Resting Heart Rate 38BPM: Running a Worthless Pace?

Are u srs?

Runningslowtoad wrote:

My resting heart rate is between 35-38BPM. I got a heart rate monitor chest strap. According to the data, when I run a 6.5moh pace, my heart rate is only 110ish max.

In order to get my heart rate to 130 BPMs, I had to increase my pace to 7.3mph minimum.

So all these years I have been out running a 9:40/ mile for 5-7 miles but doing nothing for my fitness.

I started running cause I was a fatty. Lost 90 pounds and have kept the weight off for years. But I am burning like no calories now. According to today's run, after 50 minutes and 5 Miles, I had burned 295 calories.

Should I force myself to run faster? Should I start doing less cardio to get out of shape so my heart rate will get higher at slower paces?

Do whatever the hell you want and stop looking for validation. You're an adult.

Yes. I am trying to figure out what I am doing.

I'm not professional runners like you guys, just a former fatty who used running as a tool.

Am I really at the point where my easy runs need to be a little harder?

As a 40 year old who had never ran a mile before age 32, I have no idea what I am doing... Other than just running.

My competitive times:

5k - 6:50/mile

13.1 - 7:18/mile

But I don't do any training to run faster. When there is a local run I just go run as fast as I can for as long as I can. In real life runs, I don't run anywhere near that pace.

Runningslowtoad wrote:

My resting heart rate is between 35-38BPM. I got a heart rate monitor chest strap. According to the data, when I run a 6.5moh pace, my heart rate is only 110ish max.

In order to get my heart rate to 130 BPMs, I had to increase my pace to 7.3mph minimum.

So all these years I have been out running a 9:40/ mile for 5-7 miles but doing nothing for my fitness.

I started running cause I was a fatty. Lost 90 pounds and have kept the weight off for years. But I am burning like no calories now. According to today's run, after 50 minutes and 5 Miles, I had burned 295 calories.

Should I force myself to run faster? Should I start doing less cardio to get out of shape so my heart rate will get higher at slower paces?

I am more extreme than that. 30bpm. When fit I need to get to 6mm pace (10mph) to get into the 130s. I have run 7:15 pace at 100bpm.

Makes no difference. No prizes for low HR. Just different factors that stop me running fast.

As you get fitter you’re going to have to run farther and faster, increase the intensity of the workouts, to continue to improve as a runner

Runningslowtoad wrote:

In order to get my heart rate to 130 BPMs, I had to increase my pace According to today's run, after 50 minutes and 5 Miles, I had burned 295 calories.

You know walking a mile burns almost the same amount of calories as running 4 minute mile? Watch algorithms for caloric expenditure are based on the same formula so that is impossible. Even if by miracle, your body could do this, your watch would not be able to calculate it as the algorithm would not allow it.

Are you saying my watch is under or over estimating calories?

This running stuff gets really confusing when you try to figure out how much to eat to properly stay fueled but not overestimate and weight more making it harder to get faster.

Runningslowtoad wrote:

Are you saying my watch is under or over estimating calories?

This running stuff gets really confusing when you try to figure out how much to eat to properly stay fueled but not overestimate and weight more making it harder to get faster.

Stop counting calories and stop wearing a HR monitor. Problem solved.

If it feels too easy, run faster. If it feels too hard, run slower. Your easy pace runs should be conversational, but fast enough that when you hit a hill you’ll start huffing and puffing a bit.

Also, please never list your PR as a pace.

You also seem like you’re only running easy miles. You’ll make yourself a better runner in general if you throw in some tempo runs or speed sessions every once in a while.

Those numbers are my average over competitive races.

My PR's

5K - 6:25/mi (Feb 2016)

13.1 - 7:13/mi (Jan 2017)

start at the beginning.

First, what are you trying to improve or accomplish? If you are trying to lose weight through burning more calories, certain strategies would be appropriate. IF you are trying to get faster, other strategies could be better use of your time. ANd if faster, do you want to be faster at any particular distance?

Or perhaps you just want to be a better all-around runner.

WIthout knowing what you want, it's hard to give good advice.

You're doing great.

You're going about this the right way.

My recommendation is to not make any major changes, and to keep doing what you're doing.

Right now your half marathon is better than your 5K. Your 9:40 pace is fine for daily easy runs.

You can try 1000m repeats on the track a little slower than 5k pace. For you, Tinman's calculator says based on your 5k time, CV pace (Critical Velocity, one of Tinman's favorite paces) is 4:20 to 4:26, so run 1000m in 4:20 to 4:26, jog 200m, do it again until you've done 4 or 5 of them. Do this once a week, and see how you feel and how you race after you've done a few weeks of CV workouts.

Since your weight is currently good, no need to worry about estimated number of calories burned. Also, unless you know your actual maximum heart rate (formulas often don't work) it's impossible to figure target heart rate ranges. Do you have heart rate data from a 5k or half-marathon race?

Tinman's Calculator is here:

http://www.runfastcoach.com/calc2/index.php

There are many other workouts you can do. I happen to like CV pace so start there.

Good luck and let us know what happens!

Thanks. That was really helpful.

Btw my weight is down to 137. I started out at 220lbs with a huge beer belly look. I was around 30% body fat. Now I am around 5-6% according to calipers with 3-site and 7-site testing.

As far as goals... I don't know what they are. I mainly want to stay not fat, but wouldn't mind being a better runner.

Looks like I need to run around the 8:00/mile mark and try to make that my easy pace.

With your half marathon time, the same calculator gives 9:27 to 9:47/mile as the range for easy pace.