Higher Heart Rate Than Normal

[Eden]

Could have been the heat too - hotter than I'm used to temps make my hr go up too.
A few other causes
medications - I tried otc Claritin once for spring allergies and it raised my hr about 20bpm!
fatigue - when I'm tired my hr tends to go up easier - and a consistantly elevated resting rate can indicate overtraining.

[chickwhorips]

fatigue - when I'm tired my hr tends to go up easier - and a consistantly elevated resting rate can indicate overtraining.

Same here, or if I'm not recovered completely I find my hr is higher.

[RedCanny]

Same here- HR elevates more than usual if I'm tired. And if I'm obsessing about said HR. And especially if there is unusually high or stressful traffic around me.

[Jolt]

Dehydration can certainly do it, as can the heat. Those two things often go together (you're more likely to be dehydrated if it's hot), especially if you're not used to the heat. My heart rate tends to be higher than usual when running or riding on a hot day as well, especially during the beginning of the summer (and it gets high enough anyway, so I don't particularly like the effects of a hot day!). Make sure you drink plenty of fluids; a good easy way to check your hydration status is to look at the color (and quantity) of your urine--it should be pale yellow. If it's brighter/darker yellow, you need to drink more.

[Zen]

Headaches on a regular basis during exercise is a sign of dehydration. Drink before you feel thirst, once you feel thirsty you're aready dehydrated.