Running issues specific to women

Its on me all day - my resting HR is usually between 58 - 65 which is consistent with ECGs I've had

Dont get me wrong, I am putting in effort just not 'an hour with a personal trainer' effort ha!

kg703 wrote: »

Hey,

A question from someone who has returned to running!

I recently started back, I'm currently running 5-6k every three days. I havent been jogging (properly) in a few years although twice I did couch to 5k last year and then stopped at the 5k. Getting back into the swing of it....ALMOST at the point where I can enjoy it

One thing I have now that I didnt years ago is my fitness tracker, using a Fitbit. My heart rate is averaging in the 160s / 170s during my run and a top of high 180s. A 5k is taking me about 37 minutes so I'm by no means a quick runner! 32, 5'4 & 160 pounds so overweight but not abysmal.

My husband seems to think this is far too high for a jog especially as I am not totally out of breath while jogging.... should I be worried?

Do you have a history of heart issues in your family?
Do you have high or low BP?
Do you have chest pain or dizzyness?
Has a DR said you should not exercise?

If the answers to the above are no...you are probably fine as your are under 40 etc.

What is your resting HR ? Around 60 -100 is fine.

Your 'OFFICAL' HR max is 188. If you follow the formula 220 minus your age. So you are getting to 85% of your HR max for the majority of your run and peaking at 95%.

Its just probably the level of cardio fitness you are actually at. Hopefully you can measure it coming down as you progress.

How accurate is HR MAX etc ...really varies and it gets less accurate the older you get too.

HR max tests don't really work well with average people imo...partic if you are just getting back to running etc.

But if you want to try you do a hill repeat test wearing a monitor if you want to try it. You run up the hill a number of times same distance etc. Then take the HIGHEST HR rate you measure ..add ten beats to it ...that is your HR max ...again ..not sure how accurate it is. You a couple of times up easy. Then a couple flat out. Take the highest HR. Add ten. That is your HR.

Average people don't really get to above 80% of their HR is what they say.

Also prob more importantly is what your Resting HR is .....the lower the better. Also how long it takes you to get back down to your resting HR.

A lower resting HR indicates a good cardio level of fitness. I would be about 50 really great runners can be like 40. A higher resting HR the opposite and i would expect someone to have a higher HR when exercising until they get fitter.

And yes HR monitors are notoriously diff.

Neera wrote: »

Bit random but does anyone wear Invisalign/clear braces? Only reason I’m asking is I’m wondering how to manage on long runs.... we generally chew on some jellies or have gels during long runs and I have to remove my braces for eating/drinking anything other then water.... anyone found away around this one

I do. I have tended to do my long runs/cycles without the retainers in so I can take on fuel. For the most part I have found that not having them in for a run of 2-3 hrs doesn't make a huge difference for me as long as I wear them consistently for the rest of the week. In a few cases where I have had maybe 2 long sessions in one week, or a particularly long bike, without a retainer I just wear it for an extra day.

My dentist has done a few IMs himself so was able to advise on this too. He said that I am ok to take gels with the retainer in if I try and swallow the gel straight away (to minimise the risk of the gel getting into the retainer) and rinse really thoroughly with water. What you don't want is your retainer having gel in it and your teeth sitting in sugar. Be sure to give your retainer a good brush after if you take this approach.

Word of warning about eating jellies just before putting your retainer in. I had a few wine gums and popped the retainer back in and managed to dye the retainer (mainly around the molars) the colour of the wine gum

rxchxy wrote: »

I do. I have tended to do my long runs/cycles without the retainers in so I can take on fuel. For the most part I have found that not having them in for a run of 2-3 hrs doesn't make a huge difference for me as long as I wear them consistently for the rest of the week. In a few cases where I have had maybe 2 long sessions in one week, or a particularly long bike, without a retainer I just wear it for an extra day.

