Could shouting to a friend cost me a minute in 15k?

Why would you know what your heart rate is in a race, are you a triathlete?

Anyway with a heart rate that low it's safe to say you weren't running very hard.

Straw M Thoroughman wrote:

Why would you know what your heart rate is in a race, are you a triathlete?

Good call. And the shouting out part too. Was the OP going backwards and zig zagging all over the course at the turn around?

Fisky is a troll you guys. Same guy who didn't know how to make chocolate milk and other similarly stupid stuff.

It was approaching the turnaround. One of my training partners had made the turn already and I was shouting to her. She was 5th place female and I was shouting out to her that she was fifth and that she could catch the women ahead. Normally, I would only grunt "Way to go" or wave, but she was with a group doing it as a training run and she had started way back in the pack. She must have change her mind, but she still didn't pass me until mile two. I thought she might not have realized after her slow start that she had a shot at placing in the top three. That's why I was shouting.

On HR, I was wearing a Garmin that took mile splits, plus I took some manual splits. That's how I noticed the sudden jump in HR. Anyway, it's a serious question. I maintained the same effort so I should have been going a few seconds per mile faster since going back was slightly downhill. Instead, my HR stayed high and my pace slowed ~15 seconds/mile.

I think you'll find this community suits your needs much better:

Alternate:

I'd hardly call 160 to 165 a "spike". That's more of a natural progression, and kind of low for a race. Seems more like training run intensity.

I used to wear a HRM in races. Until I realized the HRM was holding me back.

OP should consider races "business". You wear your business suit (singlet and flats) to races.

If races aren't business, you should not be worried about losing a minute, right?

Do you shout at co-workers at your place of business?

I never look at HR during a race. I look at the data afterwards.

After this race, I was wondering why I lost some time over the last 3-4 miles. I was ready to chalk it up to lack of fitness (and maybe that's what it was). Then, I looked at my splits. They were something like this. Note that these were averages for each split.

154 158 159 160 159 160 160 165 165 165 164 165 165 174

The splits weren't evenly spaced by distance, but the rise from 160 to 165 came on a split between 4.9 and 5.0 miles. My pace and the terrain didn't change. Only three things out of the ordinary happened... a 180 around the cone, chewed a GU gummy, and shouted over to my friend. The first two should have no impact, so that left the conversation as the only difference.

For me, 5bpm faster is usually about 20 seconds per mile faster, but my pace didn't change at all until I slowed beginning at mile six.

I just wondered if anyone else had experienced this. Regardless, I probably won't yell at other runners again in a race.

fisky wrote:

Only three things out of the ordinary happened... a 180 around the cone, chewed a GU gummy, and shouted over to my friend.

Wtf?

It's a 15k, not an ultra through the woods.

Yes, shouting to your friend would cause a heart rate spike, and a slowing of your pace.

Le Foot wrote:

Since I think this might be real, here is some real advice.

Thanks for a serious reply. I agree that my fitness isn't what it ought to be. You are probably right.

Some say the devil is dead wrote:

Wow, of the top five idiots currently on LetsRun, three of them (fisky, Straw M Thoroughman, J.R.) have posted in this thread. I wonder if 3/5 has ever happened before. All that's missing is Nutella1 and NotAustin18 and we'd have a full house.

How about Flagpole?

Some say the devil is dead wrote:

Wow, of the top five idiots currently on LetsRun, three of them (fisky, Straw M Thoroughman, J.R.) have posted in this thread. I wonder if 3/5 has ever happened before. All that's missing is Nutella1 and NotAustin18 and we'd have a full house.

You sell yourself short.

4/5

fisky wrote:

Only three things out of the ordinary happened... a 180 around the cone, chewed a GU gummy, and shouted over to my friend. The first two should have no impact, so that left the conversation as the only difference.

I would say the gummy would have a greater effect. It interrupts your normal breathing more than shouting would.

That said, none of those things added a minute to your time. You were running at an easy pace and took it too easy for part of the course.

Sub16_5K wrote:

Some say the devil is dead wrote:

Wow, of the top five idiots currently on LetsRun, three of them (fisky, Straw M Thoroughman, J.R.) have posted in this thread. I wonder if 3/5 has ever happened before. All that's missing is Nutella1 and NotAustin18 and we'd have a full house.

How about Flagpole?

Flagpole makes some really funny posts. He definitely has intellect of some kind even if he's way off the mark other times. He's not in the top 5. Top 5 idiots on LetsRun is elite company reserved for truly fascinating pieces of idiotic work, not just trolls.

Some say the devil is dead wrote:

Sub16_5K wrote:

How about Flagpole?

Flagpole makes some really funny posts. He definitely has intellect of some kind even if he's way off the mark other times. He's not in the top 5. Top 5 idiots on LetsRun is elite company reserved for truly fascinating pieces of idiotic work, not just trolls.

You have the goods but you are not fulfilling your potential. likely this trait impacts all aspects of your life.

Some say the devil is dead wrote:

Flagpole makes some really funny posts. He definitely has intellect of some kind even if he's way off the mark other times. He's not in the top 5. Top 5 idiots on LetsRun is elite company reserved for truly fascinating pieces of idiotic work, not just trolls.

By the way, I'm Flagpole.

Some say the devil is dead wrote:

Some say the devil is dead wrote:

Flagpole makes some really funny posts. He definitely has intellect of some kind even if he's way off the mark other times. He's not in the top 5. Top 5 idiots on LetsRun is elite company reserved for truly fascinating pieces of idiotic work, not just trolls.

By the way, I'm Flagpole.

Ha! You wish, brother (and yes I realize that someone else stole your name to make that comment).

WEJO, DO AN IP CHECK, AND IF I AM "SOME SAY THE DEVIL IS DEAD" THEN BAN ME FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!