Heart Monitor Training For The Compleat Idiot by John L. Parker Jr.
SUMMARY: Great ideas, let’s see if they work.
After buying a treadmill, I wanted to learn how to use it the most efficient way possible. I started learning about aerobic and anaerobic zones, and heart monitors, etc. I found this book mentioned on Amazon in the review of another book. I read reviews, and many people seemed to like it. So I bought it. I have been pleased so far. The author even offers a guarantee in the begining of the book that if after a month of following the training theories in the book , that if you don’t see improvements, he will take the book back, and refund your money, and send you a certificate of apology.
He uses zones calculated using max heart rate and morning resting heart rate. So 70% of max is (MHR - RHR) *.70 + RHR. He recommends recovery days be run at under 70%. Hard days at over 85%. And that hard days be followed by at least one, if not two recovery days. The theory being that the sub 70% workouts build an aerobic base. The hard workouts help build speed and seem to ‘reset’ the pace needed to reach 70% on the recovery days.
I have been following this program for about a week, and am already seeing slight improvements. I am having to go just a little faster to keep my HR near 70%. And after doing eight miles on the treadmill with my HR under 70% I feel fine. I also did six miles on the treadmill last night as well in addition to a two mile walk. Supposedly keeping you HR down, it teaches the muscles to burn fat more efficiently. And after training at under 70%, your speed will increase while maintaining this low HR. And keeping your HR low, you don’t get as worn out, and are less likely to be injured.
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I tried to take my morning resting heart rate. Last night I left my heart rate monitor on my night stand. When I woke up this morning, actually it was when woke up in the middle of the night about 3:30am, I laid the strap across my chest. I picked up the watch and it registered 0. I dampened the contacts, and laid the strap across my chest, and tried again. Now it was registering 90 because I had been moving around setting up. I laid there, and tried to relax. My HR quickly dropped down to the 60’s. But I know my HR is lower than that, because I have measured it in the 50’s sitting at my desk at work (as low as 52). I shifted positions, to see it if would be lower. Each time I wanted to see my HR, I had to lift my head, and the watch, and press the button to light the watch since it was 3:30am, and dark. I finally strapped the monitor part to my chest, and let myself doze off. I woke up a few minutes later, and pressed the button. I was getting readings all over the place. 55 was common, but I got as low as 51 beats per minutes. I was a really pain in the butt. I want to get another heart rate montior with some other features such as coded transmission, etc. Maybe I will get one that will record the HR over time, and can download it into my computer. Then I can strap the monitor, go to sleep, and see in the morning how low it truly gets.
Last week I ordered a pulse meter that will read my pulse from my finger tip. I can leave this beside my bed, and read my HR in the morning. Maybe it will be easier than trying to do it with the strap and watch.
I am feeling yesterday’s running in my legs today. Part of me wants to do more treadmill work, do a recovery run tonight. But part of me says I should rest. I have a wierd phantom pain in my left leg that comes and disappears. It appears on my left shin, and feels like my leg will collapse. So maybe tonight I will rest the legs, and maybe punch on my heavy bag. I remember from years ago when I dabbled in bodybuilding that you staggered your workouts so that you gave the muscles 48 hours to rebuild. But I doing recovery runs and keeping my HR below 70% so that lactic acid is not produced in high quantities may be different. It is not like doing hard runs on consecutive days.
This is tough as I am not usually one to give in to fatigue or pain. But I think it is the correct thing to do. But darn, I want to get my miles in. Grrrr…
Today was scheduled to be my hard day. I was planning to take a easy warm up run 60-65% for 1.5 miles, do a hard run (>85%) for 3 miles, then do a easy (60-65%) cool down run for 1.5 miles. But I decided to do a max heart rate test. I walked about a half mile at a quick pace for a warm up. Then I jogged up a hill for about 150-200 yards. Then I jogged down. I then jogged faster up the hill, and jogged down. Then I ran up the hill, and walked-jogged down. Then I drove up the hill about as hard as I could. I made it most of the way up before my body needed to slow down. My heart rate hit 193. I was breathing hard, and had a pain in my side. I walked back down the hill, and headed home. When I got home, I got on the treadmill and ran 2 miles. I tried to go at 10:30 or 11:00 minute miles, but it was tough. I ended up dropping down to 12:00 minute miles. But I did keep my heart rate up above 171 (85%). I was going to try for 3 miles, but I was just tired. I dropped the speed down, and did another mile and a half keeping my heart rate at 60-65%.
When I walk at a brisk pace ~4.3 mph and my HR is <70%, I feel I can easily go the 26.2 miles. But as soon as I start to jog or run, and my HR goes up, after a little while, I think there is no way I can do 26.2 miles of this. I hope I get to the point I jog/run and maintain a sub 70% heart rate!
After reading Dean Karnazes’ book Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner , and learning of his 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, I became intrigued. The one for New York state is of course on in New York City. That’s a long drive from Rochester. But the one in Cleveland , OH is much closer. It is going to take place on October 20, 2006. It is not an actual marathon, but they will be running the actual course of the Cleveland Marathon. There will be a police escort, and rolling road closures. The rough time of the course will be 4:30 to 5:00 hours or 10:00 to 11:40 minutes per mile pace. That is still kind of fast for where I am at now. I know I can complete a Marathon, even if I have to walk some or most of it. But my brick walking pace of 4.3 mph is slower than the pace needed. I can jog fast or run faster, but then my heart rate goes up, and I know I wouldn’t be able to hold that pace for 26.2 miles. I am going to keep pluging away. I might try to sign up, and I could at least stick with the group for a half marathon, maybe… I don’t know. It would be fun though.