Guest Post: Heart Rate - Part 1 ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Heart Rate ** Part 1

I was asked so I will make some attempt to explain this. Bit detailed so I split in 2 parts. An edit to a post I put up 4 years ago. The basics still apply. I will do my best to simplify but if my phrases and zones do not coincide with your current knowledge then I do apologise.

This will help you find your own HR max and then to understand the zones (efforts) based on this. Your future training and results will be better helped by understanding this. If you can learn to use and what your Heart is telling you, then you can become a better runner.

It is important first and foremost to find your own max. Book reading and college give a general rule of thumb as 220 minus your age. So a 40 year old will have a max of 180. (220 - 40 = 180). 

However in practice this is seldom accurate as many can get a figure above or below this. Best way to find yours. Check back at recent runs on your Garmin. Look for any short race 5K or 4mile where you put in a serious effort and was wrecked at the end line. The Max figure during that Km or Mile is usually a decent indicator of where you are..

Or else do you own test where you warm up well and then run a 2mile as quick as you can and then you will have some idea.

You can also pay money and get yourself tested in some performance lab and that will 100% accurate and take the guess work out of it.

PLEASE NOTE Before you put your body under that stress or if you know your HR Max already and that figure is far away from the 220 – age then please consult your Doctor to check that all is OK.

Now that you know your HR max then we can set some zones. I have made up a pic for you to set your own figures.

example user for 180 HR max.

Max 90 – 100% 162 – 180  Anaerobic Training Zone

Your heart, blood and respiratory system will be working at their max capacity. Lactic acid will build up in your blood and after a few minutes you won’t be able to continue at this intensity. You will NOT provide energy to the muscles at this pace. This is OK in the last few minutes of a short race and if you see this figure in a long run you are in trouble.

Hard 80 – 90% 144 – 162  Lactate Threshold Zone

This is where the going gets tough. You’ll be breathing hard and running aerobically. If you train at this intensity, you’ll improve your speed endurance. Your body will get better at using carbohydrates for energy and you’ll be able to withstand higher levels of lactic acid in your blood for longer. Most races you run will be in this zone. During tempo runs or longer intervals you might get here as well.

Moderate 70 - 80% 126 – 144  Aerobic training Zone

This is especially effective for improving the efficiency of blood circulation in the heart and skeletal muscles. This is the zone in which lactic acid starts building up in your bloodstream. Training in this HR zone will make moderate efforts easier and improve your efficiency. Most training long runs and maybe early miles of a long race.

Light 60 – 70% 108 – 126  Recovery Training Zone

This feels light and you should be able to go on for a long time at this intensity. This is the zone that improves your general endurance: your body will get better burning fat and your muscular fitness will increase along with your blood flow.Training in heart rate zone 2 is an essential part of every runner’s program.This is easy miles and are needed for recovery and improving. Not every mile every week can be hard.

Very light 50 – 60% 90 – 108 

We wont be here much unless walking or cycling or some general very easy recovery work. It can be useful to help get rid of lactic acid from the body the day after a hard effort.

Now that you know your zones check your own App / Web to see are you Heart rate zones set properly. Garmin and other types might give these different names and they also set them up based on your age and not your actual figures and performances.

So the 40 year old with max 180 but who actually has a max of 188 will see all zones wrong and it will show making a bigger effort and in a higher zone than has actually happened.

Find your Max and adjust the zones on your own page. We can talk more about this and how to train for it and use it. Make another cuppa. You deserve it. 

If boring writing was an Olympic sport then I would have a qualifying time after this.

I ran Waterford last week and went off HR. My own Max is 155 so 140 is my 90% mark. I aimed to keep it there as best I could. I averaged 138 for the entire run. There was Hills, up and down, flat sections. I kept the effort the same all through. I did better than I expected. Attached pic is my HR for the run

#pwr #andwerun