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Heart rate question - David
I am a 63-year-old male who is run on and off for more than 10 years to lose and control weight. Sometimes 3 days a week. Sometimes not at all during the cold. 220 minus my age is 157. If I go slow on the treadmill like 4.7 mph which is about a 16-minute mile, my heart rate count is 147. Everything I've read says that's too fast that most training should be at 70% of Max. For me 70% of Max is a walk. What's going on? Do I need to train more to make my heart rate go lower or is this 220 minus age Max bs. When I run a mile at a 12-minute Pace my heart rate is over my Max. How can my heart rate be over my Max?,
reply coach Janet
Hi David, you ask a really important question and this gives me the opportunity to point out that using that formula provides an estimate of your max heart rate that is based on large cross sectional studies of people of all ages. It has a known error range of +/- 12 beats per minute within 1 standard deviation. That means your actual max HR could be 169 beats per minute and you'd still fall within the "expected" normal range. Some people fall even further from the "bulls eye" of 220-age and so some researchers have developed alternative calculations that they hoped would narrow the error-range but really all these calculations provide an ESTIMATE. As you train consistently, you'll stimulate your heart to get stronger and the lower chambers of the heart to increase in capacity - this will result in greater stroke volume (the amount of blood ejected from your heart each beat). That greater stroke volume means your heart doesn't have to beat as fast to circulate a given volume of blood and this will be seen as a reduction in your training HR at a consistent pace. Perhaps as you get stronger, running a 12 min mile will start to result in a HR that is significantly lower than the HR you have now. Also know that using just a HR max estimation is less accurate than using a formula that takes into account your resting HR. Here is an example of that difference if we measured your resting HR at 72 beats per minute: ((220-age)-Resting HR)) = max reserve HR (Max reserve HR * .70) + resting HR = training HR at 70% eg: 157-72 = 85 (85 * .7) + 72 = 132 Notice how this changes your target from 147 to 132? My advice - just relax and train at easy conversational effort and do so consistently 3-5 times a week. That may mean doing some walking in order to keep your effort in the right zone. Your cardiorespiratory system will adapt over several months and you may find your HR at your normal training pace starts to drop! Good luck - build that fitness base and your body will reward you! Coach Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, USATF-level1, RRCA certified coach
marathon fitness/taper advice - alicia
Good morning! I am currently training for my third marathon and am aiming to actually go for a much quicker time than previously (around 3:40) - my previous marathon time was around 4:20. My partner and I have been following a 3:30 marathon training plan for the last 13 weeks and it was going generally well until last week when I got very sick and had to miss about a week of runs (including a long run). I am resuming running now but having to go at reduced mileage/instensity for this week also so I don't push too much. My marathon is in 3 weeks and I was wondering if I might be able to move this week's planned runs to next week (which would mean doing a 30km run next weekend). Do you think that is too close to marathon (two weeks out) to do this run or could I still get the training benefits?,
reply - coach janet
Hi Alicia, Hopefully you’ve been building and specifically training for more than just 13 weeks – especially with a goal that aggressive. A really important thing to keep in mind is that you’ll never go wrong toeing the line with well tapered legs on race day. With that said, the taper phase is super important. Most athletes will run their peak long run 3 weeks before the marathon and then taper after that. A common pattern in novice marathoners is to peak at 20 miles (~33km), then the next weekend drop to 16 (~26 km), then the final weekend before the race dropping further to 10-12 miles (~16-19km). I’m not sure that the risk-reward is there for doing your peak run just two weeks before your race. I would assume with the aggressive goal you’ve set that you’ve already covered your peak long run distance at least a couple of times in the previous weeks and this was just going to be icing on the cake? If so – trust your training and don’t fret over the taper. If on the other hand, you’re just reaching for peak mileage a single time, I’m not sure I’d want you doing it that close to race day. It might make more sense to just follow your taper plan and realize that you didn’t quite get the training you wanted and be willing to adjust your targets on race day if you need to. Good luck on Race Day! Hope this helps. Coach Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, USATF-level1, RRCA-certified coach
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"Janet's education, experience in patient care & as an educator give her a credible resume for advising runners. More importantly to me, she is able to reach out and see where I need a boost - nutrition, race day preparation, etc. She is intuitive in reading my running log and tweaks my training accordingly. I have worked with Janet for several years and I have been injury-free while snagging half marathon PRs." Cheryl (KS)
Over the years my running goals have evolved, and, thanks to Janet, I’ve achieved them all! Janet’s background in physical therapy and biomechanics was invaluable to get me back on my feet after a bad hamstring injury. Janet uses her knowledge of the latest scientific evidence to optimize performance. With Janet’s help, I’ve reached the podium for races from the 5K to the marathon and qualified for Boston. Most importantly, Janet has a positive, supportive coaching style, and is a pleasure to work with! Kathrine T (GA)