Heart rate questions

80 for a resting HR? Are you sure?

I would attempt to figure out what your actual max HR is and then take a percentage of that for your base training. Your manx HR will be determined largely by two factors- age and heredity. The 220 minus your age is just a guess. It is not necessarily the best way to determine your max HR because there are so many factors involved. Run a hard mile running all out over the last 300 and then take your pulse immediately. This will give you a better reading on your max HR. I would think that your resting HR would be around 50-60 beats a minute.

I just put on my HR montor and got a reading of 73 for the lowest value. I have been suffering from a serious case of the flu for the past 5 days and it's almost gone now, although I still feel a little sick. could that be the cause of the high HR?

Flu could do it. either that or you are in a stale, overtrained state. Have you been overloading your efforts lately?

Actually I haven't trained for a week due to the flu.

The flu can have a very dramatic effect on your heart rate. Do not consider any readings taken while being sick as your resting heart rate. To get most the accurate reading, wait until you are feeling better, than lie flat on your back for at least five minutes. It is important to get an accurate reading of your resting heart rate, as it's just as important for calculating your training zones.

To determine to maximum heart rate, the most accurate way is to be tested in lab, but that can be expensive. The poor man's way is run a very even paced 5k, then sprint like hell for the last 200-400 meters - whatever will get you across the line completely worn out.

I know one person suggested running an all out mile. That may work for you, but most people need to run over 10 minutes to get their hearts up to maximum. The problem is that your legs will fill with lactic acid before your heart has a change to reach its maximum.

To calculate your zones correctly for running use the Kavorian (sp) formula. It goes like this ...

Target = Min + ((Max - Min) * Effort)

This is your heart rate reserve. Here's an example of a person who has a resting heart rate of 50 and a maximum heart rate of 200, trying to run at 70% effort ...

Target = 50 + ((200 - 50) * .70) = 155

Warm-ups and cool-downs should be down between 60 and 70 percent. Base mileage should be done between 70 and 80 percent. Lactic threshold sessions should be done between 80 and 85 percent. Anaerobic repeats should be over 85 percent by the end of the repeat.

When doing base mileage, warm-up and get your heart rate up to 70%. Then, stay at that pace for the duration of the run. As your run continues, your heart rate should increase slowly due to heat, dehydration, and fatigue. Thus, you may need a fudge factor for hot, humid days depending on how well your body deals with heat.

Hopefully, this is helpful without too many spelling errors.

Who has a better heart rate, Ritz or Webb?

I had always heard that lactic threshold w/o's should be 85-90% rather than 80-85. Your thoughts?