Low HR Training

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Status Update and Request for Advice (Read 288 times)

    Hello, I'm looking for some outside recommendations. I mostly train alone, so I'd like some feedback on my intended plan just to check my reasoning. Thinking about mixing up my training now that 5k season has started. Background: I'm 29. Pretty much only race local 5k's, with no interest in longer races at this point. Last year P.R.'d at 20:12. Trained hard, was hurt alot, usually trashed after races. Read about LHR on the forums, and decided to start training 1/1/2008 using pretty strict LHR training. Have been steady except a two week span where I had extensive travel which messed up my running schedule. Starting Training Paces (as of 1/1/2008): LHR training pace (hour runs): 14:49 LHR training pace (runs > 90 mins): 16:00 Current Training Paces (as of 4/10): LHR training pace (hour runs): 12:24 LHR training pace (runs > 90 mins): 12:37 I have been training using an interval method, where I run until my HR hits 150 bpm, then slow down and/or walk until my HR hits 130 bpm. Almost always run for 1 hour, but have long runs where I run for 90 minutes or more once every week or two. I feel like this plan is working (surprisingly well), but I want to participate in 5k's that are coming up, typically 1-2 a month. I ran a 5k this past weekend, and finished in 22:06, which obviously is worse than what I ended at last year, but it is better than where I started last year, so I'm comfortable with that. However, I would like to improve my 5k time and break 20 minutes this year. Will continuing my current plan get me there, or should I add one day of speed a week? I have not plateaued yet, so I know technically I'm not supposed to move to phase 2, but I feel like my 5k time isn't going to improve without some kind of faster work once in a while. I'm considering the following plan: 1) Continue current LHR training, continuing to build mileage to 25-30 mpw. 2) Instead of running LHR every run, once per week substitute a 4-5 mile tempo run or a 5k race. Should I axe #2 and stick with #1 only? Or do something else instead of #2? I'm going to do the 5k races regardless, because I enjoy them, the real question is whether I do something weekly, or only the races when they come up. I have 4 weeks til my next scheduled race. Thoughts?
      ... Background: I'm 29. ... Starting Training Paces (as of 1/1/2008): LHR training pace (hour runs): 14:49 LHR training pace (runs > 90 mins): 16:00 ... Current Training Paces (as of 4/10): LHR training pace (hour runs): 12:24 LHR training pace (runs > 90 mins): 12:37 I have been training using an interval method, where I run until my HR hits 150 bpm, then slow down and/or walk until my HR hits 130 bpm. Almost always run for 1 hour, but have long runs where I run for 90 minutes or more once every week or two. ... I feel like my 5k time isn't going to improve without some kind of faster work once in a while. I'm considering the following plan: 1) Continue current LHR training, continuing to build mileage to 25-30 mpw. 2) Instead of running LHR every run, once per week substitute a 4-5 mile tempo run or a 5k race. Thoughts?
      Good work. Knocking almost 2 1/2 minutes off your LHR 1 hour run pace and well over 3 minutes off your >90 minute LHR run pace is terrific. Since you are going to run the 5Ks no matter what, let them be your speedwork, and if it's too long between 5Ks, throw in some strides once a week on one of your hour runs. Remember to use any downhills in your training runs to keep the HR up (at least to your LHR training target), working on leg turnover and relaxed form. Many people do just fine running slow and easy on the training runs and just use the short races (like 5Ks) for their speedwork. 30 years ago I used to run easy in training and race a 10K every couple weeks or so. That fit right in with mileage of 55-65 mpw, being about 5 to 6% of my total mileage. If you do "strides" to augment your racing, they don't have to be long (you probably know that)... I know a guy training for his favorite 1-mile and 2-mile races, and he does strides with a 25-30 m acceleration to speed, 30-50m at speed, and 25-30m deceleration back to an easy pace. (Of course he does a lot of other stuff too...) My advice (humble as it is) is to keep up the LHR training, since it is working so well. Just think, if you're running over 15% faster at your LHR training HR than you were at the beginning of the year, think what that will do to your 5K pace once you run a few and use them to tune yourself up. Think about it - what if (when all is said and done) your speed at your 5K HR were to improve by over 15% too. Increasing to your mpw target is important, and that is best done with your LHR training. One question - why do you let your HR drop 20 bpm before starting running again in your "LHR intervals"? Just wondering - I will slow down (or walk) in my HR gets 3 bpm above my target, but start up again when it gets 3 or so bpm below. Don't worry - your 5K time will improve, and there will be others here who'll tell you just how quickly a few 5Ks started to pay off. Great work, and good running - Gino
        Hi Gino, thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I am really excited about the progress I have so far. Last year, my training pace was always between 6 and 9 minutes per mile, so 12 - 13 minutes still seems slow when I am running it, but when I compare it to where I was when I started, it keeps me motivated. I hope even half of the benefit transfers over to my race times. I think I will do some strides and limit the quicker runs to the races. As long as I keep seeing decent gains on a monthly basis, there isn't really a reason not to stick to it I guess. Just need to have patience. That seems to be the hardest part of this training method. -- As far as my intervals, I got into the 150/130 schedule when I was starting out. It was (literally) painful to run at a pace that would keep me under 150, so I would run a short distance and then walk. I would let me HR come down to 125 at that time because if I didn't let it get pretty low, I would immediately hit my upper threshold again when I resumed running. Once I got down to like 14:00 pace, I switched to 150/130, and have stuck with that. I guess it isn't as necessary now, because when I start up I don't have the immediate HR spike that I used to. But from my reading, I didn't see any mention of a lower limit when doing LHR training, and letting it get a little lower lets me run longer vs many shorter run/walks. Do you think I should adjust my range further? To 150/135 or 150/140? Typically I try to stay around 145 and start walking if I go above 150, and my walk breaks are less than 30s long at this point. My calculated MAF HR is 154. It was another portion of the training where I've judged it seems to be working, so I haven't messed with it, but I could mix it up a bit if the consensus is that I would see better results with a tighter range.