I thought VO2 max and lactate threshold were the measurements to try to maximize through training, not max heart rate?? My heart rate will actually zoom to the 220s (highest I've seen is 228) if I do a hard effort without warming up. This is not something to strive for since it's grossly unpleasant (and the hypochondriac in me thinks it's a sign of a heart problem). Like fultzie said, "220 - your age" is probably a good starting point at determining your max HR, and from that your training zones.

Maybe we need another thread, "What is your resting HR?" to see how low we can go .