Speeding Heart Rate (Read 745 times)

Okay, I'm getting quite frusterated. I read the percentages of what my heart rate is supposed to be for someone my age (18), but I find that all of my runs would be considered too high to be aerobic. I am quite slow, so I don't see how I could go any slower. I have been running for a couple of years, so I don't see how I am in bad shape. I am worried that all of my training is just being wasted because I'm pushing hard all of the time. I used the 220-8 time .5 from runner's world formula. My easy runs I usually get about 180 hr, and on hard days i'll hit over 200! What should I do?

220-age has been scientifically proven to be nothing more than bunk. If you want to train by HR, you need to go and establish what your LTHR (Lactate Threshold Heart Rate) is. Max HR is a misnomer, since while it theoretically exists, there is no way you would be able to get your heart rate to that point through exercise. The best method I have seen to determine your LTHR is a field test. Go to a track, or a relatively flat section of road. Warm up some to get your heart rate going a little, and then start the test, which is 30 minutes of running. After the first 10 minutes, you should hit the lap button on you HRM. Then proceed to run for the next 20 minutes at a pace that is steady, but is going to give pretty much everything you have. You should finish the 30 min. knowing that you gave it all, and couldn't really run much more. For a good description go here: http://www.d3multisport.com/articles/determinezones.html If you go to the home page (link on that page), there's another link to an Excel file that you can download to calculate zones and pacing and such.

Thanks, that helps a lot! I will try to just use the good ol' talk test, but I would still like to do the 30 minute LTHR workout out of curiosity and a guideline.

Allow me to quote from my designated running guru, Pete Pfitzinger: You can accurately determine your max HR during a hard interval session.

That's what I did... (actually, I ran a 4 x 800m with 30 seconds between and pushed the last 2 as hard as I could... I skipped the hill, though.. I'm not that hardcore). It works pretty well (I've never seen my heart rate go higher) but, of course, is mildly unpleasant.

Scout - you said you wanted us to let you know when you were sounding testy... While it may be technically true... still...

Sorry, wingz, I'll try harder next time. The method that you use (whether it's the one I outlined, or the one outlined by Pfitzinger or Hadd), should work either way, but will definitely give you a much better determinant than using the 220-age or Karvonen formula do. I do know that if you were to go to a sports med place, they do a treadmill test, and it runs for 30-60 minutes. As an alternative, you could also run a 10k race to do it, too.