Guest Post: Heart Rate Pt 2 ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Heart Rate Part 2 **

Follow on from last weeks post. 

Now that you have figured out your HR max and what your own zones are, then how do you best use this knowledge to your advantage.

When you train or race know what zone you should be in for the run at any given time. Know your own zones, don't worry about anyone else.

Get used to flicking to the HR setting from time to time to see where you are.

If a run goes well then look at HR and use that figure for future runs.

If a run goes poorly, then were you too high too soon in a run and that effort could not be maintained. Except for very short (5K) races, then always best to start low and then let HR climb during the run.

Try to train across all zones. ALL zones have a place in your training regime. 

Training Tip

When you do interval training (800M or longer) you will move through a few zones and that is fantastic training. You could start in LIGHT after a previous interval break. The effort will then move through MODERATE and HARD and if long enough you may well finish in the MAX zone.

Rest and let body and HR recover and then go again.This is the beauty of interval training and one of the best ways of improving your overall fitness and pace. The repeated hard / easy effort will over time improve the size and efficiency of the entire cardio system. 

Do Tempo runs where you get the HR up to near HR hard limit and hold it for a few miles. Good way to teach the body the race effort it might need.

Easy runs are Easy runs and make sure your HR reflects this. One of the biggest mistakes most runners make is doing their easy miles too hard so negating the original intention of the run. 

At the end of every week look at your runs and judge how many were easy or hard miles. A Balance is required here.Too many easy then going nowhere.

Too many hard and heading for injury, illness and breakdown.

Fitness tip If you repeat some training / racing run a couple of weeks apart and the time is same but HR effort is lower then Happy Days. You are getting fitter and less effort for same result. PB on the way

Racing Tip.  

On a 10 mile race my HR will start low and over first 2 – 3 miles come up to 140. This is my in between figure of Hard and almost into Max 88 - 92%.

I then settle knowing this is tough, but manageable and I can maintain this effort. I didn’t say Pace, I said EFFORT. I accept then whatever pace my watch is giving and run on through the miles.

If I come to a hill my HR goes up so I wait for downhill and recovery before I push on. Last mile you can “have a rattle” as you will get home.

I have often ran a race with the HR as the main setting on the watch and left the pace to the unknown until I was finished. I have always been pleasantly surprised with the time and usually feel very good afterwards as the effort was so even. “Cruise control on your car”.

To clarify that is my way. It may not suit everyone but is worth a try.

For Marathon you cannot afford to go so high in HR and should be settling mid-way through your HARD limit. This will allow your body to breathe and process energy. It doesn’t matter how much you eat or drink if you are running too fast to let the body supply this to the muscles.

Health Tip 💞💞

Get used to your training / racing runs and what the expected HR is for some runs you do repeatedly.

If someday the HR comes in higher than normal by maybe 5 – 10BPM, then maybe ask yourself a few questions. Am I tired?  Am I lacking in energy? Am I coming down with some illness?

Don’t ignore it. Let it be an indicator your Heart had to do more effort for same result so something is wrong... 

Please Note: In very hot weather your HR will be higher to keep the body cooler so learn to accept slower times. Nothing you can do about it.

 Have a lovely weekend

#pwr #AndweRun