HR question

[mekira]

I used the 220-age to calculate my max HR (I know it's not perfect and they are other ways but it's the only method I know right now)

According to my calculations, my aerobic zone would be between 125 and 143. This works well on the bike. But on the run if I keep my HR between these numbers, I almost have to walk. In order to get a good pace my HR goes up to 150 and I feel ok. So can I estimate that my aerobic zone for the run would be higher than the bike? Or do I have to keep my HR is this zone and have to walk my 5k?


I'm a bit confused :o

[Eden]

You should probably do a self test to get a more accurate approximation of your zones- since it sounds like you have a hr monitor there are several tests you can do. From what I understand, your cycling hr zones will be about 10 beats less than your running zones so depending on which one you use to test, you'll want to adjust for the other.
Here's a sample running test (from 12 workouts for runners by Sally Edwards http://www.howtobefit.com/12-workouts-for-runners.htm )
If you search the internet for "testing max hr" you should be able to find other methods too.

The 2-4 Minute Max Test
The two to Four-Minute Max HR test can be best performed on a track
and it requires a partner who can run with you throughout the test, give HR
readings and set a hard pace. The runner being tested wears the chest
transmitter belt while the partner wears the wrist monitor.


Start the test with an easy warm-up of at least five minutes or two
laps. Your goal during the warm-up is to get your heart working at about
110-130 beats per minute or about 60 percent of your age estimated Max HR.
After warming up, and without stopping, gradually accelerate your
speed so that your heart rate climbs about five beats every 15 seconds. At
15-second intervals, your partner should tell you the time and your heart
rate and offer on-going encouragement to gradually push harder.


Within a two to four-minute window, if your partner sets the pace
correctly, your heart rate will cease to climb even with increased effort and
pace. At that point, you've reached your max and your partner should call an
end to the test or you simply won't be able to run another step! A diagram
of your test might look like the above chart.


During that last 15-30 seconds of the test as you continue to
gradually accelerate, your partner should keep repeating your heart rate over
and over. Eventually, the same number will be repeated because your heart
won't go higher--it's a finite number.

Training Zones
After completing a medically appropriate performance test and
determining your Max HR, you are ready to develop a training or fitness
program around a training zone which meets your current level of fitness and
goals. Get out your calculator or pencil and computer your five training
zones.

Running Max Heart Rate Test

Equipment
* Runner Testee w/chest transmitter
* Runner Partner w/receiver watch set at stopwatch 10
* 400 meter track, running gear

Steps
1. Warm-up w/2-6 easy laps at 60 percent of mathematically-calculated Max HR.

2. At starting point, partner sets gradually increasing pace. The goal is
to reach the max between two and four minutes.

3. Every 15 sec. partner gives HR and elapsed time such as "One minute, 155."

4. If you reach the 3 minute mark, continue to accelerate but you need to
reach max within 60 sec.

5. By the end, you are running extremely fast, can no longer talk and are
breathing rapidly and hard.

6. Partner should now be repeating HR ever 5 sec. yelling positively and
gradually accelerating until you can no longer maintain form, speed or
willingness to run. You've max'd when HR no longer climbs.

7. Partner calls the end to the test. Warm down w/slow walk to recover then
jog an easy 206 laps for total recovery.

[mekira]

Thank you!!!! This is exactly what I needed :D :cool:

[Tri Girl]

And don't worry if your HR is higher. When I run, I'm always in the high 160's (which is far too high according to norms). I'm not breathing hard, not struggling- but it's just where I run. My HR shoots up so high on the run, I cannot keep it down. It'll be in the 130's when I walk, then I run and it shoots up to the 160's. My resting HR is in the 50's so it's not like my heart is out of conditioning or anything.
I stressed about it for a long time, but finally realized that it is what it is. Last year I did some HR training and actually got it to stay in the 150's, but that's the lowest I've EVER gotten it to stay during a run.
Some people just have a higher HR when working out, and that's OK, too.

[mekira]

My resting HR is 72... is that high??? Actually it ranges between 68-72. I try to take it in the morning before I get up...

[HeatherErin]

You can also do a Google search for "sub-max heartrate test" and get a couple other options for estimating your max heart rate. I was told (like Eden mentioned) that your cycling max will be 5-10 beats lower than your running max.

[RoadRaven]

Good outline from Eden
(again... you rock, girl!)

My resting HR is 39bpm

My guessed max HR is 183ish - I have never pushed myself to the actual "throwing up" stage.

My lactate threshold (zones 5, 5a / anaerobic work) has increased about 16 beats since I started training - am hoping to get that done in a sports lab in a month or so.

[VeloVT]

Partner calls the end to the test. Warm down w/slow walk to recover then
jog an easy 206 laps for total recovery.

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Eden]

something tells me that must have been a typo - but I didn't write it so maybe not.....
I'll bet it was meant to say 2 to 6 laps.

