While doing this low HR aerobic training, I thought I'd like to know even vaguely what my MHR is and, having read that a better method is, not one of the many formula to be found, but instead ...
long warm-up
run hard as you can for 3 minutes
rest for 3 minutes
run hard as you can for 3 minutes
select highest number in 2nd 3 mins.
Didn't do a long warm-up, so that might be why I need to do this test again. From the 2nd 3 mins the highest number is 125! So 125 bpm in my MHR? Even taking into account that MHR decreases with age, that's way lower than any formula I've used in the past eg. for healthy women over 60 years, 211-64% of age and that formula gives me 155 as MHR. I'm not talking aerobic training zones here, just my all up MHR! Top of the bill MHR!
Has the failure to do a long warm-up anything to with results? Don't know, only a proper stress test would have the answer, but another day I'll have another try, next time with a decent warm-up! I know it's not of cataclysmic importance or even necessary to find out, but I'm simply curious!
For my daily distance, low HR aerobic training to continue, I'm making a small shift from Allen to Maffetone who adds on to Allen's method, another 10 bpm for runners over 65 - and that for me means keeping below 108bpm for all easy running/jogging/or even walking, training for the next couple of months at least. Should be OK to keep HR between 100 and 110 for all running except parkrun.
PHEW! I'm out of breath!
I don't think that's the best method of finding MHR. I think you'll get closer to MHR if you do a regular interval session of 1k repeats, say 3 x 1k, where you run 'as fast as possible' and sprint the last 75 metres of the third rep. HOWEVER, you need to be fully rested, tapered over 3 or 4 days. If you are at all tired or in normal training you won't get near your MHR. It's a very difficult and painful test and most people would rather spend that 'pain' on a race. Sage Canaday mentions that in this video: https://youtu.be/B1BR4z5tvUc
ReplyDeleteIn other words, maximum HR is suppressed when in normal distance runner training. The least painful way of doing a max HR test is to not run for 4 weeks then do a test.
ReplyDeleteWow! Thanks for that detailed & interesting comment and advice! You know, I think I'll just forget about MHR!!
ReplyDeleteFor myself, I just add on about 3 or 4 beats over what I'd get if I sprinted hard to the finish of a parkrun where I was trying for my fastest possible time. I've been getting 155 this year, so maybe my max is 158 to 160.
DeleteI'll look for this result after next parkrun... thanks!
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