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Herat rate

Hi,



Just bought a Suunto T3 HRM with GPS.



Went running the other day....average HR of 171 for a 55min trip...is this ridicoulus or normal?



Also, cycling for just over 2hrs..with avg HR of 174.



I was going fairly hard but it seems like they are very high and sustaining the high HR for quite a while or am i compplete;y wrong and this is normal?



i'm 23 so Max HR would be 197 ish



thanks

Comments

  • BoycieBoycie Posts: 189
    This sounds abit high, but it certaintly isn't ridiculous. If it was a tempo level run, then you could definately be up that high. Don't be governed by your max heart rate, it may be well above 197.



    David.
  • transittransit Posts: 163
    Agree with Boycie, does sound high - ave of 174 for 2hrs on a bike, hmm, defo possible but high.
  • julesojuleso Posts: 279
    It seems very odd to me that your heart rate would be higher on the bike than on the run, unless you were really ragging it (which you couldn't have been for two hours, surely). Hmm, I'd be a bit suspicious of that.



    Your run average looks sensible to me though.
  • yeh I would agree with the others about the 174 on the bike. That seems very high. When I'm pushing it as hard as possible over a time trial say 10 miles, my average is normally about 160bpm. I'm 22 by the way, so close to your age.

    On the run i'd say 171 was ok, for your age your lactate threshold could be anywhere between 165-175 on average, based normally on your level of fitness, so it is conceivable that your threshold lies above 171, which would allow you to keep going for 55mins at 171, as you would be respiring aerobically.
  • I wouldn't jump to a faulty HRM just yet. For someone of 22 years of age, heart rates regularly go above 200 and an average of 170+ would not be unusual but it depends upon the circumstances. Two personal examples might help illustrate this. My son who is 18 was doing mile running intervals getting heart rates of 203 at the end of each effort. On the last but one, he was chased by a dog that really scared him. His HRM showed 218 at the time of maximum fright. This shouldn't happen according to the 220-age but of course it can! I am in my late 40s. It is not unusual for me to have averages of 160+ in events such as 10k and half marathon. Olympic distance tri and my average is 150s on the bike and 160s on the run. Have a look at these sites to gather more information before you dump your new HRM.

    http://www.ultracycling.com/training/perceived_exertion.html http://www.brianmac.co.uk/borgscale.htm http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm

  • I'm just wondering when reading this, is it reasonably normal to have lower than anticipated heart rates?



    I am currently doing a 16 week Rowing Training plan for a 2k test and its all heart rate based. I did the recommended test at the beginning to find my max heart rate and it was 187 (i'm 26). Then I did a 2k test half way through the program and again I peaked at 187.



    Some sessions like the UT1 work seems to be about right, but some of the TR/AT/AN work I can't quite hold the splits they intone at the set heart rates or am at the very bottom of the bracket - but sometimes feel like I have a bit more to give.



    I know that Cycling/Swimming is different to Running max heart rates, but wondering whether Rowing could be similar (its bloody hard work though!) or whether I just have a naturally low max heart rate (I was very unfit until about 20 if that matters...)



    Thanks!
  • I am in a similarish situation, I am 22, and I have never ever recorded a heart rate over 186-87! This is during full on sprinting, and hill running. I have a resting HR of 36-38, but I read that lance had a very low RHR that would go down to 32 at times, but he could still get his heart rate over 200. hmmmm





  • Generally I have a resting rate in the low 50's (first thing in the morning) when I'm just generally moving about from day to day it sits around 62 and if I'm really pushing it, uphill on a run I can happily get it to 183 although for a 10km run it would be about 155 on average - I'm 42 so is that all about OK?
  • your posts just show the variability involved and why it is difficult to be too prescriptive. The important thing is to get away from theoretical values and work out your own personal maximum heart rate. This might not be your maximum ever achieveable heart rate (like the dog chasing) but it is your maximum heart rate for calculation purposes. Then your tempo sessions and interval sessions can be worked out from there. In addition to the weblinks above, Polar (the HRM manufacturers) also give good information and the Triathlete's training bible goes anorak on heart rates. These all give consistent advice. Just because one athlete can't get their heart rate as high or as low as the next person does not matter. Again, the important thing is what is happening to YOUR heart rate during training and what does the training effect have on your heart rate. For example, after three months of training, you may be able to do the same 10k time, but with a lower heart rate. That is what training is all about!
  • jboyjboy Posts: 40
    thanks for the replies!



    it couldnt be a faulty HRM as it cost 175 quid!



    I seem to have a fairly high HR anyway because when i awoke in hospital the other day at 3am the monitor next to me read 53bpm...which i reckon high for the amount of training i do and i know others who do exercise once or wice a week who can sit down for 2mins and have a hr below 50 where mine is always above 70



    could this mean i have a much higher MHR than 220 minus age would suggest?!



    i'm gonna start training using HR zones over the winter in the next couple months which should be interesting!! might have to set the zones a bit higher than usual cos i reckon when i walk at a steady pace it'll be approaching 100!!

  • I agree with Markw



    HRmax is a pretty personal thing and 220 minus age is not a very effective tool.



    I am 32 and have a pretty lame resting rate (always around 60 when I sit down and test it). However, I can max it to about 200 if I sprint up a big hill a few times (a much more effective way to guage your max). Luckily I haven't tried the being chased by a dog one yet but i could perhaps even top 200 in those circs.



    Also, I don't always race with a HRM on but I did at the FLM this year and ran a pretty comfortable 2.57 at about 175bpm (87% of max) all the way.



    Hopefully there's not a doctor out there who's going to look at these stats and tell me I'm about to keal over...
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