Heart Rate Training and Racing

Heart Rate Training

In order for one to get the most out of Heart Rate Training (HRT) one must first find their true Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). I do not recommend using formulas to estimate your MHR because they can be off by as much as 20 beats per minute or more and this could cause one to be over training or under training depending on what the case may be.

Finding Your Maximum Heart Rate

The safest and best way to find your MHR is to have a stress test done by a health professional or a Sports Testing Center. This can be expensive and prohibitive for many. If you have had heart problems in the past you should have your doctors ok before trying to find your MRH. Assuming that you have been running for about 3 months or more with no heart related problems or history, your MHR can be reasonably determined by using a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) and a stressful run. Start by warming up for 15-20 minutes at an easy run pace. After warming up completely, run at your 5K race pace (Usually about 1.5 – 2 minutes faster than your easy run pace) for about ¾ of a mile then run the last ¼ mile as fast as you can while watching your HRM occasionally. The highest reading you can achieve in this manner will be very close to your MHR. Note: “5K race pace” is the pace that you can maximally sustain for a distance of 3.1 miles without slowing down from leg fatigue.

Using Your MHR to Determine Your Training Heat Rate

Training Heart Rate (THR) is the Heart Rate (HR) that you will use for different types of training. Old school THR used a percentage of MHR but I believe that the better way is to use a percentage of VO2max as estimated by HR. The best method for calculating this is the Karvonen Method and you can find a calculator for this at this web site: http://www.fitzroy-bramble.com/fitness/id18.html

The formula, if you want to work it out on your own is X% = ((Max HR-Resting HR)*X/100)+Resting HR. To find your Resting Heart Rate (RHR) it is best to take it in the morning when you first wake up and before getting out of bed. Some athletes even wear their HRM in bed so they can get a reading without moving much at all when they wake up. This may seem extreme but for serious athletes it can help them know when to cut back on their training. A resting HR that is 10 beats or more above normal is an indication of over training or illness and one should either skip their workout for a day or two or cut way back on distance and intensity.

After you have determined your MHR you can use the calculator at the web site above to determine you training zones for your workouts. If possible it is good to get in an Aerobic Threshold (AT) workout and a VO2max workout each week.

Remember that racing counts as a speed workout with half-marathon to 10K being AT pace and 5K or shorter being VO2max pace. The following chart would be an ideal week for an intermediate to advanced marathoner at 60 miles a week. The total daily miles include warm-up and cool-down along with the workout distance all to be done in the approximate allotted time. Taking Tuesday as an example, warm-up would be about 1.5 miles then the 1mile intervals and then about 1.5 miles of cool-down for a total of about 10 miles. This runner would be about a 3.5 hour marathoner.

3.5 Hour Marathoner / Max HR of 186

 

4 Hour Marathoner / Max HR of 186

While doing the 400 meter repeats the HR may not reach the target zone until half way to the end of the workout but it should climb a little higher on each succeeding attempt. Also one who is not used to doing these repeats and intervals will find it difficult if not impossible to do that many at first. If you are just starting out it would be a good idea to only start with about 4-6 repeats and add one or two each week or so until you can handle the full 16 repeats. Also Tuesday and Friday workouts can be swapped. Just make sure that you don’t do these types of workouts two days in a row except for on occasion. There is a time and place for Hyper-training but only on occasion and then you need to take several easy or off days following these double sessions.

Heart Rate and Racing

5K racing is usually done at a HR of 90-95% of VO2max while 10K racing is usually done at a HR of 88-92% of VO2max. Half-marathon is run at approximately 83-88% of VO2max and the Marathon is run at 80-85% of VO2max. Some elite athletes have been able to run the marathon at close to 90% of their VO2max.

Easy and Long Run Training

Easy running is 80 – 90% of the running that a runner does. This is the range which produces a training effect but doesn’t overly stress the body so as to cause it to break down unless one runs too many of these miles too often or builds up to running a high number of miles too soon. This running is done in the 60 – 70% of VO2max range. Generally the higher number of miles one can build up to running in a week, without over training, the better the results one will get from their running. It is best to build a strong base mileage before beginning a speed program. This base of weekly easy mileage is the core of your strength as a runner. How much is enough? To reach your maximum potential as a marathoner you would want to try and build up to 50 – 100 miles a week or more.

