is a bit less than an hour but having read and reread Don Finks Be Iron Fit I am planning to follow one of his 30 week programs, probably the intermediate as I am quite busy with work in the summer months.

Any way my question is this. I live in a very hilly area, great for training but I am struggling to stay in HR zone 2 unless I just walk for most of the time. Should I stick with this or  should I improve my anerobic fitness so that I can at least get to a slow jog at the correct heart rate?

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Dadu

 Oh and if it helps

i am am  167cm 67kg and about 12% BF and Have spent the last 6 Mths weight lifting

 

Comments

  • How have you worked out Zone 2?

    How does it feel on a perceived effort basis?

    If your zones are wrong everything else is wrong.

    10km in an hour is reasonable so you can run. What does your HR average whilst running 10km in an hour? What does your HR read at you slowest jog?

  • Hi Dadu and yup, it's probably been asked 1,000 times and most likely several hundred different answersimage

    I too live in a hilly area, this year I have run (ok jogged) 824 miles with an 81,148ft incline (plus the same decline as I normally run out-n-back).

    Have a look at the HADDing thread and read the links on the first post then join in if you'd like more information.

    In short I guess it depends on what you want from your HR training? I tend to be more relaxed about running at an average 75% of MAX HR whilst other HADDers will use 75% as the ceiling (though they tend to live in flatter areas).

  • Meface, zone worked out on the HRM, I'm using a Garmin 310xt so I just  put in age sand percieved fitness level and it did it on a percievd effort bassis 2/10

    When running 10km I guess I am at 6--7/10  may be a little highter on PE depending on the route I take , havent done a 10km with the HRM as it only arrived this weekend, Guess I need to do a 10km with it on.

     

    Andi Will check it out.

     

    Thanks Guys

  • Yeah unless you've tested your max hr physically - it'll probably be off - so as meface says = your zones are wrong.



    I don't bother with HRM now - I just make sure all of my runs are done at a pace that I could chat at.
  • Dadu,

    Was really asking for HR during 10km, plus HR level at Zone 2, plus HR at your slowest jog. The 10km HR may indicate max HR as long as you promised you were pushing it (6-7 maybe not 7-8 is pushing it for 10km IMHO). The other 2 will indicate the differential you are looking at.

    Mr running HR is high, my biking HR is low compared to measured zones, I put it down to being a fat/heavy fit/strong person. Running hard, biking easy.

    The zones are a guide, they don't always work. Europeans run the distance slowly then build up speed. From what I understand Kenyans decide how fast they need to run and then run that fast extending the distance until they can do the distance. Two different methods.

    HR, go slow and speed up for same HR. Pick a speed and hope your HR lowers for that speed.

    Zone 2 = conversation pace

    However even that isn't always true. As an ex-rugby player I learnt to talk and run - communication is good. Plus I have naturally big lungs. So my oxygen transport system (blood/muscles) gets in trouble before my intake system (lungs). We all have limiters.

    However I wold have thought that walking was not the best way forward. Unless you intend to walk the whole IM. Would suggest your slowest jog and focus on keeping HR in check.

     

     

  • Go to www.brainmac.co.uk and search calculate HRM.  No one explains it more accurately and succinctly.  Also has an excel you can download to do the maths.

  • Hi Dadu, welcome to the forums, This link might be worth a look (hope it is ok to post to another tri website image) this is how i figured out my heart rate zones and feel that it is quite a good guide to work from. As others have said you can get it done properly in a scientific environment but who really wants to fork out for that???

    http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=633

     

  • But there is 7 formulaes on the site and they all can't be right. They put my Max HR in a range of 177 to 182 which in and of itself is fine they are all within a margin of error that is reasonable.

    That said I can get my HR over 200 so they are clearly out by some 23+bpm. At least 13%. This has a significant effect o nthe training zones.

  • meface are you talking about the site i posted? If so you wanna be looking under the title Determining Run Training Zones

  • nope - it was SCBB's recommended site.

  • Hi thanks  for all the input. Still working my way through the HADDing info.

    I went out for a run this morning, Choose somewhere relativly flat and did 5KM after a warm up

    Really pushing myself HR was maxiing at 181.   First km did at a real slow jog and HR was around 140 ish.

     

     

  • meface - you clearly skim read as he tells you how to calculate it from a physical test not just a formulae.

  • true - but I did as you asked and searched for calculate HRM and all I go was a load of varying age related formluaes. Didn't see anything that resembled a methodology for testing HRmax on the page I was on.

    Otherwise I would have read it - we all love a HRmax test don't we. Sick on your trainers anyone?

  • Did one last week, so I'm good thanks image
  • Just adding to this for posterity really and incase some one stumbles across it later and finds the info useful.

    The preset percentages on the Garmin 310xt are not the same as the percentages that Don Fink uses in his book Be Iron Fit.

    For example 310XT HR zone 2 is set to 60-70%

    Whereas Don Finks HR zone 2 is 75-85%

    You can alter the settings on the 310 xt though so its all good.

     

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