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Usefullness of Heart Rate Monitors for Run Training? (Read 202 times)

ROD in Miami


    As I mentioned in my earlier post this morning ("Weird -- Getting to near or beyond MaxHeartRate at beginning of easy run") I have been running for most of the adult portion of my 55 years sans heart-rate monitor.  Friday I put on my Garmin's HR strap which had been hanging virgin in the closet and went out for my usual pre-dawn 10k run.  Wore it again this morning.  It's cool to see the extra graph on RunningAhead but am not clear of its practical training value.  I train by pace: McMillan's formulas or the paces prescribed in whatever training plan I may be following.

     

    Now as a former (reformed) Ironman Triathlete I recall that my cyclist buddies loved the HRM because, set on the handlebars, they could watch it like a tachometer on a car.  And it gave them a constant gauge for level-of-effort that on a bike speed will not give you (because of uphill, downhill, into wind, out of wind, drafting, not drafting, etc.).

     

    But what's the consensus now-a-days on the practical training value for us runners?  Thoughts?  Should I start using mine regularly and if so in what manner?

    J-L-C


      I don't feel its of any practical use the vast majority of the time.

       

      In my opinion, it's useless for races, it's useless for intervals, it's useless in the heat and humidity, it's useless on days you feel really good and it's useless on days you feel really bad.

       

      I still wear one because I always have (in training, not usually in racing) but it's more just to observe long-time trends with post-run analysis.

       

      And I like the extra numbers and graphs, too. Big grin

        ...  Wore it again this morning.  It's cool to see the extra graph on RunningAhead but am not clear of its practical training value.  I train by pace: McMillan's formulas or the paces prescribed in whatever training plan I may be following.

         

        Now as a former (reformed) Ironman Triathlete I recall that my cyclist buddies loved the HRM because, set on the handlebars, they could watch it like a tachometer on a car.  And it gave them a constant gauge for level-of-effort that on a bike speed will not give you (because of uphill, downhill, into wind, out of wind, drafting, not drafting, etc.).

        ...

        If you're training for a flat race, and paces make sense to you, then have it. The splits on a hybrid marathon (part trail, part road, 3500ft of up in the loop) varied by about 50%. Much easier to go by effort / breathing. For me, my breathing and HR usually correlate pretty highly. I typically run hilly trail races, so effort / breathing is a more meaningful metric than pace. There are some other options, but not as well developed for running.

        "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog


        Wandering Wally

          A HRM helps me keep my effort level constant.  My pace might bounce all over based on the terrain and/or conditions, but the effort stays the same.  It has also helped me nail down what an easy effort really is.

          Run!  Just Run!

           

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          Why is it sideways?

            A HRM helps me keep my effort level constant.  My pace might bounce all over based on the terrain and/or conditions, but the effort stays the same.  It has also helped me nail down what an easy effort really is.

             

            Wait a second -- you can't claim the title of trail hippy and wear a HRM!! Something has to give, my man!

            zonykel


              You can get a book on the subject from amazon. If you already train by pace, then wearing the HRM may help you determine trends over time. But it's not a necessity.

              runnerclay


              Consistently Slow

                I don't feel its of any practical use the vast majority of the time.

                 

                 

                Training by feel  = meeting the WALL

                Training by HR = finishing STANDING

                Run until the trail runs out.

                 SCHEDULE 2016--

                 The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                unsolicited chatter

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                Docket_Rocket


                  I agree about the training by HR that clay commented.  Most of the us assume we know how to run by feel but in reality, most of us do not.  I run all my runs (even my races) by HR rather than pace.  It works for me and my asthma.  It tells when I can push and when I cannot.  When it's 90F+ in Miami and high humidity, it tells me how to pace well on a run or on a race.

                   

                  The only thing I don't use HR on are intervals.  They are short enough to be done by pace, IMO.

                   

                   

                  Training by feel  = meeting the WALL

                  Training by HR = finishing STANDING

                  Damaris

                   

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                  Chris T


                    Using a HRM has benefitted me in several ways.

                     

                    I truly learned what my easy pace was, which was significantly slower than what I thought it was running by feel. That enabled me to increase mileage and runs per week comfortably with improved recovery. In the past I had a tendency to push all runs and that would often result in my feeling over-trained or tired/worn down. That would lead to taking unscheduled days off to aid in recovery. So far (three months) that is no longer the case.

                     

                    I still run workouts (intervals and tempos) by pace but monitor my heart rate data to gauge improvement over time in my fitness.

                     

                    Although I've run for years, I'm now fully enjoying it for the first time. HRMs may not be for everyone but I'm very glad that I pulled that strap out of it's dusty box this year.

                       

                      Training by feel  = meeting the WALL

                      Training by HR = finishing STANDING

                      Utter nonsense.

                      Runners run


                      No more marathons

                        Heart rate monitors, treadmills, gps watches, politics and religion.

                        What works for you, works for you.

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                        heelgrad92


                          I used to use one all the time, and it is effective at giving you feedback so you stay within certain effort zones.  I have run enough now that I don't use it as much, but I still use one from time to time to measure my fitness at certain paces.