It has been shown that there is no more “aerobic” benefit to running more than 70-75 miles a week, i.e. it will not increase VO2max, nor will it increase mitochondria. However, for the elite athlete there may be a psychological advantage to running more miles, as many seem to perform better with 100 miles or more a week. My advice is to gradually build your weekly mileage until you feel that you are not getting anymore benefit from adding more, or until you feel that more would be pushing yourself too far and stay at that point or even back off just a little. When building mileage one should back off or stop speed work altogether until they have settled into their new mileage for a while. Never increase both at the same time. You will be asking to get injured by doing so.

AT Training

We mentioned earlier about (AT) or Aerobic Threshold. This is the point at which the body starts to produce Lactic Acid at a rate to fast for the body to get rid of and so it begins to build up in the blood stream causing leg muscles to get that burning, tired feeling. For untrained individuals this can be as low as 60% of VO2max and for very highly trained athletes as high as 92% of VO2max.

AT training helps raise the threshold to a higher percentage of VO2max thus allowing the runner to go faster for a given period of time without building up too much lactic acid. Typically AT training is running for a time period of about 20-30 minutes at about 10 seconds slower than ones present 10K race pace. However, it is also beneficial to do four 5 minute intervals at 10K race pace with 1-2 minute jogs in between.

There has been some leaning of late to run longer AT or Tempo runs at about half marathon pace or about 15-20 seconds slower than 10k race pace. These run periods can be 30-60 minutes in duration.

VO2max Training

VO2max training is running at a pace that causes one to be at close to VO2max and MHR. Raising ones VO2max is of the greatest value in trying to reach your best potential as a runner. No one thing is more a determinant in ones potential as a runner than VO2max. This is the measure of ones ability to supply oxygen as fuel to the muscles. Probably the ideal VO2max workout is a 5K race. The next best workouts would be 400-meter intervals or repeats with very short recovery intervals usually no more than 1 minute.

Summary

Heart Rate Training can be a great asset in your training as a runner. Using a HRM you will always know what your effort is in your training and you can have confidence that you are in the training zone that you intended. However, I do caution on getting too dependent on your HRM. Try and guess from time to time what your effort is before looking at your HRM. In this way you will train yourself to begin to know by feel what is your effort.

Weather conditions can affect your HR and so it is a good indicator of how hard you are working. In hot weather your HR can be 10-20 beats faster for the same pace. In long distance races you would want to stay within or even lower your expectations as to your ability to maintain your normal HR when the weather is very warm.

When doing speed workout i.e. AT and VO2max workouts don’t pay too much attention to your monitor under warmer conditions. This is the time to be going by time more than by HR but it is still a good idea to know were you are under different conditions.

I have tried to be short and concise. In doing so I may have sacrificed some clarity. The purpose if this article is to be more of a primer on heart rate running rather than an in depth discourse on the subject. For more information I recommend the book “Heart Zone Training” by Sally Edwards. This book is a great overall how to on Heart Rate Training. She has also written other books on the subject for specific sports such as cycling and triathlon. 

Happy Trails,

Russ

Run Through Redlands Half Marathon Report

Race day was pretty much what I expected given the weather predictions. The race started at about 60+ degrees and just a light breeze with bright sunshine and finished in the low 70's with bright sunshine. I was definitely looking for shade to stand in at the end of the race.

I got to the start line about 15 minutes before race time and the 10K had just started. As soon as the 10k all got across the mat they announce that the Half Marathon runners could line up for the race. Our starting line was about a block further back than the 10K. At first it didn't look like there were very many runners but as we got closer to the start time the street began to fill. I got to see quite a few runners that I knew from the Loma Linda Lopers and Redlands Runegades, as well as other runners I have made acquaintance with. We were all talking about how warm it was going to get and how we were doing. All of this began to build up excitement and add to the adrenaline rush that hit as soon as the horn sounded.

