Heart rate confusion!!!

Go to this web site and there's a calculator which lets you punch in your age, gender, resting heart rate and it explains the zones for you and what they mean. 

http://www.fitzones.com/heartratecalc.htm

Edited by max 2004-10-21 9:12 AM

You can use the 'standard' formula of 220 - your age = MaxHR (in your case, 193).  This is NOT scientific, and can be off up to 15 beats per minute.  It's a pretty fair guesstimation though.  Since you're fairly new to tri-training, right now the majority of your base building should be between 120-150 bpm.

Your resting HR seems a tad high (to me), but that will fall as your fitness level increases.  My typical resting HR is about 54 right now, but when I started training for tris, it was closer to 70.

Leona,

There are various tests you can do to ascertain your maximum heart rate. They involve pushing yourself to your limit, usually on a stationary bike or treadmill (see the examples set out in the Triathletes Training Bible) and they're best done with someone else checking the heart rate monitor so you can concentrate on your running/biking. There are also various formulas you can follow. The most common is 220 minus age (or 226 minus age for women) but this is only an approximation and can be out by as much as 15 beats either way. (Incidentally though, this is why the main triathlon magazine in the UK is called 220.)

There isn't really a good or bad resting heart rate, though a low resting heart rate is generally thought to be a sign of fitness. However, some people are just low beaters - mine is 38 and I am far from fit! More important than what it is, is how it changes - if it's more than 5-10 beats higher than usual that's a sign that your body needs a bit more rest and you should probably take that day off from training. 

There are various books which can give you much more information  - the Idiot's Guide to Heart Rate Training is supposed to be very good. Should be a copy in your library or on Amazon if not in your local book shop.

Jane