HRM and races - godsend or bad idea?

theboyblunder

I use a HRM in training. I find it very useful.

In races however, im not so sure. On the one hand it can be handy - letting you know when you are in the 'red zone' or when you can push a little more, but I find when you are going through a bad patch in a run it can make things worse, makes you think you are going to blow up, which makes you worry, which makes the HR go up etc....

Thinking of wearing it for posterity but not looking at it during a marathon in two weeks time.

Do other people find this? Or am I just weak minded? Do you look at the HRM a lot during races?

christeb

I wouldn't wear one a weight / comfort perspective, amongst others. Also, you pretty much know what your HR will (or at least should be) for the marathon and have tailored your PMP to this.

Keep the faith, a HRM is just another reason to get worried on the day, forget about it

Gringo78

My own thoughts would be to wear it if you don't mind wearing it during LSR's. Good to collect the data and it will help you in training for future marathons.

During the marathon, it will also help you not to overcook it...i.e if you HR is going too high, you can dial it back a bit.

However, from following your log closely, I know that only collapse would stop you from hitting sub 3 pace in Longford...therefore, you're not going to dial it back if you see a high HR...rather, it'll stress you out, causing the HR to rise even more, being counter productive. So in your case, for this particular marathon, maybe its best not to wear it....the HR is always up in the top right corner of the screens on the Garmin so you will be able to see it, even if you don't have it as an actual figure on the screens, so it would only stress you out. In Cork, I saw my HR was lower than what I was expecting so it really relaxed me...I'm not too sure how i'd have reacted if I saw it was too high. Another guy running with me in Cork was way above his expected HR by mile 6...he ignored it, drove it higher staying on sub 3 pace, and at 21 miles collapsed and eventually had to be picked up by an ambulance as he couldn't even walk. They measured his blood sugar by finger prick and basically he had none. he's happy though that he explored his limits.

Oisin11178

theboyblunder wrote: »

I use a HRM in training. I find it very useful.

In races however, im not so sure. On the one hand it can be handy - letting you know when you are in the 'red zone' or when you can push a little more, but I find when you are going through a bad patch in a run it can make things worse, makes you think you are going to blow up, which makes you worry, which makes the HR go up etc....

Thinking of wearing it for posterity but not looking at it during a marathon in two weeks time.

Do other people find this? Or am I just weak minded? Do you look at the HRM a lot during races?

Couldnt agree more. i use it in training but get paranoid when it goes to high and it goes even higher. i know how i should feel. to take the point a step futher i was very dependent on my garmin and forgot it for one race and it wouldnt work at another and they were my 2 fastest marathons by far. I think the moral is, technology is great but trust your body.

tisnotover

I wear one in training+racing but never look at it racing. Its more for data collection really!

Used to look at it a lot more in training as well, but now just have the av-pace / lap-pace fields on show on the garmin.

Def a good tool to have though as its an indicator of fitness, e.g. how your easy run pace is faster compared to the same heart-rate a few months ago.

Krusty_Clown

I'm the same. Still wear mine, but haven't looked at it during training or racing in years. It's more for data collection, and a nostalgic look back some time in the future.

menoscemo

I wear it every race, helps me know when I could push harder. It also is super at preventing my nipples from chaffing.

opus

menoscemo wrote: »

I wear it every race, helps me know when I could push harder. It also is super at preventing my nipples from chaffing.

I wear it for that 2nd reason as well Had it on at a half-marathon on Sunday (my 2nd ever race!) and never checked HR 'til I downloaded it onto the PC that evening.

theboyblunder

cheers folks, seems to be a good consensus there. might wear it (im a plaster man for the nipples myself ) but not have HR as a data field, that way I wont have the data until the race is over. Glad others get paranoid watching it too....

seanynova

i only recently purchased a garmin and its telling me im not fit! well, that my HR is always high for what it should be....i remember racing a 10miler and half marathon earlier in the year and from memory, the precieved exursion i had back then would blow up my garmin, if i was to race that exursion with it on i reckon!

i seam to remember being able to push a lot more then even when the going was tough because my mentaliy was, if i train to pace "A", i should be able to race to pace "B", and i always made my targets(except the marathon) going by feeling...
id be afraid to see my HR racing and then think, "i better back off" cos i cant sustain that pace/HR for the remaining miles!
however, in the marathon it might have been helpful....would have been interesting analysis anyway!

maybe ill take the HR off the main data feild and run on feeling from now on and not to HR bandwidths...

menoscemo

You can still record HR while racing without having it show up on your watch.

