8 Feb 2010
A whole lotta heart
Anyone that knows me knows that I have a big heart and more often than not wear it proudly on my sleeve. It is in that vain that I feel its probably appropriate to share my heart on here… well… my heart rate training that is.
Recently I have been focused on heart rate training for a few reasons:
1. It works.
2. Time and conditions make it easy.
3. I have a specific goal I am preparing for.
4. Better training benefit for less stress on the body.
Below ill share a few visual representations of my HR training over the standard Zone 1, Zone 3 and Zone 5 training zones.
Zone 1 – Aerobic Zone – Goal HR = 155-170
Zone 1 - Treadmill - Controlled Environment
Comparative to a run of the same length (approx 2 hours).
Zone 1 - Trail - Uncontrolled Environment
Points of interest: Controlled environment allows for consistent pacing in which it is possible to hold ones heart rate at whatever the desired number with little room for fluctuations. A trail run, while infinitely more fun maintains a similar average HR over the time but jumps around due to terrain and is harder to monitor and maintain a specific range.
Zone 3 - Lactate - Controlled envirnment
Points of interest: This workout is done in stages, 10 minute warm up then 5 sets of 3 minutes at lower end 3 minutes of higher end of my tested Zone 3. This workout primarily teaches my body how to train removal of lactic acid produced from the high leg turnover. Working at the high end provides the “filling sink” effect and toggling down to the lower end provides the “draining sink” effect. HR fluctuations looks to be minimal through the spectrum of speeds in training zone 3.
Zone 5 – Aerobic Interval Training
Zone 5 - Aerobic Intervals - Controlled Environment
Points of interest: This workout is focused around my top speed, with a stint of 3 minutes at full tit, and then a full 6 minutes recovery at my lowest speed. this is repeated for as many times as I can hold good form though the maximum effort. HR spikes indicate high levels of intense work followed by a long recovery.
A final thought:
While these style of workouts are designed to maximize training time and ultimately make me a faster runner, I do think they have a place in my training program but should only be a small percentage of it. They are convienant when pressed for time, or when the weather is crap, but come March, it will be very hard to get me on a treadmill.
If someone asked me the question, ‘will this make you faster than the next guy?’ my answer simply be… who cares?
Certainly not me. For every single person that I beat in a race there are dozens, hundreds maybe thousands(?) at any given race that are faster than me.
I train not to be faster than the next guy but to be the fastest that I can possibly be with the amount of time and resources I have for training. I set myself realistic and achievable goals related mostly to fun and gnarly race courses with a lofty time target that requites me to train my ass off and then race my heart out to get there.
I train not to race again the next guy, but to race against myself and for the love of running and racing… unless of course I’m racing against Coo. Then I run for the win, but only by 1 second.
Interesting. I have a couple questions though – why is the Zone 1 called Anaerobic and the Zone 5 called Aerobic? I thought they were the other way around. I find it strange that my Zone 1 is measured at a painfully low 98 to 122 bpm and no where near your numbers of 155-170. Maybe we’re not talking about the same thing because it’s so different…
Ray
February 8th, 2010 at 10:27 pmpermalink
Ray, good spot and a typo on my part.
You of course are right, Zone 1 is Aerobic, and 5 Anerobic, although referred to as Aerobic intervals according to my peak assessment.
I think I was telling Jeremy on Saturday that my profile was a bit odd and my Zone 1 requires me to work alot harder in comparison to most profiles in which the longer stuff tends to be a bit slower.
In doing the math, I run at ~8mph to maintain my HR around 165 or the upper end of my Zone 1. Divide that up over marathon distance and im looking at training my Zone 1 @ 3 hour 15 marathon pace – pretty quick for my LSD runs… but the numbers are spot on for my profile.
Im almost glad that I need to train like this as working harder to run faster just makes sence, in my mind and for my body.
pricey
February 8th, 2010 at 11:00 pmpermalink
It is a bit odd, I agree. Jeremy seemed to mention something to me about his “high” Zone 1, as well. I couldn’t believe it because I have been measured at Peak before and it wasn’t that drastically different from my Innovative Fitness testing. In both cases I’m around 181 bpm MAX and a lactate threshold of 151 bpm. If I ever ran completely at 160bpm, I would be in my Zone 5C, which is the top end of Zone 5, basically all-out. And that’s your Zone 1?
The weird part is that all three of us run exactly the same paces (for the most part), and we’re within 5 years in age of each other, so the science inside our bodies just can’t be that different I wouldn’t think. Maybe I’ll ask Mike M about it sometime see what he says.
Ray
February 9th, 2010 at 12:49 ampermalink
I suspect that body type would have to come into play as well. My 5’10” frame supports around 180lb of mass and the % of fast twitch vs slow twitch muscle filbre is genetically determined as well.
Another variable to consider is that both times I have been tested at peak has been the bottom end of my fitness, usually after recovering from injury and on minimal endurance running. You have been healthy for the last few years and have probably been testing in good health which could explain your lower HR.
In any case, I’m as intrigued as you are, I’ll shoot this link over to Mike and see if he can comment.
pricey
February 9th, 2010 at 6:59 ampermalink
Interesting discussion guys… Heart rates at Zone 1 vary person to person and will change as your fitness changes. First of all, comparing heart rates between individuals is meaningless. Some people have higher heart rates, some have lower heart rates. It isn’t good or bad – it is just the way we’re built.
What matters is where your heart rate is relative to speed – think of heart rate as the input and speed (on flat ground) as the output. The faster you go for a your given heart rate, the better your fitness – regardless of what the guy beside you is doing.
As your aerobic threshold becomes a greater percentage of your max speed – like for Chris or Jeremy, your heart rate at Zone 1 gets higher and higher as a percentage of your max. One of those myths of Zone 1 is that it feels easy. Zone 1 only feels easy when we’re relatively unfit. As your aerobic threshold climbs as a percentage of max speed, Zone 1 feels harder and harder. You’re still accumulating virtually no fatigue but since you’re running faster, you’re using more energy and more oxygen so your brain percieves it as “harder” even though you can do it forever.
Ray (Ray Barrett right!?!) – check your data, man. I pulled your file quickly and it looks like Zone 1 was 128-145 way back in 2006. Granted this is way out of date and has likely changed dramatically over the years but 98-122 sounds way too low for you. Most likely it has gone up not down. Your lactate threshold was around 170 beats back then as well, not 150. It sounds like you have some suspect data there… Give me a call if you want me to fire you your old data. Better yet – get back the lab and see where you should be.
Good luck with your training guys. M
Mike McIvor
February 9th, 2010 at 11:36 ampermalink
Ok, you caught me. When I said my IF-test wasn’t drastically different from my Peak-test – that was from what I could remember. Although I still have my IF-test, and have indicated those figures above, the Peak-test I have misplaced (ugh).
I think there are a couple other key differences between the two tests:
1. I think the Peak-test uses 4mmol LA at your AeT (about 160bpm using my latest test), whereas IF-test is using something else 2.3mmol @ 151bpm, speed 8mph. This would account for the drastically lower aerobic threshold.
2. The IF-test measuring my Zone 1 at 98-122 is one thing, but Zone 1 isn’t a training Zone according to them. Weekly LSR aerobic training starting at Zone 2 (123-141).
It sounds like there are significant semantic differences between the two tests in terms of Zones and some different interpretations on Lactic Acid concentrations.
Thanks for your input!
Ray
February 9th, 2010 at 1:38 pmpermalink
i didn’t realize that so many people have me as a target! =D i don’t know whether to feel flattered or hated!! but there are plenty of faster targets out there to go after guys!
Good philosophy on training pricey. doing the best you can with the time and resources we have (some have a lot more than others of both time and resources) and then seeing what we can do on the course. i like it.
dc
February 9th, 2010 at 6:34 pmpermalink
word.
Katie
February 9th, 2010 at 10:40 pmpermalink