Running heart rate monitor

[Xist]

Originally Posted by vskid3

That goes against my logic and the Army's logic, but we all know how good the Army's logic can be.

Don't you dare try to criticize Army logic to Army leadership, you are going to have a bad time!

[j12piprius]

Originally Posted by JRMichler

You are a fast walker! But your heart rate is very high for that walking speed. If you truly want to do well on the running portion of your PFT, you need to build your aerobic base. A good way to do this is to do more walking and slow running. Do most of your training at less than 140 BPM, and keep your peak heart rate under 150, at least for the next several months. Try to get out and walk or run 3 or 4 miles every day, or at least 5 or 6 days per week.

I agree with this.

I have not done a PFT run since I was in the Air Force in the mid 1970's. I did run a 5k 2 or 3 years ago. Went out too fast and did the first 2 miles in 13:30. Not too bad for 60 years old. All of my training before that race was at 9:30 to 11:00 minutes per mile, with most runs at about 10 minutes per mile.

Impressive!

[JRMichler]

Originally Posted by vskid3

No sprints or faster running at all? I do the 2 mile on my PT test in about 14:30. Most of my training is usually done at a 7:30 to 8:00 mile pace for 3-5 miles and some sprinting. Would I likely benefit from running slower during training? That goes against my logic and the Army's logic, but we all know how good the Army's logic can be.

The military, all branches, is very much about pushing yourself. That, and sleep deprivation. Pushing yourself to physical exhaustion works well for strength training. It does not work for endurance training.

Running any distance longer than 400 meters or so is endurance running. Professional running coaches normally recommend that most training be done at 2 to 3 minutes per mile slower than 5K race pace. Your recommended normal training pace would thus be about 10 minutes per mile.

This training is best done about six days per week, and 3 to 5 miles each time. It's good to go longer on one day, say about 6 to 10 miles. It's good to go faster on ONE day, say do the last 2 to 3 miles at a hard pace. Hard means breathing hard, but well short of flat out. This is training, not racing.

I normally run six days per week from January through September. Most days are 4 to 5 miles, one day is 12 to 20 miles, one day is 11.5 miles with the last 3 miles hard. Those last 3 miles are usually 8:00 to 8:20 minutes per mile.

A flat out, holding nothing back, run once a month does not hurt. 5K races are good for this.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by JRMichler

YI did run a 5k 2 or 3 years ago. Went out too fast and did the first 2 miles in 13:30. Not too bad for 60 years old. All of my training before that race was at 9:30 to 11:00 minutes per mile, with most runs at about 10 minutes per mile.

Originally Posted by vskid3

No sprints or faster running at all? I do the 2 mile on my PT test in about 14:30. Most of my training is usually done at a 7:30 to 8:00 mile pace for 3-5 miles and some sprinting.

My concern was that if I did not pass the run, telling my Sergeant that some guy on the Internet told me to train slower would not go very well.

I am going to walk to the dollar store for another pool noodle for my air dam. We will see if I can keep my heart rate below 140 BPM. I am going to stop at the library to see if I can get some audiobooks for my cell phone. Actually, I think that I will take a magazine...

[j12piprius]

Originally Posted by Xist

I thought it was too warm to go running, so I decided to walk. My heart rate hit 76% (141) at 0.8 miles and was at 88% (163) at two miles. I decided to walk two more, and it hit 96% (178) just before I completed the fourth mile.

In a 10 mile race about 15 years ago, my heart rate was 152 after a mile, gradually increasing to a maximum of 174 the entire last mile, running flat out all the way. I would imagine it hardly gets above 120 when walking and hiking a good pace.

Allowing for individual differences, that your heart rate is so high just from walking shows that you greatly need that type of exercise. The more you walk, the lower your rate at a given pace, and the greater the reserve you will have for running much faster.

This is not training for your race, but support for your race. You can still do your regular race type of training once or twice a week, and can benefit from having the greater support for your speed.

[Xist]

Well, the dollar store did not have pool noodles and neither did Walmart next door. The temperatures have still been in the nineties, but people seem to think that is cold, so pool noodles must be seasonal, although that is a smaller Walmart. I think that my nephews have more toys. It was 2.8 miles each way, which I walked in about forty minutes, continually slowing down because my heart rate exceeded 140 BPM.

However, I would not say the trip was a total loss:

[JRMichler]

Originally Posted by Xist

It was 2.8 miles each way, which I walked in about forty minutes, continually slowing down because my heart rate exceeded 140 BPM.

That's a little over 14 minutes per mile. I walk the same speed at a heart rate about 90. Do that every day for a month or three, and your heart rate will drop noticeably.

A healthy young man in his 20's or 30's should be able to run two miles in 12 minutes. That's with moderate training, the time would be faster if he was serious about it.

[Xist]

We do not have many Soldiers of any age running two miles in twelve minutes.