cmon -

 

i am no expert by any definition, but i think hrm's have their place in training, but not quite so much in racing.  i used mine for the first time this past sunday just to give me some kind of indication of what my heart rate was during a race for data collection.  i race more on feel than i do on heart rate, and i think the first couple races you run are good to use as data collection.  once you have the data in your hand, you can then analyze it after the race and figure out if you went out too fast, if you could have gone harder, etc.  if you have also recorded your heart rates then you can equate how you feel to what your heart rates are.  once you associate the feeling with your heart rate, you'll start to know during the race whether or not you are doing the best you could on that given day.  i could be wrong, but if your body is telling you that you can go harder than your heart rate is indicating, i think it's worth it to try it out and see what happens. 

 

also, i've found that the more races i sign up for, the less important it is for me to do my very best for a single race.  if i didn't fare well in one, i know i have another opportunity coming up soon!

thanks for the tips.

the HRM was still pretty useful even though I partially ran by feel; sometimes I even used the HRM to force a higher pace. 

buuuuuuuuuuuut my biggest problem is really that 180bpm HR before even starting running, you see.

I can just hope it won't happen again..I don't even know the exact reason or how to prevent it so can only hope

my next race is a HM next month, then another race a few weeks after that. will see if it happens again... so far my ideas if it does, is 1) try very deep breathing 2) try lying down in the grass (or wherever it's possible) and see if that helps in bringing the HR down

these don't sound like stupid ideas, do they?

First off, congrats cmon (and all you guys) on your recent races, I've not logged in for a bit and it seems everyone is racing and doing really well while im sitting about planning my next base building, and probably getting fat!

 

Cmon, regarding your HR readings,

1 As others suggested, using HRM as anything other than data gathering in a  race (esp shortish ones) probably isnt a good idea, and don't be surprised if you see racing HRs higher than you might expect, especially if, as I think, this is your first race.

2. Regarding your HR being so high before the start, there are a few possibilities:

  Your HR monitor is off (if you're sure you checked your pulse properly then this is unlikely)

  Or maybe you got really nervous/excited and it really did hit those levels, but its nothing to worry about

 (the fact that you were checking it all so much makes this sound likely )

  However as Jimmy says, none of us are cardialogists (though I did date one briefly!)  so if its worrying you (and it seems like it is, or you wouldn't be posting about it) then I would get it checked out by a doc,

for peace of mind if nothing else.

Then if you're racing again, try not to obsess about the monitor or your HR, I'd suggest dont look at it at all, just relax, and enjoy the run,

it's supposed to be fun!

 

 

thanks, nice sum up of tips.  yes, first real race with lots of people lots of organizing etc.... that was sure cool and exciting but not in a negative way at all. hmm, the only one thing I know is the problem of high HR was not caused by checking the HRM because when I first looked at it it was already that high

yeah, I'll get to a doc soon. I'll have that HM race anyway soon (within 1month) which is a long race so better safe than sorry.

oh and I was not obsessed about the values I did enjoy the run...what I didn't enjoy was the reduced performance

40:05 for 10k on my watch.  Splits/avgHR were 6:22/xxx, 6:20/185, 6:22/187, 6:28/187, 6:30/188, 6:40/186, 1:05/189.  It's a 190ft net downhill course and all of that (and maybe more?) come in the first 3-4 miles.  I couldn't hold it on the uphills and I couldn't make my legs go faster than 6:35 pace in the fifth mile.  I eased up as you can see from the 186 avg.  At 5.8 miles we crested the hill and I saw the finish.  I wondered how much time I could chop off and I just flew down with a lot in the tank.  Garmin said 5:44 pace for the last 0.2.  I saw the clock tick up and just missed 40.  Pretty pissed at myself as I think this was just a lack of toughness in mile 6.  I don't think I have any more good shots with the weather looming and will have to stew until the fall.  Blech.

 

If there's a training lesson here, I do think my lack of fast running, hill sprints, etc. hurt me when trying to run fast and maybe those fast twitch fibers were there for me at the end when the others were worn out.  Live and learn.

 

MTA:  40:04 chip time posted.  Even closer than I thought!

Nice race, Greg! Based on your recent 10 mile PR, you were close to what was possible under ideal conditions. Pace Wizard gives you a 39:26. What were the temp/humidity differences between the 10-miler and the 10k today? When you say you weren't mentally tough during mile 6, how did this manifest? Regardless of what your HR read, do you feel you backed off? 

I think you'll walk through the 40:00 door  very soon. Thanks for the report. Keep them coming!

--Jimmy

Greg good job. Next race you may want to slow down at the start and go for the negative split.

Actually, in this race I should have gone for a more positive split.  There's a net elevation drop of 190 feet and I discovered it all occurs (plus some, I think) in the first half.  If I had it to do over again, I'd go out faster (in this race).

 

Anyway, when I get down to 155 lbs, sub-40 will be a cakewalk :-)

Mmmm, cake....

 

At a school carnival, both of my kids came home with cakes from the cakewalk.  I'm cursed.

Oh, delicious torment, stalking me like a rabid number one fan.

Greg, you'll smoke the 40:00 10k even at your current weight, just keep going. It's jus a matter of time.

--Jimmy

 2010 goal sub-50. Sub-40 not even in my dreams.

<50 was my goal once.  My first 10k was 50:13 (after running 11 months).  It took me 4.5 years to knock off the 10:09.