bulletooth wrote:
I also keep an eye on HR during workouts. Not to shape it really, or run to it, but it's incredibly useful to reign you in, especially if it's hot or you know you are maybe under the weather going in. It's probably saved me in a few weeks where previously I wouldn't have scaled back the workouts. I can usually tell when I'm in trouble. On the 60-90 second rests when it's super hot or under the weather my HR doesn't fall like when I'm in the condition to push the boundaries a bit. It's so much less stressful than having to have only a few seconds when under stress to take your pulse properly etc.
Actually these days, I think RPE can sometimes fool me into a false sense of security. HR I especially find useful on the easy running and can't imagine doing something like measuring pulse manually etc. I used to be that guy but my goodness me, I wish i had come to the modern world sooner!
I don't think there is anything wrong with using no tech if you really don't want to. But there is almost certainly new pieces of information you can learn about making your training better. Even if it's just a GPS watch and HR monitor.
These are super valid points, Parkrunner2 and bulletooth, and maybe as I continue with my training I'll rethink my low-tech approach. One thing to clarify is that I take my heart rate 45-60 seconds after the conclusion of my last rep, so it's not an immediate "stop running and start counting" kind of thing. This way I'm measuring where my HR would be at the beginning of another interval, if I were to run one.
I did have one week where I was slow to realize that I was pushing the envelope and building up unwanted fatigue. After that, I was very deliberate about slowing my paces down the following week or two. I try to go into every workout with an open mind in terms of hitting my paces, and remind myself that it's totally valid to be 5 secs/km slower (or more) than the previous week if I'm underslept, or it's windy, or humid or whatever. But I genuinely believe that there's something to be gained from learning how to restrain yourself without constant exposure to data.
It seems to me that the difference in our approaches is that a HR monitor essentially offers a guardrail *during* workouts to help recalibrate the effort level if needed, whereas going without one means that you might run an entire workout too hard. The flip side is that you occasionally might go slightly easier without a HR monitor as well, which isn't such a bad thing. Either way, it's up to you to reassess before the next workout, and to hold yourself accountable and be patient with your paces.
As many have pointed out, the best measurement of whether you're running the workouts at the correct intensity is: Can I do this again in two days? That question is always in the back of my mind, even or especially when I'm feeling fresh, and the temptation is there to open up my stride a little.
