Heart Rate Question

SD said:

I am in training for my first Triathlon, and I am noticing I seem to
always be exercising at, or near my max haert rate can anyone tell me
if this is ok? Right now max is 185, up until this week I was commonly
at 184-186 during my run, now I am hovering about 176-180. I don't
want to quit, but also would like to be safe.

How do you know what your MAX Heart Rate is?

There are lots of discussion about how the general approximation
MAXHR=220-age is wrong, mainly being too conservative for physically
fit individuals.

It's really the percentage of MAX that is what you want to know. And
your MAX might not be anywhere near what the formula gives. Did those
runs feel like they were at or near max effort? Maybe you were at 90%.
Or were those runs more a tempo pace? maybe about 75%. Or were they
easy conversation pace? maybe around 60%.

Search this news group in GOOGLE and you'll find LOTS of discussion on
this topic.

Bottom line is you are likely not about to blow your heart out,
assuming you are fairly fit to start.
Good Luck,
Ed

"SD" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1144171458.777549.57390
@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

I am in training for my first Triathlon, and I am noticing I seem to
always be exercising at, or near my max haert rate can anyone tell me
if this is ok? Right now max is 185, up until this week I was commonly
at 184-186 during my run, now I am hovering about 176-180. I don't
want to quit, but also would like to be safe.

If you're getting 186, then obviously your max is not 185 bpm. You need to
do some wind sprints to really nail down your true max heart rate. Sprint a
1/4 mile, rest a minute, sprint a 1/4 mile, rest a minute, sprint a 1/4
mile. If you did honest sprints as fast as you can, your monitor should
note your highest max obtained during that time.

As for your level to do the triathalon, eh, gotta ask someone else.

Nuke

--
I'm kinda divided on this whole abortion issue. On one hand, I'm not about
to let no woman control nothing, especially her own body. On the other
hand, I really hate babies.

Thanks Nuke, I have to admit the only guage I am going by are the HR
sensors on the treadmill I am running on. I check my HR at the
beginning and end of each run. I have no idea how accurate, or what is
more likely the case inaccurate those sensors are. Thanks for the
advice.

Thank you Ed. You are correc about the formula I was using 220-age=
Max HR. As for my runs, I wouldn't want to carry on a coversation
during any of them, however, I am not completely exhausted or out of
breath. The pace I am running at is between 4.8 - 5.0, not kneck
breaking mind you, but for a 215lb. 35 year old who hasn't really had
to bust it in awhile, I am at comfortable level of discomfort during my
runs to present what I believe to be an appropriate challenge. For
example, this afternoon I consecutively ran 2.5 miles at 4.5 average
RPM and swam 400 meters, I feel great! Yesterday, I consecutively ran
2.0 miles, biked 4.0 miles and swam for 300 meters, again I felt
great....

How can you know what your maximum heart rate is if you're still alive?
Maximum heart rate is running until your heart explodes into chards, and
then subtracting one.

Uh..... 220-my age = Max HR which happens to be 185. Last week my HR
was coming in at 186 BPM.

I thought I type this in already but maybe I closed the window
instead of posting. who knows.

I think you're going way too fast for your fitness level. Realizing
that there are a hundred valid protocols, here's one:

Calculate the HR zones for you:
http://www.best-running-tips.com/heart-rate-monitor-training-karvonen-calculator.html

Then read this:
http://www.best-running-tips.com/beginner-running-tips.html

I haven't seen anybody outside of the muscle comics advocate
going as hard as you are all the time. Maybe all the world's running
coaches know something.

good luck...thehick

SD said:

Thank you Ed. You are correc about the formula I was using 220-age=
Max HR. As for my runs, I wouldn't want to carry on a coversation
during any of them, however, I am not completely exhausted or out of
breath. The pace I am running at is between 4.8 - 5.0, not kneck
breaking mind you, but for a 215lb. 35 year old who hasn't really had
to bust it in awhile, I am at comfortable level of discomfort during my
runs to present what I believe to be an appropriate challenge. For
example, this afternoon I consecutively ran 2.5 miles at 4.5 average
RPM and swam 400 meters, I feel great! Yesterday, I consecutively ran
2.0 miles, biked 4.0 miles and swam for 300 meters, again I felt
great....

What is your pace (minutes per mile) on the road?
I have no idea what 4.5RPM translates into. (I dislike treadmill
running.)

If you are planning on a triathlon, you should do at least some of your
training on the road.

