SLOOOOOWWWWW run

[imagine330]

So i went for a run today, with one goal in mind....to keep my heart rate LOW!...since it appears it's been WAY too high on previous runs.....and let me say...it was SOOOO slow....faster than a walk (thank god) but i think i was running 13:55/km pace and i kept having to remind myself to slow down!...

i'm going again tomorrow.....so will try it again.....i'm hoping that as the days go by, my heart rate stays the same, but my speed and distance increase.........i already miss my "normal" runs.....but i guess this is the better way to go about things!!!

[RichBeQuick]

I did the same thing today. Ran at a nice slowww pace down to the river (about 3km) for a nice swim and then back. It was 35 here in Calgary at the time, thought i'd have a heat stroke if I went any faster. Very nice and relaxing to have a slow run though eh.

[imagine330]

was very hot here too!! you are right...i have a little bit more time to enjoy the scenery!!..haha

[Kelodie]

You will improve if you keep working hard.

If it was very hot outside, it will have influenced your heart rate while running.

[moof324]

I started HR training on Sunday, and it's so frustrating! I understand completely! (To confess though, at one point I decided to say screw it, I'm running...and picked it up to test my max HR...you know, since I was finally wearing my monitor and all... ) I'm hopeful that with a few months of HR training I'll become a stronger runner...and you will too! Hang in there!

[Dstew]

I did the same thing today. Ran at a nice slowww pace down to the river (about 3km) for a nice swim and then back. It was 35 here in Calgary at the time, thought i'd have a heat stroke if I went any faster. Very nice and relaxing to have a slow run though eh.

Wimp

Did a hard 7 K in around 1:00 pm - could not figure out why I had the bike path to myself. You missed the joys of minor heat exhaustion - sure makes the afternoon go by quicker! You missed the joys of heat exhaustion - sure made the the afternoon go by quicker.

In all seriousness, very well hydrated before, during and after. Hat, sun screen and a comfortable distance. But having said that, there is something quite pleasant about a slow run on a hot day and watching the world spin by and even stop to smell the roses.



And on topic: I have to tip my cap to anyone who has the discipline to do heart rate training. It drove me crazy to run as slow as all of the charts say I have to and although I knew it was going to be a gradual progression, I quit doing that sort of training before it really started to pay off. My personality and disposition is more suited to faster paces regardless of what is actually the best for me.

[imagine330]

anyone have any sort of idea how long it will take for my speed to increase if i keep running at my set LOW heart rate??...just wanna know what i'm getting myself into here!!!

i just got back from my run today.....and i was a touch slower today...but my heart rate was also one bpm less than yesterday...i'm hoping that my speed will increase a bit soon!.....

[abhainn]

We're talking months here, not days or weeks.

I quit after 6months. I did see improvements - went from walking to 50/50 walk/run - but I got bored with it and decided to throw in a few real run days, and pretty soon I was running all the time again. My heart rate was lower when I ran than it had been before though, so to a certain extent it did work. But again it takes a very long time and from what I understand unless you are very committed not many people keep it up.

[imagine330]

i don't think i could last longer than 2 weeks at this speed cuz it's so slow!!....would it still be beneficial to maybe mix it up by doing one slow run one day and one normal run the next?......or does that kinda defeat the whole purpose??....

[abhainn]

From what I recall, if you start mixing things up right from the start you're not training by heart rate, so yeah it defeats the purpose. You have to build a solid consistent base before you can add things to it to get the best results. I was following the Maffetone method and the base building phase was anywhere from 3 to 6 months depending on fitness levels, or longer in some cases.

[turd ferguson]

I did the same thing today. Ran at a nice slowww pace down to the river (about 3km) for a nice swim and then back. It was 35 here in Calgary at the time, thought i'd have a heat stroke if I went any faster. Very nice and relaxing to have a slow run though eh.

Wimp

Did a hard 7 K in around 1:00 pm - could not figure out why I had the bike path to myself. You missed the joys of minor heat exhaustion - sure makes the afternoon go by quicker! You missed the joys of heat exhaustion - sure made the the afternoon go by quicker.

I did the 14th Street loop at about the same time (out on the north side, back on the south side) at tempo pace, on the theory that it was better to get out and get back inside as quickly as possible. I didn't want to be out there for an hour. Spent about a kilometer trying not to get run over by the Big Bike.

