HR and power?
- Thread starter marmatt
- Start date
I record it (i.e. - I wear the strap), because it's easy to do, but I really haven't used it in years. Still, I never know what use I may have for it in the future, and since it's so easy to record...why not wear the strap and keep the data?
I should add that I was an HR-focused athlete and then coach from 1988-2001. Even before owning an HRM, I would take my pulse with a watch from time to time (I was a runner before I was a competitive cyclist).
For those who have responded yes, that they use it, what are you using it for?
I should add that I was an HR-focused athlete and then coach from 1988-2001. Even before owning an HRM, I would take my pulse with a watch from time to time (I was a runner before I was a competitive cyclist).
For those who have responded yes, that they use it, what are you using it for?
Pretty much the same as you. It's data, it reflects something my body is doing in response to stimulus and it's pretty easy to record. Like you I trained with HR since the mid '80s and really believed in stuff like Conconi tests and Janssen's book. Viewing my HR along with watts has convinced me that I was totally off base with my HR based training for all those years.jbvcoaching said:
I still like to see how long it takes my HR to rise during longer intervals, how fast it falls between any intervals and what it settles into during longer L4 and L3 efforts. But it's mostly curiousity as I don't alter my training based on what it does anymore.
I wear it, but rarely look at it. I use more of a predictor to how I'm feeling, if RPE is higher than it should be, I look at it to see how HR is acting. I don't use it as an indicator for anything during intervals though.
marmatt said:
I use both. Power tells me what effort I'm making and is the benchmark against which to gauge performance. Heart rate gives a good indication as to how my body is responding to the effort I'm making. Keeping an eye on power vs. heart rate (if the data is carefully selected) is one way to track improvement and/or fatigue.
Also, by monitoring heart rate during a ride, I find I have a way to measure how much power I have in reserve. For example, if I'm riding at FTP and my heart rate is 90% of max, I know I have a little left in the tank and I can go with the next jump. But, if I'm at 100% of HRmax, then the next jump is going to have to go without me.
I've also found that when riding with my wife, if I try to maintain a steady power, it's difficult to predict when she can hang on my wheel and when she can't. OTOH, if I go by heart rate, I know almost to the beat the level of effort I need to sustain to keep us riding together smoothly.
I like to divide my NP by my avg. heartrate which gives me a number I call watt/beat.
I can track this number during the year and get a good feel for how my fitness is changing and coming up to speed (or going the opposite direction sometimes!)
This number is pretty highly variable depending upon type and distance of ride. A short ride, or longer ride with intervals will give a higher number than longer ride at constant pace; but tracking the number over the same ride during the year is great.
I also use heartrate a lot when traveling and using some trainer in a gym somewhere that doesn't have any wattage readout. I can tell pretty well what kind of workout I am getting, because I have a pretty good idea of my heartrate in various zones.
Another use suggested by Joe Friel (which I have done occasionally) is to divide an endurance (I think that was the zone) ride in half and check your watt/beat for the first half against the watt/beat for the second half. He says that when in good cardio-vascular shape, the second half should be within a percentage point or two of the first half, and if not, then you still have some work to do on base miles and cardio development. I don't think I have ever gotten that to work quite like he says.
whit
I can track this number during the year and get a good feel for how my fitness is changing and coming up to speed (or going the opposite direction sometimes!)
This number is pretty highly variable depending upon type and distance of ride. A short ride, or longer ride with intervals will give a higher number than longer ride at constant pace; but tracking the number over the same ride during the year is great.
I also use heartrate a lot when traveling and using some trainer in a gym somewhere that doesn't have any wattage readout. I can tell pretty well what kind of workout I am getting, because I have a pretty good idea of my heartrate in various zones.
Another use suggested by Joe Friel (which I have done occasionally) is to divide an endurance (I think that was the zone) ride in half and check your watt/beat for the first half against the watt/beat for the second half. He says that when in good cardio-vascular shape, the second half should be within a percentage point or two of the first half, and if not, then you still have some work to do on base miles and cardio development. I don't think I have ever gotten that to work quite like he says.
whit
Similar threads
