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"Mike's
approach to coaching really brings out the best in your
performance" Chris, Berkshire |
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Before I begin, I should define
my terms. By running naked I don't actually mean
running with no clothes. However, I am sure if that
is what you are interested in there are plenty of
websites to look at on the subject. By naked running
I mean putting that heart rate monitor to one side
and listening to your own body for a change. Heart
rate monitors were invented as a tool to help training
but as I have realised, all too often they take
over. I often feel that it becomes a case of the
tail wagging the dog. Always remember who the boss
is.
My inspiration for this article came after my evening
run with a friend of mine. We were running along
putting the world to rights and enjoying an easy
recovery run. I asked Lander how long we had been
running and he looked at his monitor. Unfortunately
when he saw his heart rate he forgot my question.
"Oh no" came the reply "I am running too fast my
heart rate is 147, and this is supposed to be an
easy run".
Just seconds earlier Lander and I had been chatting
quite happily, which suggests that we were running
well within our aerobic zones. Before the invention
of heart rate monitors our coaches would say that
if we could not talk comfortably then the pace was
too fast for an easy run. Although not rocket science,
it helped me to listen to my body as I trained.
If Lander had been running too fast, his breathing
would have been stronger and he would have struggled
to talk. So in this case I was sure that we were
running at the correct pace. My advice to him was
forget the HRM.
For some reason Lander's heart rate was higher than
expected. There are many possible causes for this,
jogging up hill, being slightly dehydrated, eating
just before running, being unfit, running in hot
weather, a faulty heart rate monitor, running near
electricity pylons………. The monitor can not allow
for these factors!
Unfortunately the psychological damage was done.
Our easy stress release run had now become the cause
of his biggest stress that day……trying to understand
why he had an elevated HR. The more he stressed
the more his HR and blood pressure remained high!
The heart is simply a mechanical pump, which delivers
oxygen to the muscles. The harder you train the
more oxygen is needed and the faster the heart needs
to beat. To achieve the desired training affect,
heart rate monitors have been used effectively,
and training has been placed into different zones
based on heart rates. Although a very valuable training
tool, I sometimes think that many athletes place
too much emphasis on heart rates and not enough
on their perceived work rate.
Sometimes it is important to go out and run naked
( without the HRM). That way you learn to listen
to your body, which will soon tell you to slow down
when you are going too fast. Just as you know through
the intensity of feeling if you are running too
fast.
Sometimes you may be tired and your heart just will
not rise. In this case your monitor will show a
low heart rate and you may mistakenly think you
are running too slow, just because your HR is low.
This does not always mean you are not trying. It
may be dangerous to push harder just because the
monitor is showing a low heart rate. Your body's
defences may be trying to stop you from over training!!
How many of you reading this article have been tested
for blood lactate samples to try and ascertain your
anaerobic threshold? How many have just bought a
monitor and looked up your training zones in a book
or on the internet?
If you have not had your zones scientifically worked
out, you are guessing. The more you use a monitor
the better you will get at guessing. This article
is not designed to scare monger, but merely to get
you to ask more questions and to think more about
what your are doing.
I will give you another example to show why the
guide line figures really are just that and can
be meaningless in many cases. I will use myself
as an example, and calculate some training zones.
The attached table 1 shows typical train zones that
many of you will be familiar with.
Calculating your training zones
Maximum Heart Rate. Unless advised otherwise by
a physician, you may want to run to exhaustion,
to find out your maximum heart rate. Warm up and
then run up a hill for about 5 minutes as hard as
you can. After 5 minutes of maximum effort you heart
rate will max out. However a much easier, but also
less accurate, is to subtract your age from 220.
Thus at 45 I will have a theoretical MHR of 175
Resting Heart Rate To determine your resting heart
rate (RHR) is very easy. Just count your pulse for
one minute on a morning before getting out of bed.
As you get fitter your heart becomes more efficient
at pumping blood around the body. As a result you
will find your resting heart rate gets lower so
you will need to check your RHR on a regular basis
(e.g. Monthly).
Calculation of a zone values
The calculation of a zone value, X%, is performed
in the following way:
Subtract your RHR from your MHR giving the working
heart rate (WHR)
Calculate the required X% on the WHR giving a value
"Z"
Add "Z" and your RHR together to give us the final
value
Example: Mike Trees, MHR is 177 and RHR is 27 -
determine the 70% value
MHR - RHR = 177-27 = 150
70% of 150 = 105
105 + RHR = 105 + 27 = 132 bpm
I have used myself to show how we are all different
and do not simply fit into the guidelines. At 45
my suggested max HR is (220-age) 175 so not too
far out there, but as my resting heart rate is very
low, it throws all the models out.
If you do want to use a monitor remember who is
the boss and make sure you understand the variables..
According to the tables an easy run for me should
be at 60-70% so my minimum should be 117 and max
about 132, however my recovery run will nearly always
be run at about 95-110, which is theoretically too
slow. My race pace should be about 80% which would
be 147, however I am able to hold around 170HR at
10km race pace.
Through years of interval training and teaching
my body to become efficient I have achieved these
figures. It is only after I am comfortable at a
certain training pace that I will use a HRM to see
what the HR is for any perceived effort. For me
the perceived effort is always a more valuable tool
than the HRM
Rest up your HRM from time to time and listen to
your body.
I will give another example of how complex hearts
rates are
Remember that I said my resting heart rate is 27.
If I double it, it is 54. If I double it again it
is 108. Amazingly this is about the maximum pace
that I run my easy runs at. Although the books say
I should run faster
Let me take my wife Rieko, as an example. Her resting
HR is around 50. If we double it, it is 100, double
it again that is 200. This is her maximum heart
rate
At 27 beats, per minute my body is able to pump
enough blood around itself for me to function adequately
at rest, while Rieko needs 50 beats. But for my
easy run I must raise my resting heart rate 4 times
my resting pulse, while Rieko must only raise her
resting heart race two and half times
I hope I am starting to show that all our heart
rates and bodies are different, and listening to
our own body is much more effective than blindly
following what the monitor says we should do. Although
HRM's may have some good points they are just a
tool, that would be better understood by using them
less frequently, and by listening to our bodies
more often.
TABLE ONE: Training zones are based on a percentage
of your maximum heart rate. Within each training
zone subtle physiological effects take place to
enhance your fitness.
The Recovery Zone - 60% to 70%
Training within this zone develops basic endurance
and aerobic capacity. All easy recovery training
should be completed at a maximum of 70 %. Another
advantage to training in this zone is that while
you are happily fat burning you may lose weight
and you will be allowing your muscles to re-energise
with glycogen, which has been expended during those
faster paced work-outs.
The Aerobic Zone - 70% to 80%
Training in this zone will develop your cardiovascular
system. The body's ability to transport oxygen to,
and carbon dioxide away from, the working muscles
can be developed and improved. As you become fitter
and stronger from training in this zone it will
be possible to some of your longer runs at up to
75%, so getting the benefits of some fat burning
and improved aerobic capacity.
The Anaerobic Zone - 80% to 90%
Training in this zone will develop your Anaerobic
Threshold. In this zone your individual anaerobic
threshold is found. During this training glycogen
is the main source of energy. This training will
help you to race faster, as your body will develop
an ability to use less oxygen, it will become more
efficient. Training in this zone is ideal for races
up to about 2hours in length
The Red Line Zone 90% to 100%
Training in this zone will only be possible for
short periods of time. It effectively trains your
ability to develop speed. Only the very fit can
train in this zone, but it is vital for sprint finishes
Why not go beyond the article and have us train
you 1-to-1 to meet and exceed your running and triathlon
goals - contact us.
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