My Aerobic conditioning- HORRIBLE! (Read 870 times)

I'm putting this in Running 101 because I feel like a complete beginner again. Not that I was an elite before, but this is frustrating. After running Chicago, I ran sporadically due to nursing some nagging injuries. Those have mostly cleared up and so I'm trying to get back on a regular schedule of 4 runs a week. (3 shorter week day runs and a longer run on the weekend) Apparently as a result of this lay off, I've lost a lot of my aerobic conditioning. My HR can easily get into the 160's and sometimes 170's with ease. So, this week I decided to really slow it down and walk when I have to in order to keep the HR from getting above 150. I hate this running. I don't even call it running. Durning my marathon training, my Garmin fried and I lost the use of my HR monitor. I then just ran, knowing that around a 10:00 pace would put my average HR around 155. I enjoyed those runs. Once I got my Garmin back I used my HR monitor again and found that my pace was a little better and my HR was a little lower. This tends to make me think that the body will adapt the HR to be more efficient with the more miles you run regardless of whether you purposely concentrate on keeping it below a certain point or not. It just naturally adjusts. What I'm thinking now is that I should just go out and run. Concentrate more on building back my miles and ignore the HR monitor for now. I'll just run and I'll back off when I feel I'm overdoing it exertion wise. Am I faulty in this thinking? BTW, I have no training goals right now. I'll run a 10K for fun in May and probably won't do a HM until next fall. I'm really just running now to run. When I get back to 25 to 30 miles a week I'll be happy.

Your blood volume drops quickly with a lay-off (less blood, less oxygen carrying capabilities in your system, more work for your heart) but it comes back quickly as well. Your overall fitness drops off much more slowly. I had a six week lay-off this Summer and was distressed by how much early progress disappeared but it came back relatively quickly. Be patient...

Couple of things, for me, the conditioning came a lot quicker the 2nd and 3rd time I restarted running. I had roughly a years break between my 1st attempt and my 2nd attempt and roughly a 5 month break between my 2nd and 3rd and current attempt at running. I was expecting to start from scratch again especially on the 2nd attempt because of the year long break but I found out that I still had some conditioning in me. It wasn't great by any means but it was something. As for the HR thing, I tried to do the low HR but it just wasn't working for me and it made me dislike running. So now, I still run slow but not as slow as what my HR should probably be at. It's also taken some growing up on my part to not care so much about the speed and just build up a base. I've been doing my runs at the gym at 12mm and I had to swallow my pride when I see everyone else around me running faster. I'm trying to take a long turn view of running and I know I can run faster but I also know I would get burnt out really quickly as well and I'm trying to avoid a 4th attempt at running. I know I'm slow but slow and steady wins the race. That's what they tell me at least.

Durning my marathon training, my Garmin fried and I lost the use of my HR monitor. I then just ran, knowing that around a 10:00 pace would put my average HR around 155. I enjoyed those runs. Once I got my Garmin back I used my HR monitor again and found that my pace was a little better and my HR was a little lower.

Sums it up right there pretty well, gg. Just hit the pavement, screw the HRM and HAVE FUN!!!! Give yourself a little time to build back up your 'runnin' legs 'n' lungs. Consistent miles, at any pace that you're comfortable with, is going to get you back. now lace 'em up, and RUN!!!!

as part of the 'strapped' crew, i like having my HRM to give me feedback for comparison with perceived effort. Some days i go by perceived effort to up or lower the pace, but some days i go by HR if i feel like i'm feeling particularly wussy that day.