I started about 10 - 12 feet from the actual start line and did not have any problems trying to run around or past other runners, which was great. I did pass a few and a few passed me in the first quarter mile. By then the spread between runners had fanned out pretty well and any passing or being passed was no problem at all. After about 3/4 of a mile I began to look around for those I thought might be in my age group and size them up. I think anyone who is serious about trying to place in a race does a little of this whether they admit it or not! I saw two runners that I felt were probably in that category and tried to keep them in sight as long as I could. I know that most runners, I am competitive with, are faster on the uphill than me and I am generally as fast or faster on the downhill than they are. My objective was to try and keep them in sight. I did a pretty good job of that until about mile 5 when I began to lose sight of both of them.

The race was pretty flat for the first two miles but than it began to head uphill, almost 600 feet of total gain over the next 4.6 miles. I had to watch my heart rate (HR) monitor on my Garmin to make sure that I did not push too hard trying to keep up with my competition. My goal was to stay within 155-157 beats per minute. I did find myself at about 160 a couple of times and had to back off just a bit. At 7.1 miles we reached the highest point of the race and I was so relieved to know that it was mostly downhill for the next 4 miles.

As I crested the top I had the urge to just relax and rest a bit as the last hill was really steep, but I kept up my intensity at the same HR as on the uphill and let my body carry me as I tried to relax and just let gravity pull me down the hills; running as smoothly as possible trying not to put on the breaks. I seem to be a pretty natural downhill runner and began to pass quite a few people as I made my way down. This made me a little nervous at first wondering if I might be pushing to hard but a quick glance at my watch showed that my HR was just a little lower than my target so I picked it up a little more. I only got passed by two people on the downhill sections and they were much younger than me, one of them I later passed again toward the end of the downhill sections. Mile 11 was the straightest and most natural grades of downhill, and I was amazed to see later that I had run it at a 7:07 pace. Even though it was downhill it was still 11 miles into the race.

As we got to the bottom I knew that we had 1.9 miles of flat, to slightly uphill, left to the end of the race and about 0.2 miles of downhill to the finish line. I was definitely beginning to feel that fatigue after those eleven miles and could feel it getting harder to maintain my pace but I sucked it up and started to run at the upper limits I had set for myself at around 157 HR. As I approached 12.7 miles a friend, Jim Glick, came along side of me to run me in. This gave me a big lift and I increased my HR up to around 160. As I rounded the corner Jim patted me on the back and gave me some words of encouragement. I then began my kick to the finish line and found that I had more left in my legs than I thought! I crossed the finish in 1:50:35, beating my previous best in this race by almost 4 minutes on what runners consider a pretty warm day. On top of that I finished 3rd in my age group about 3 minutes behind 2nd place runner who happened to be one of the runners I had my eye on at the beginning of the race. I never saw who got number one in our age group but I presume it was probably the other guy I had my eye on.

I am very happy with my result and credit my new way of eating as helping me get back to this condition. I am nearly back to the shape I was at the end of 2002, and through the early part of 2004. All because I can run more without the nagging pains I was having. I still have a little pain but it is minimal compared to what is has been.

I am looking forward to being able to continue to build my mileage even more. I know that I still have room for improvement as I have yet to peak to my potential. Where that is remains to be seen but I will definitely keep you posted.

Happy Trails,

Russ

Running and Getting Older

So this year I turned 60! Yes the big 6 0. I have been running since July of 1999. I ran my first marathon in March of 2000 in Los Angeles, CA at the age of 47 in a time of 5:19:49. Somehow even after all the soreness from that race I decided two days later that I had to do another one and do better. I signed up for the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon the following June.  I broke my foot a few weeks later and could not run for 5 weeks. Stupidly, my first run back was a half marathon race and a tough hilly one at that. I barely finished under 3 hours and my left foot was killing me. I trained as much as I could over the next two months but ended up doing worse not better with a time of 5:54:47! So I ended up training for another marathon and did much better. I then set my sights on qualifying for Boston and succeeded in October of 2002, running Boston in April of 2003, ten years ago. I had a relatively successful year in 2003 and into 2004 and then I was hit with depression. I struggled to keep running but eventually quit altogether for about 6 months. When I started back I pushed to hard and ended up getting injured. Then after recovering from the injury I did the same thing. My mind was trying to tell me that I was still in my late 30's and that I could recover more quickly than I actually could now that I was in my 50's. I now had to learn that I needed to gradually ease back into running. I could not start out from almost no running at all for 6 months and be back where I was prior in two weeks time.