[Jolt]

And don't worry if your HR is higher. When I run, I'm always in the high 160's (which is far too high according to norms). I'm not breathing hard, not struggling- but it's just where I run. My HR shoots up so high on the run, I cannot keep it down. It'll be in the 130's when I walk, then I run and it shoots up to the 160's. My resting HR is in the 50's so it's not like my heart is out of conditioning or anything.
I stressed about it for a long time, but finally realized that it is what it is. Last year I did some HR training and actually got it to stay in the 150's, but that's the lowest I've EVER gotten it to stay during a run.
Some people just have a higher HR when working out, and that's OK, too.

You sound just like me! I tend to run in the 160's-170's and it's highly unusual for me to get through a run (usually 3-4 miles) without getting into the 180's at least once on an uphill stretch, and often I spend a fair amount of time in that territory during the second half of the run if there's a lot of uphill stuff (which there usually is around here). Sometimes I even get into the 190's; my max seems to be 211 which is way off from what that 220-age formula says. And I have a resting HR in the mid 50's as well, so as in your case it's not a matter of being out of shape. I don't think any "one size fits all" formula works--there is too much variation between people.

[shawnada]

my HR is always higher on my runs then on bike. I'm not a genius about this, but when the arms become involved in an exercise it creates an additional 12 percent energy output. Our entire body is moving and taking alot of impact on a run, the bike is holding our body weight.

[eclectic]

I had the exact same questions when I first wore my HR monitor I got for Christmas! My HR was over the top and I should have been dead according to the age way of calculating it. :(

I teamed up my HR monitor and the Perceived rate of exertion chart to figure out where each level was.

When I first started running my HR was in the high 170's and I wasn't even going very fast, to keep it low I was like you I would have had to walk

Now that I have been running regularily for about 4 months my HR is starting to go down finally. I am going a little faster and it has dropped about 10 beats

I double check by singing Oh say can you see, by the dawn's early light.
on a slow comfortable run I can get to see, but usually i can only get to the end of say. (Oh is 2 beats after all :P

[VeloVT]

something tells me that must have been a typo - but I didn't write it so maybe not.....
I'll bet it was meant to say 2 to 6 laps.

For the record I did realize that was a typo. :) It struck me as funny for some reason... lack of sleep... sorry :o .

My resting hr is pretty low (44ish) but my hr while running (I've never worn the moniter while cycling) is quite high, easily in mid/high 180s when my rpe is just moderate and quite maintainable (kept this hr up for 12 evenly paced miles one day this spring and decided my hr moniter is frustrating and confusing). At some point, when I'm training seriously again so it means something, I want to have all the testing stuff done (LT, VO2max, etc), because my data seem out of line with what a given level of exertion (as indicated by a given hr) "should" feel like.

[Tri Girl]

I raced a du on Sunday. My avg HR for the 1.5 hour race was 183. I spent lots of time in the 188 range for the runs and it was a little lower on the bike. I decided to go all out for the race, tho- so I basically sprinted the entire time (well, except for the second run when summer finally appeared and I became dehydrated and had to walk a little).

See- you're not so abnormal. Glad to hear I'm not the only one. All these super-fit triathletes I'm around say how hard it is to get their HR up that high- and I'm struggling to keep it down. ;)

Oh, and just for kicks because this thread had me thinking (and I'm a gadget geek- well- and a geek in general), I wore my HR monitor to bed last night to see what my avg HR during the night is. Why? Who knows- I'm a bit of a weirdo. Turns out it's pretty low, and therefore I only burned 8 calories while sleeping. :p

[emily_in_nc]

Oh, and just for kicks because this thread had me thinking (and I'm a gadget geek- well- and a geek in general), I wore my HR monitor to bed last night to see what my avg HR during the night is. Why? Who knows- I'm a bit of a weirdo. Turns out it's pretty low, and therefore I only burned 8 calories while sleeping. :p

Only 8 calories? Is that even possible? I thought we burned more than that per hour just sustaining life (even while asleep)!

[mekira]

Well on my run yesterday I kept my HR up in the 153-160 range... it was an interval workout 2run/1walk. I ran a 2k - took me 16 minutes....160 HR was a bit too high. I was fine for the first 3 intervals but bonked at the end (had to do 4 to get to 2k). so next time, I'll try keeping it a bit lower (in the 153-155 range).

Hey I'm learning. At least now I CAN run for 2 minutes straight :p

[Tri Girl]

Only 8 calories? Is that even possible? I thought we burned more than that per hour just sustaining life (even while asleep)!

I KNOW! I didn't think it was possible! I'm hoping that since the HR monitor only bases calories burned on HR, that it was only measuring how many calories I burned based on my low HR. I KNOW we burn more than that just by "being." Heck- my trainer told me we burn 70 calories a day just sitting instead of lying down (so guess who's sit-sleeping now? just kidding :p ).


All those muscles we have are burning all kinds of calories- my HR montior just didn't know about them.



Oh Mekira- nice job on the intervals yesterday!!!!! Keep at it, girl!!! :D