heart rate or pace? (Read 764 times)

I am getting ready to start training for my next marathon this fall. Would I be better served to train at the appropriate hr for each of my runs ( general aerobic / easy / lt - I am using Pfitz ) and hope that the pace speeds up for each of those hr zones, or should I train at the correct pace for each of those runs ( based on my goal time and the McMillan calculator ) and hope that my hr comes down?

I am posting from my phone now and can't change my prefs, but will change it when I get home later. I am shooting for a 3:45, so I am not asking for the world, but in my most recent race last month I crashed hard halfway through and only pulled a 2:01 Hm. My main concern would be that if I used paces generated as a result of a poor performance, it won't allow me to improve.

Agree with Jeff. Training paces should be based on current fitness, not goal fitness. They should also be based on current weather conditions, not the "ideal" conditions that you hope to have when you run your goal race. A convenient way to keep training paces current with both fitness and seasonal weather changes is to run a short (5-10k) race periodically....once/month is good. Jeff is right about HR for specific paces varying with conditions, especially weather. However, that's OK. It will still have you training in the appropriate intensity ranges. The variation in HR between cold and hot days is not really different than the variation in race paces between cold and hot days. Perceived effort or "feel" is another method that many runners use for determining training intensities. It takes all variables into account.

Agree with Jeff. Training paces should be based on current fitness, not goal fitness. .

Dumb question then, but at what point do you decide what your goal pace is? And how?

Dumb question then, but at what point do you decide what your goal pace is? And how?

You don't have to choose until race day. Actually I like the saying "You don't choose your pace, it chooses you." Weather, injuries, etc.. all play a big role in what your goal should be. Just do your training at your current fitness level and you'll figure out your race pace by the time the day gets here. And remember your training paces don't have to remain the same during your whole training schedule. As your fitness improves you can start upping the pace.

Dumb question then, but at what point do you decide what your goal pace is? And how?

Not a dumb question at all. A perfectly good one. Protoplasm offered a very good response. Not only do you not have to finalize a goal for the race until race day, but you shouldn't. That isn't to say that you can't have a goal in mind....even from day 1 of the training cycle. But your training and race day conditions have to support the goal. If they don't, then it should be changed. As training progresses and your fitness, hopefully, improves, your goal should be adjusted to match the progress that you make (or don't make, as the case may be). A good way to do that is to run a short race (8-15k is good) periodically, such as once/month. That will provide inputs to adjust training paces and keep your marathon goal updated. A final race about 3-5 weeks before the marathon should be used to finalize a goal....but it still is subject to change for race day conditions in the event they are particularly bad. For comments on setting a goal based on using a short race as a measure of conditioning, see Predicting A Marathon Time. The Runworks calculator can be used to adjust a goal for unfavorable weather and terrain conditions.

Just go by feel. If you're not winded, it's easy. If you're slightly winded, it's tempo. If you're really winded, it's speed work. Be careful going by paces based on your prs. According to Daniels, I should do my easy runs at 6:30 pace, but I don't. Why? Because my prs were set in totally different situations. When I ran my prs, I was tapered, the weather was perfect, I was on a flat track, and I was wearing spikes. When I do training runs in the summer, the course is hilly, the weather is hot, I'm wearing trainers, and I'm not tapered...so I run 7-7:30 pace