Friday, July 8, 2011

Heart Rate Training

I've decided to give this a try, and i can already tell it's going to be tough. Tough in the sense that an already slow runner is going to have to start running even slower!. Let's take yesterday's run for an example. Figuring a max heart rate of 184, and my workout goal being a slow, easy run, my target HR should have been between 119 bpm and 138 bpm. My average was more like 152! And that was going about 2 min /mile slower than i could have managed without too much difficulty!

i kept an eye on my HR, walking when it climbed to 159 and running again (slowly) when it dropped to 153. this shows how much trouble i was having with the whole deal yesterday- i was already way too high for my stated goal of enjoying an easy run. an avg HR of 152 equates to a tempo run, not an easy run. if i were to think this through, then, based on HR data, ALL MY RUNS ARE TEMPO RUNS! what happened to my long, slow, easy recovery runs?

i can see how this has been a problem for me, this always running too fast, at too high a HR just because i'm slow and i'm trying to run a set pace no matter what my body wants to do. i can only imagine that my aerobic tank is empty and i am trying to convince myself to trust this system, to run based on my HR zones which will build my aerobic capacity which will, eventually, result in a faster pace at the same HR.

this will undoubtedly mean i will be running alone. i don't know anyone who runs as slowly as i will be running for the next several months. this will be ego crushing work. i hope i have the courage to stick with it.

i will be posting more about this in the future with links to the studies i've come across..this blog is pretty low tech, though, because you all know how to work google, right?
as john bingham says, "Waddle on, Friends!"

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