Other posts have suggested other ideas on measuring your MAX HR.
Personally I would not trust a treadmill HR monitor to be accurate.

enjoy the run,
ed

A few words of advice. #1 don't believe the HR monitor attached
to the tredmil, get one that straps onto your chest for better
accuracy. I have a tredmil with a HR monitor and the readings are
totally wierd. #2 As previously mentioned the 220 minus age is just an
approximation for the general populace, I'm 56 and my max HR is 186.
#3 To find you max HR you'll have to experiment, do a google search or
get a book to tell you how usually after several hill repeats when it
stops climbing you're there. #4 About 75% of your training should be
at a rate of about 70% of max. Keep in mind this is just my opinion.
When I started training with the monitor I found that I had to slow
down considerably.

Eric

Thanks Eric, I am currently looking for a more accurate HR monitor as I
was losing confidence in the treadmill monitor as well. Will
definitely get one and start using it. So I should only be working at
70% of my max???? Thanks for the advice.

I do some of my work on the road, not yet, but... Each month I was
planning on completing a similar course to the course I am racing on
and using that as a guide. Granted I am not planning on racing at top
performance, but I want to make darn sure I have the mileage before
race day.

As for my pace I am currently running at an 11 minute mile, biking at
2.5 minute mile and swimming I have no idea, but it generally takes me
between 10-15 minutes to complete 600 meters, the race itself includes
an 827 yeard swim, so I am short on that event. Total distance for the
entire event will 3.1 mile run, 12 mile bike and 827 yard swim.

Thanks for the advice it all helps.

It seems to me I heard somewhere that bluezfolk wrote in article
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

A few words of advice. #1 don't believe the HR monitor attached
to the tredmil, get one that straps onto your chest for better
accuracy. I have a tredmil with a HR monitor and the readings are
totally wierd. #2 As previously mentioned the 220 minus age is just an
approximation for the general populace, I'm 56 and my max HR is 186.

And from the other side, for the last 20 years or so I've usually maxed
out on the doctor's treadmill at about 160~165 while my age went from
the 50s to the 70s. My on-the-road rates have declined, but I think
that's from reduced training intensity more than from adding on years.

Quoted message said:

#3 To find you max HR you'll have to experiment, do a google search or
get a book to tell you how usually after several hill repeats when it
stops climbing you're there. #4 About 75% of your training should be
at a rate of about 70% of max. Keep in mind this is just my opinion.
When I started training with the monitor I found that I had to slow
down considerably.

--
Don Kirkman

you can ride 24 mph? i guess that must be a ten-speed on pavement going
downhill.

"SD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am in training for my first Triathlon, and I am noticing I seem to
always be exercising at, or near my max haert rate can anyone tell me
if this is ok? Right now max is 185, up until this week I was commonly
at 184-186 during my run, now I am hovering about 176-180. I don't
want to quit, but also would like to be safe.

Go by perceived effort until you know your true max HR, or something close
to it using a real test. It's not unusual to have a high max HR. Wait until
you've been running a while before doing the max test. Just go easy until
then. If you're out of breath, you're going too hard, so use frequent walk
breaks (for example, in a 5 minute block, run 4 mins, walk 1 min) - that's
the smart way to begin if continuous running just puts you into the red
zone. I still do walk breaks on my easy days if my legs (or something else)
doesn't feel quite right. Once you know your max HR, you still have to set
training zones that work for you. For me that's easy runs ~70% and moderate
runs ~80%. Any training done at 90%+ should be a very low percentage of your
total running time per week, and should only come after a long period of
base building. You can probably do up to 30% of your running at 80%, working
up to that level. But start out very easy, and build up.

-Tony

Tony S. said:

Go by perceived effort until you know your true max HR

Oh [censored]! Just run until your heart explodes, that's your max.

You need to buy a good book on the subject, I would recommend "Heart
Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot", see attached link
http://tinyurl.com/qqhk3

I found this to be a very useful book and have recently started
following its guidance, and just beginnig to see the results.

Dex

SD said:

I am in training for my first Triathlon, and I am noticing I seem to
always be exercising at, or near my max haert rate can anyone tell me
if this is ok? Right now max is 185, up until this week I was commonly
at 184-186 during my run, now I am hovering about 176-180. I don't
want to quit, but also would like to be safe.

Dex said:

I would recommend "Heart
Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot",

I bet YOU learned a lot....

Quoted message said:

Dex said:

I would recommend "Heart
Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot",

I bet YOU learned a lot....

Sure did, you should try a bit of reading sometime, it might help you
get over your social shortcomings. You know what they say, "Wise men
talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to
say something"

Hmmmm, I wonder which one you are???

RadioHead said:

Hmmmm, I wonder which one you are???

I'm the straight one, whose never sucked [censored] or taken it up the ass
in "the name of research". Of course for you, that's just a normal fri
night.