My dentist has done a few IMs himself so was able to advise on this too. He said that I am ok to take gels with the retainer in if I try and swallow the gel straight away (to minimise the risk of the gel getting into the retainer) and rinse really thoroughly with water. What you don't want is your retainer having gel in it and your teeth sitting in sugar. Be sure to give your retainer a good brush after if you take this approach.

Word of warning about eating jellies just before putting your retainer in. I had a few wine gums and popped the retainer back in and managed to dye the retainer (mainly around the molars) the colour of the wine gum

Cheers for the reply - gels in the retainers definitely not a good plan! Good to know taking them out won’t have too much of an effect.... I must admit I’m constantly worried about how long I have them out eating and drinking. Took a break from the really long runs this week so fuel hasn’t been an issue - back at it next week so will keep them out for it and see how I go. Appreciate the reply!

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Hi ladies - has anyone any recommendations for running capris for short people. I’m 5ft2 and find that standard ones are nearer to my ankles than my knees!

I am 4ft 10 and have the same issue but I have a pair from decathlon I love mine are kinda grey and black so light and dry really quickly but a nice length as well not down to my ankle at all they are very similar to theses and you can not go wrong when they cost 10 euro

https://www.decathlon.ie/ie_en/run-dry-women-s-running-cropped-bottoms-black-en-s161095.html?utm_source=salecycle&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=C2_EN

Where's the best place to get runners in Dublin, and what brands are best... I'm a beginner runner... Last pair I got were Asics, they're very comfy but have worn out pretty quickly, I'm hoping to get some that'll last a bit longer!!

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/it-s-shocking-how-men-have-driven-women-away-from-exercising-in-public-1.4422925

Not sure about this article in the Irish Times today, bit general but also I wonder where he was running if he didn't see one woman out running? Maybe because I'm in Dublin and there are more out generally that I always see women out running when I am? There are definitely less women than men, but I don't know if that's purely down to safety but maybe some embarrassment?! When I started running first, I was embarrassed to have people see me trying, and didn't even run in my hometown for a long time when I would visit my parents in case someone I actually knew saw me! Now I couldn't care less thankfully, but aside from just being smart with run routes to avoid potential safety issues I don't think I ever really feel unsafe out running.

ReeReeG wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/it-s-shocking-how-men-have-driven-women-away-from-exercising-in-public-1.4422925

Not sure about this article in the Irish Times today, bit general but also I wonder where he was running if he didn't see one woman out running? Maybe because I'm in Dublin and there are more out generally that I always see women out running when I am? There are definitely less women than men, but I don't know if that's purely down to safety but maybe some embarrassment?! When I started running first, I was embarrassed to have people see me trying, and didn't even run in my hometown for a long time when I would visit my parents in case someone I actually knew saw me! Now I couldn't care less thankfully, but aside from just being smart with run routes to avoid potential safety issues I don't think I ever really feel unsafe out running.

At first reading the article I can't say I've noticed a lack of women visibly running. I've not paid much heed. Like ReeReeG said I used to be embarrassed to be seen running for the first few years. I don't have any problems running on my own now but I do keep in mind my safety, especially running in the dark. If I'm going for a run on my own I often tell my husband my planned route. But then he does the same so I think runners male and female should be aware of their safety. I joined a running group last year and I've noticed that the ladies are more likely to meet with another person (most often another female) for a run - I think it's the social aspect, I dunno if it's a safety element.

Edit: I've just noticed the title of the article "It’s shocking how men have driven women away from exercising in public" - I don't feel men have driven me away from exercising in public - maybe it's because the article seems to focus on teenage girls and I'm a couple of decades older. I wonder if it's teenage girls being self conscious (cos I know I very much was at that age) rather than personal safety?