[Dstew]

I did the same thing today. Ran at a nice slowww pace down to the river (about 3km) for a nice swim and then back. It was 35 here in Calgary at the time, thought i'd have a heat stroke if I went any faster. Very nice and relaxing to have a slow run though eh.

Wimp

Did a hard 7 K in around 1:00 pm - could not figure out why I had the bike path to myself. You missed the joys of minor heat exhaustion - sure makes the afternoon go by quicker! You missed the joys of heat exhaustion - sure made the the afternoon go by quicker.

I did the 14th Street loop at about the same time (out on the north side, back on the south side) at tempo pace, on the theory that it was better to get out and get back inside as quickly as possible. I didn't want to be out there for an hour. Spent about a kilometer trying not to get run over by the Big Bike.

Up Center street, crest of the hill down the dirt trail, back to the top and then to 10th street and eventually south side of the Bow so we must have been the same area around the same time.

Had hopped to do the 40/40 double - had done 10 K at - 45 wind chill this winter but the best so far this year was yesterday at 35 Humidex.

[Ironboy]

One way to improve your low end cardio endurance is to work your high end.

Interval training, 800m or 1km repeats are a good way to do this. Unfortunately for a beginner it can lead to injury if your legs are not used to that kind of wear and tear.

If you've been running for a while, it might be time to try adding this to your weekly repertoire.

[babysteps]

I don't know...I think 13:55 is slower than walking pace. When I go for a "walk" (as in to get some exercise not just sauntering around) I do about a 10:00/km maybe 11:00/km at times. I'm wondering if maybe you should spend some time walking faster than 13:55 and getting your heart rate into the right zone while walking. The gradually add some running minutes here and there but not so much that you raise your HR above the level your shooting for.

Of course, I'm not doing HR training so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

[imagine330]

i tried walking later.....and i can't get my heart rate to where it needs to be...it sticks right around 110-115...and i tried crazy fast power walking..and nothing...the only thing that bumped me up to about 125 was having to carry my l18lb lazy dog back home from our walk because she was tired...haha...

[MichaelMc]

Maybe I missed the thread here. What heart rate are you aiming at, and what HR training plan are you following? One shouldn't have to go ridiculously slow.

[candlerun]

I am curious on the 13:55/km pace also. During my walking warmups and cool downs, my pace also tends to be around 10-11min/km. Walking to the beat of a nice dance mix would get you to the 10-11 mark or even a 130-140 beat per min techno music would do that also...

As far as the HR training... I am curious to try out this for myself so I have something to work towards goal wise here. It will truly test my patience that is for sure!

[imagine330]

im just trying to lower my heart rate....most of my runs before were about 165-175ish for heart rate........i'm looking to run at about 60-70% of my working heart rate......which is about 147bpm. I originally calculated my target herat rate at 60-70% being around 125ish.....but in doing more reading found out that it was calculated wrong....and i shuold be aimed more for 147bpm.

My run today i averaged about 145bpm.....and my pace was 11:52 which is better but i still felt like i kept having to slow myself down and felt i was still going pretty darn slow!.......

[MichaelMc]

im just trying to lower my heart rate....most of my runs before were about 165-175ish for heart rate........i'm looking to run at about 60-70% of my working heart rate......which is about 147bpm. I originally calculated my target herat rate at 60-70% being around 125ish.....but in doing more reading found out that it was calculated wrong....and i shuold be aimed more for 147bpm.

My run today i averaged about 145bpm.....and my pace was 11:52 which is better but i still felt like i kept having to slow myself down and felt i was still going pretty darn slow!.......

Ok, 125ish was very low. Given your ability to run 165-175ish without major discomfort I would guess your max HR to be in the 190 range and that would put your "easy" run HR target pretty close to your new goal range (lets say 150bpm). Does your program have any higher HR running, or is it strictly "aerobic range" stuff?

As for how quickly you're likely to see improvement, that is fairly individual. From your introductory post I understand you've just gotten back into running, so you can expect some fairly quick gains from your body becoming more efficient. I have a detailed chart somewhere showing some guesstimated timelines on what order things improve, but generally the first thing is your muscle co-ordination, as your body "learns" how to run smoothly. After that your blood volume increases to adapt to the increased exercise, and your muscles become stronger. As this goes on your cardiovascular system begins to adapt to feed the extra oxygen and blood your working muscles require.

The initial big gains in speed are primarily efficiency related; doing the same amount of work with less effort. Later on your stonger muscles and improved aerobic system will allow you to do MORE work. Gains tend to be big to start, then steadily improve for a year or two with no major changes in program (other than running faster at the same effort level).

Do a little test run once a month on a known course (same HR, what is your time). Do be aware of the fact that weather (and daily variations, work stress etc) can affect HR, so don't hang all your expectations on one test, but generally you should see steady improvements month to month.

[La]

Have you had your zones tested or are you just using the standard 220-age formula to get your max and go from there? You might have a higher max HR than the formula would suggest, which would affect your training zones.

What pace are you running when your HR is in 165-175?

[imagine330]

Hey...my pace where my heart rate is 165-175ish is about 7:00/km......the last little bit my heart rate has been around 168-170........

I found a link on runner's world i think.....that talked about max heart rate and working heart rate etc. I think my max heart rate is 195 maybe? (i forget and am too lazy to look it up again right now...lol).......it wasn't the standard 220-age thing..there was a bit more to it than that....

i haven't actually had my heart rate zones "tested" so i'm sure they might be off and bit...but hopefully in the sam ballpark!...

[VeloCarrie]

This is from my Nike Triax C5 book:

Heart Rate Intensity Chart

This is another way to gauge your approxiate heart rate zones basedon sex, age, and weight. Starting with your max heart rate, use the chart to help calculate your zones depending on the intensity of your workout. Note this formula may not work for everyone.

Find your Max Heart Rate:
210 - (0.7 x age)

Determine your Target Heart Rate Zones (Intensities)

Light Intensity (60-70% of Max HR)
Exercise in this range at the start of a workout or to recover from a tough workout or race. You should be able to easily maintain a conversation while exercising at this intensity.

Moderate Intensity (70-80% of Max HR)
Exercise in this range to develop endurance and prepare your muscles to make the transition from aerobic to anaerobic. You should be able to maintain this for a while. You should not be compeltely breathless and this should not hurt.

Heavy Intensity (80-90% of Max HR)
Exercise in this range to increase muscle strength and improve your anaerobic threshold. This is uncomfortable. You should be breathing very heavily. You should only be able to sustain this for a brief time.

Maximum Intensity (90-100% of Max HR)
Exercise in this range to increase mental toughness, Max VO2 and tolerance to lactic acid. This is very uncomfortable. You can barely sustain it. You should be completely breathless. Do not exercise at this intensity except on the advice of a trained medical professional.

[MichaelMc]

Please don't go by a formula to figure out your max HR: they have no validity for individuals. The formulas always calculate a steady decline in max HR based on age. This is reflected in the general population due to the fact people's health declines with age ON AVERAGE, but doesn't neccessarily happen to any individual and for obvious reasons isn't reflected in runner populations. People with bad hearts don't tend to run. My max HR has not changed in the 25 years I have measured it. My older brother's max (which is higher than mine) hasn't changed either, we are not the exception.

If you are taking the time to do HR based training either have it measured, do your own max test or use some method to estimate it with a sub-max test. Here is a pretty good summary of Max HR testing: http://www.howtobefit.com/determine-max ... t-rate.htm

Alternately, a series of 3-4 increasingly fast 400m runs, with the last one flat out will probably get you close to max. Races are best, as there is lots of motivation.

Michael

[imagine330]

also in reading...i found that you should be taking the percentage of your WORKING heart rate NOT your max heart......if i were to run 60-70% of my MAX HR based on that chart i would have to run at about 114bpm....which would be PRETTY LOW! wouldn't it??? (it was kind of one of thosse charts that i used where i got the 125bpm that i thoguht was "right") The one from runners world mentioned that it shuold be the percentage of your working heart rate (your max minus your resting) and that seems more normal.

I would like to figure out my TRUE maxHR sometime....but i'm okay with just a ballpark figure for right now....at least to know if i am mostly heading in the right direction!..haha im not on a strict HR plan....but it's nice to know that i shouldn't be running ALL my runs at 177bpm etc!....

MichealMC: your info is great....THANKS!!!