So in a previous BLOG entry I talked about heart rate training. Over the past couple of months I’ve really concentrated on heart rate training instead of time and distance training.
Tonight I wanted to stress test myself and man did it hurt. But now I have a good idea of my heart rate zones.
Here’s the summary of what I did:
Sitting Heart Rate: 67 beats per minute (bpm)
Standing Heart Rate: 88 bpm
Walking at 2 mph: 118 bpm
Four minutes at 4 mph: 132 bpm
Theoretical Maximum Heart Rate: 220 – 38 = 182 bpm
Now that I have my base rates I:
Started running at 6.5 miles per heart. Heart steadily climbing a few beats per minute and once stable for fifteen seconds, increase speed by two tenths of a mile per hour. Heart rate starts climbing and I repeat the process until heart rate is at ninety percent of theoretical max. By this time I’ve covered about 9/10ths of a mile and I start pushing the last tenth until I got to 180 beats per minute.
I then walk until my heart rate goes down to 130 beats per minute at four miles per hour, which was about a quarter mile.
I then start the test over to two miles, walk a quarter mile, then repeat to three miles.
On all three test I could never get over 180 beats per minute without breaking down so now I have a very good understanding of my high heart rate, which is close to the theoretical max.
Fun huh?
The Burning Bush 