Age is a funny thing! I find myself in a love hate relationship with aging. On the one hand for the most part I have become wiser about life in general but on the other hand I know that age has slowed me, caused me to be a little more fragile, I don't recover from a workout as quickly. In other words when it comes to physical things, I need to adjust my thinking and be realistic about where I am in life. That doesn't mean I need to give up and just sit back on the couch watching television and being lazy, it just means I need to adjust to a more realistic attitude concerning my body and it's physical limits.

For about 2 years now I have been struggling in my running because I have an Achilles problem at the insertion point where it ties into the back of the heel. It is sore when I first get up in the morning and takes me a while before I can walk without limping. Until recently I have been unable to run two days in a row without the pain causing me to limp almost all day. When I run it hurts for about a mile or two and then it usually,settles into just a warm feeling but no pain, unless I run hard or longer than 12 miles. The further I go past 12 miles the more intense the pain becomes. I have narrowed the problem down to a Sciatic nerve problem on my left side, making my muscles sore and tight resulting in more tension on the Achilles and the heel. If I take a lot of Ibuprofen I can run more often but as the doctor told me, taking it all the time in the quantities of 2400mgs a day or more, will eventaully damage my kidneys and possibly my liver too. So I stopped taking the Ibuprofen and cut down on my running. This was hard for me to deal with because I love running and have goals that I would still like to accomplish.

Recently my wife read a book called, "The Plan" by Lyn-Genet Recitas. The premise of the book is that some of the so called "healthy" things we eat could actually be bad for us by causing an inflammatory response. My wife was having some leg and knee problems and decided to try the book. Without dieting in the sense of calorie restriction but starting with basic foods that nearly everyone can tolerate and gradually adding others one at a time and looking for a response, she lost 11 pounds in 20 days and her leg and knee problems almost completely went away. The reason being that she had reduced inflammation in her body. She found that she had an inflammatory response to Salmon, some wheat breads, oatmeal and several other things. by eliminating these things from her diet she lost weight and kept it off and her body felt better overall.

I decided that I would give it a try and lost 13 pounds in 20 days. I too found that inflammation in my body was reduced and I could run more often without taking the Ibuprofen. Being able to run more has improved my running. I also feel that staying away from things that are inflammatory like salt and sugar in any large quantities has really helped me have better endurance and recover faster. My whole body responds better overall.

This Sunday I will be running that tough half marathon race that I ran in April of 2000. I have actually run it a few times since that first time and my best time was 1:53:53 in April of 2002, 11 years ago which was one of my best years. I did improve much more later that year qualifying for Boston with a time of 3:33:40 at St George UT. So in all fairness I was not at my peak at that time for this half marathon but still it is my best time ever on that course. I actually beat that time last week, in a practice run of the course, and hope to beat it again this coming Sunday in the actual race. As long as I get decent weather and no physical problems I should beat that time of 11 years ago when I was 49.

Three things have been crucial in getting my back into the form I was in in 11 years ago at this time. First,  I have built up my weekly mileage very slowly. Second, I have listened to my body and when I felt a little too much soreness I did not run, even if my schedule called for it and I did not try and make it up by running more later in the week. Thirdly reducing inflammation in my body through diet. I try to eat foods that I know will agree with me and add additional foods that are known to reduce inflammation.

The race is only a day away so I am getting anxious to see how I actually do in the race. Weather conditions are not going to be ideal as it will be a little warmer, about 60 at the start of the race and close to 70 at the finish with a real feel of 78. Still I believe I can beat my old time and PR on this course 11 years latter. Either way I will write about the race in my next post!

Happy Trails,

Russ