I'm not sure about that article really! There aren't too many that run around where I live, male or female. When i started running like you V i was embarrassed to be seen so i didn't mind the cover of darkness! Now I prefer daylight and take great joy in running at the weekend for this reason. I don't relish heading out in the evening this time of year when it's so dark but I feel more nervous of being hit by a car or twisting my ankle in a pothole (no footpaths or street lighting) than I do of being attacked and this is despite being the victim of an attack like that when I was much younger. I don't really see young girls running but maybe they do, the teenagers I know mostly seem to play football, one girl runs but she does all her training with her club (track/hurdles etc). I don't know if I'd be too keen on my teenagers (even the males) running the rural roads in the dark. I can imagine them with head phones on or chatting in a group and cars come come flying around some very blind bends

Woman certainly pick and choose where they run for reasons of safety more than men, but I think the article is hyperbolic.

I didn't exercise as a teenager. I hated PE but I went to an all girls school, so it was nothing to do with men or teenage boys. It was just teenage awkwardness and embarrassment.

I hate groups of teenagers even now, of both sexes. I find them intimidating, more because they're at that age where they will say anything to get a laugh than out of fear, but I don't think this is anything to do with being female.

Interestingly, though, I'm in a running group on FB of a more international flavour and there was a long thread recently on how to carry your gun when you run :eek: It's just a different world. One of the posters was from South Africa. He cites SA as an example: "In South Africa, 58 per cent of girls find public exercising spaces either unsafe or very unsafe." But I wonder if that 58 per cent could equally be applied to men there?

Of course, I could just lead a very lead a very sheltered existence and, as I said, it can be more difficult for woman to find a safe space to exercise.

ShadowSA wrote: »

My wife and I recently moved from South Africa to Cork. We lived in a good suburb but she wouldn't go outside our gated complex ever on her own unless she was in her car.

I am really enjoying the fact that she can go out and run on her own without me worrying. She shares her location but I am not worried.

In South Africa we were part of a running club so we at least had freedom then to run at our own pace with fellow friends.

I would never run with anything on me except for my smart watch, here I bought a Salomon hydration vest and carry lights, warm running top and my phone as I have been caught in the dark a few times.

Hmm. I’m happy your runs are less fraught but inside vs outside a gated community in SA is hardly a valid point of comparison with any normal environment.

monaghanmissus wrote: »

Struggling with this too! 29, 5ft 2 and 128 pounds. Wear an Apple Watch and resting heart rate is around 64 bpm. Have been analysing my most recent runs and max HR hits 185+. I seem to be spending a lot of the run in HR zones 4 and 5. Not sure if this is something to be concerned about?

Well, I can't advise whether it's something to be worried about from a medical perspective. If you're worried, you should get checked out.

From a purely running perspective, based on what you've posted, it's hard to say. Wrist-based HR monitors are notoriously unreliable. I have no idea how accurate an Apple watch is but can't imagine it's any more accurate than a dedicated running watch.

You should be doing most of your runs at an easy effort, so, on the face of it, 185+ sounds like a bit too much effort, but it's hard to know without knowing your max HR.

A simple way to check without relying on your HR monitor is to figure out if you're in the correct pace zones when you're running. Plug a recent all-out effort in here: https://runfastcoach.com/calc2/index.php and see if your training paces match up.

Just as an update to that, my HR did drop after a couple more runs so I'm at the 150s/160s now. Also, still alive, no heart attacks and a half stone lighter.

ReeReeG wrote: »

Any women who use a HR strap - where do you position it in relation to your sports bra!? Does it still work OK if tucked under the lower band? I feel like. I'm constantly moving it around on a run thinking it's too low down then worrying the sports bra affects it if it's tucked under it... What do you all do?

Buy a watch with a wrist HR . This was a BIG bug bear of mine when I started HR training a few years ago. Nothing I did was right and I spent so many runs trying to fix/adjust the damn thing. I think there's a bra that has a HR monitor on it, google might help. I recently dug out my HR strap to try it as a comparison to the wrist and it was the same sh*t all over again so I chucked it out!

Sorry that doesn't really answer your question, I never found a solution. I would say though if you can get it to stay put under the lower band the readings should still be right.

Ok well I'm glad in one way it's not just me !! I get some funny looks with the foostering I'm doing mid-run :pac: