Weather is huge but I'm still lazy
I'm really fascinated by the impact weather has on performance. This morning it was a balmy 30 and I ran 9 miles with an average HR of 124 and an average pace of 9:15. Last week when the weather was around zero, I ran 10 miles with an average heart rate of 125 and an average pace of 10:40. The other factors at play, of course, include the fact that last week was week 3 of a higher mileage buildup while this week is a cut-back week. But that shouldn't make too much difference considering the cut-back thus far only amounts to 10 total miles. Surely I'm not suddenly that rested. Also, I doubt I'm suddenly a lot faster.
One thing that really stands out is that I'm pretty sure that I should be running at at least 135 for general aerobic/recovery pace. Although it's hard to run in the cold, I don't put in a better effort when it's warm. I'm thinking I should try to start including tempo/LT runs to make up for the fact that I do all my runs so easy. Alternatively, I'm thinking I should really try to nail down my max HR to confirm that I'm lazy. When Cheryl was helping me I think I figured it was around 184, which is still quite low for my age. I doubt it's lower than that.
Lastly, on an unrelated note, I'm reading Dean K.'s book, Ultramarathon Man, and I sincerely hope running 100 miles isn't as painful as reading about Dean's taut and cut bod and what an elite he is. He is clearly a total narcissist and doesn't have any concept of what an elite runner really is. Running far does not an elite make -- at least not that fact alone. Does anyone know whether he has ever actually been a top ultra runner? I know he has been relatively fast, but has he ever won a race? I'm willing to bet Kendra could kick his butt any day of the week. Why isn't she sponsored by North Face?
9 comments:
Wow. Your HR max is way low! Interesting how different people can be. We are about the same age and though I use 200 as my max, I hit 215 in my max test.
As for Dean....Wow. I read that book about a year ago and was turned off completely. Not impressed.
Well, I happened to stop by just when I needed an ego boost to go, and wa la, thanks to you, I am blushing and my head has blown up to the size of ... almost DK's head! I remember reading his book in, like, an hour (and no I'm not a speed reader) while lying on my couch and guffawing regularly. 'nuff said!
As to your heart rate. I got the fancy testing done. But when I use the sort of automated methods for figuring out the max, and then the zones, they are REALLY close. But even if you do have an abnormally low max rate, you should just use one of those ones that figures out which zone is good for what as a percentage of your max. (I can help you offline if you want so I don't use up all this space.)
For me, I'm supposed to emphasize a heart rate which is in the range equalling 5 beats to either side of 80% of my max. Which is a pretty hard effort for me but for others it's not so much. So for you I think that would be around 143-153 if your max is really 184.
And now back to work on my book about my boundless ambition, selfless good deeds and muscly bod.
Don't worry Danni, I'm pretty sure there was a touch of embellishment to that first WS finish as told by Dean of Dean.
Allie -- yeah I do think it's low. How low is the question.
Kendra -- You crack me up. I'm glad everyone sees it my way ;)
Did you get the fancy testing done before you moved to MT? What kind of test was it? Vo2Max? They do VO2Max and I think lactate threshold testing here. I'm tempted because I want to train and recovery properly and eventually I will want to get faster. I have a spreadsheet with percentages and that books about HR Training for the "Compleat" (sic) Idiot. But I don't know about the letter zones. In any case 80% does seem like a solid/hard effort.
Joerunner, yes reading his report freaks me out a little. That's why I bought the book -- was for the WS report -- but I am hoping it's not really so dramatic. I will have my friend Cheryl with me for the end though and she won't let me lie in the street.
Since I am geographically challenged, is there a university near you? Most schools have an exercise phys lab where they can perform max tests if you're really interested. How did you figure out your max before? Remember that these numbers are all approximations of where you should train. I don't stress too much if mine is outside of the "zone" by a few digits. What kind of training plan are you using?
I figured it before with a physical test and watching it during a couple 5ks. Problem is, I pretty much never push myself that hard. I am so deeply lazy I can't get to that "about the puke" point. There's a U in Missoua not too far. I'm loosely following a training program that says nothing about HR, so I'm not necessarily supposed to be running in certain zones. Right now I'm just basebuilding anyhow. I shouldn't worry about it, you're right. Not that you said exactly that :p
Hi D! I had it done in Seattle before moving to MT but like Allison mentioned, most universities offer the service (and you mentioned there is a place that does it near you?). Mine was a v02 max test. I had the tube and mask over my face and the treadmill and stuff. I had some weird anomalies in my results (kind of like my IQ tests!) though and there has been more than one instance of me feeling doubtful about all of it. But I think I generally know what zones do what and it's sort of like when you have an injury or a sickness and you're pretty sure you know what it is but there's something about going to the doctor and making sure that just gives you a certain satisfaction. And now I will bow out before another run-on sentence takes over!
I can get a VO2Max test locally. I might.
I am wondering about your IQ test now! Is she brilliant or is she low-functioning? My mom was in school to become a school psychologist when I took the IQ test and she and her friends would practice on me -- in fact I played with her test in my spare time. I scored perfectly or really well -- and despite her insisting that I just know the test and am no genius they had to treat me like a smart kid. Pretty funny.
Its kinda amusing, the DK thing here and on UL at the same time, both of which I pondered, thinking "What the heck did DK do to piss off a lot of people?"
I was sitting in Hartsfield Airport one time reading a book, and this guy sitting next to me says "Do you like that book?" I said, "Yeah, its good, but its kind of predictable and mind-numbing."
Turns out the author was the dude asking me the question. Also, it turns out that the author/dude was a friend of my mom's from my hometown 1200 miles away. So I tend now to judge all authors by that standard, i.e. they are selling themselves as a part of the book. I realize that his book is somewhat sensationalized, as is DK, but I still think he has his heart in the right place.
Then again, I might be wrong.
And your HRmax is lower than mine and I have shirts your age. :)
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