Question re: heart rate

[Crankin]

It's only been recently that i learned that the 220-minus your age formula did not apply to trained people. I stopped wearing my HR monitor a couple of years ago because i was always worried and obsessed over the fact my numbers seemed too high. I think my HR is higher than a lot of others for whatever particular amount of work I am doing, but I have noticed a few things that made me realize that it's probably not any sign of something wrong. First, the older i get, the longer I need to warrm up. I know this is well known, but I don't always like to take the time to do this. I generally feel like crap for the first 20-30 minutes of a ride, unless I am riding really slowly, like 10-13 mph. I always feel like I don't have the time to do this, or if it's a group ride, they always go out fast and then tend to die at the other end (while I move up to the front). Going out fast really raises my HR like crazy. My HR tends to stay around 130-145 during normal riding that is flat with some rollers, at an average of 15-16 mph. It's been like this for most of the time I have been riding. Now 80% of mhr should be around 132 for my age, but it seems like my HR is stuck at the supposed level of someone in their early to mid forties. This is probably what's normal for me. The highest I have seen is around 152 recently, during high cadence drills on the trainer. I guess I am going to start wearing it again and then see what happens when I start climbing big hills outside (like my driveway!). The highest I ever saw my HR was 180, the first time i went for a run, about 4 years ago. The highest I ever saw it on a bike was in a spin class, maybe around the same time and it was 170. My resting HR in the AM is around 55-68, but during the day, it is usually around 68-72. Just walking around raises it pretty high, up into the 80s. I have to really work hard to keep it down when I ride, but I guess that's the way I am!

[Julibird]

I used to think my high MHR used to mean something - like better torque in my engine, but, alas, as previously mentioned, it's just a genenetic thing - not anything to do with fitness. MHR does not change whether one is fit or not. What does change is ones anaerobic threshold - it changes with increased fitness, state of rest and wellness, and is sport specific. Your threshold for running will be different than your cycling AT. So, if you can find out what your AT is, that will be useful information for training with a HR monitor.

Sally Edwards books are a good resource. I also heard she is getting on the power tap training bandwagon and will be coming out with a new book.

Oh well, performance is the best data at the end of the day.

Julie