Hi friends..have posted a few threads here regarding my fairly boring return to some casual jogging activity after years of being sedentary...as it turns out I guess I've been doing some light jogging (about 4 - 5 miles per week) for 5 months now and -just now- having what seem like my first breakthroughs in terms of gaining some cardio condition. Age 49/M/5'11 height, about 195 lbs.
This morning I was doing my usual boring slow-jog around the track, what I've built up to ... 6 laps, 1.5 miles. However when I returned home and studied the data from my garmin vivoactive 4 watch, was really surprised to see something that seems new.
Typically when running, during the past few months, my heart rate hovers around 150 for the first few laps and slowly works its way up to a max of 181 by the last lap.
Today, after the second lap, it looks like my heart rate went DOWN from 172 to 162, and hovered around 162 - 165 for the rest of my run.
That matches what I felt. Today's run felt easier than other days, not difficult at all. Felt like I was "driving" myself around the track, steering the direction, listening to tunes while my legs more or less free-wheeling. lol.
While recognizing that the cardio "condition" described here is subpar at best compared to others who post here, still, it's a heck of a long way from where I was half a year ago when I could hardly even finish one lap without gasping for air by the end.
Here's the question for today: Is it possible that my heart rate could have really *dropped* after the second lap, and stayed down? Is that how it's supposed to work when you start getting some condition?
And if that's what's happening...how should I alter my jogging, if at all? Felt like I could have kept going for a longer run today, but my legs get pretty sore. Need to keep building those up too.