HR reading haven't made me back off in short races even when I thought I couldn't give any more (reached an all time high in last race).
The readings have undoubtedly help me pace myself better on longer races though, making sure I don't go out too hard, push too hard over hills etc.

MisterDrak

Lads,

Slightly off topic but are there any treads that explain the in and outs of the HM usage, training zone etc?

I had a 405 for a couple of years but only started using the HM in the last few weeks. I dont know how to turn the data recorded in Garmin Connect into usefull running information yet?

E.g.

Age = 43
Resting heart Rate = 60

Did a tempo run last night for 59min and the Avg HR was 166 and Max hit 184. I was pushing prety hard...

Any and all info greatly accepted...

menoscemo

HI Mister Drak
To Find out any 'zones' the first this you need to find out, is your max HR. The best way to do this is probably to keep recording data and pick the max you go (you'll probably find that crossing the line in a 3-5k race where you pushed it to the max will get you near there).
Now enter your resting HR and Max HR into your 405 under menu-settings-user profile-maxHr/resting HR.

The garmin software itself will give you your HR both as % of max and 'Zone' (1-6) for all your training runs if you have this info inputted in your watch.
You can check here what P&D (advanced Marathoning) describe what you should achieve in terms of HR for different training sessions:

Krusty_Clown

MisterDrak, I'm not sure what your training goals are, but I found the Pfizinger and Douglas Advanced Marathoning book included training guidelines for marathon training with respect to where your hear rate should be for different types of training sessions. Now to be honest, I didn't have a hope in hell of hitting the kind of HR numbers that were listed in the tables for things like V0xmax and LT training, but at least it taught me where my HR should be for recovery, aerobic, race pace etc.

MisterDrak

menoscemo wrote: »

HI Mister Drak
To Find out any 'zones' the first this you need to find out, is your max HR. The best way to do this is probably to keep recording data and pick the max you go (you'll probably find that crossing the line in a 3-5k race where you pushed it to the max will get you near there).
Now enter your resting HR and Max HR into your 405 under menu-settings-user profile-maxHr/resting HR.

The garmin software itself will give you your HR both as % of max and 'Zone' (1-6) for all your training runs if you have this info inputted in your watch.
You can check here what P&D (advanced Marathoning) describe what you should achieve in terms of HR for different training sessions:

menoscemo,

Thanks for that. This is the stuff i am looking for.

Based on your advice ill do a fast 2 mile end next week (after the legs sort for the 10M on Sat), and use that as the MAX HR.

Also Im kind of connecting the dots with the different run types from your link, (vo2 max and lactate), all begining to make a bit of sence to me now...

Tks again.

MisterDrak

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

MisterDrak, I'm not sure what your training goals are, but I found the Pfizinger and Douglas Advanced Marathoning book included training guidelines for marathon training with respect to where your hear rate should be for different types of training sessions. Now to be honest, I didn't have a hope in hell of hitting the kind of HR numbers that were listed in the tables for things like V0xmax and LT training, but at least it taught me where my HR should be for recovery, aerobic, race pace etc.

Krusty,

Just want to PB for the next few races, 10M, Half and DCM10.

My training up to this was "go out for a bit of a run at a mile pace X". As a result my performances and resulting times seem to have stagnated. So I guess the traing needs to get a bit more scientific.

menoscemo

You'll never really replicate the effort level in training that you will in a race. I'd imagine if you push hard up the Glenn Rd in the 10 mile race, you'd be getting closer to your max with about 1.5 miles to go (as you crest the hill). Otherwise if you do a sprint finish at the end (mind you don't puke though .)

Based on reaching 184 in a tempo session (where you pushed yourself hard) I would conservatively estimate your max HR at around 190. When you go past that in a race/ training session then you can revise it upwards.

Gringo78

MisterDrak wrote: »

I dont know how to turn the data recorded in Garmin Connect into usefull running information yet?

E.g.

Age = 43
Resting heart Rate = 60

Did a tempo run last night for 59min and the Avg HR was 166 and Max hit 184. I was pushing prety hard...

Any and all info greatly accepted...

See attached excel file. I find it very useful tool for working out training paces. Put in all the data you can. I'd estimate your MaxHR anywhere from 185 to 190 (220-age in your case would be way off! good example of why you need to work out your own and not rely on formulas).

Combined with a recent race, the spreadsheet gives you typical HR's (and %Heart rate reserves) - play around with it and update it after a race.