HR Zones: 220-Age - the TRUTH! (Page 12)

For your edification, my Run LTHR is ~191 and I've seen HRs as high as 206 when sprinting at the end of a race.

I've been HR training for about 18 months or so and my LTHRs haven't really moved. I'm just faster at the same HR.

Good luck with the HR training. Stick with it and you WILL get better and faster. Like you, I came from a no endurance sport experience background and I love the structure HR training provides me. I'm a commited disciple thanks to Coach Mike and great BTers like Joel (TH3_FRB)!

Cheers!

Tom 

Hi Toby

It depends on your level of experience. For your first HIM I would say Zone 1/2 would be good - depending on your level of fitness. If you are realistically looking to place in your AG then you'll want to be pushing hard and Zone 3 will be your target. I hope this helps.

I've been using the rule 98% of a 5k HR race avg and 95% of a 10k race HR avg.  The 5k results were accurate to what I had done on a run TT. 

Now you're talking about using the HR avgs from the du runs. The HR run numbers are sure to be different than just running the 10k or 5k by themselves, so I don't think those % would work.

I'd like to add one thing that Mike passed on to me years back.  Learn the RPE vs HR while training, it comes naturally after a while.  During the HIM it may be sunny & hot, muggy, etc.  Depending on the weather you'll get different HR readings.  During my HIM run it was sunny and very warm to hot at times and my HR was reading High Z3 to Z4 but I was only pushing around RPE 5.

Hmmm, the spreadsheet that I got from Mikes website gave these numbers, I don't know which calc is correct but I've been using the numbers based on the calculation below with great results (LT175).  I know near 150 for me is not zone 1 when you look at the RPE definition that are associated with HR Zones;

Double post

Where did you get those RPE/HR zone descriptions from?  At no point in Z2 should your breathing be "labored" and Z2 is generally not considered "strong".  Z2 is you basic endurance pace...comfortable but not liesurely.  Upper Z2 into Z3 your breather should become more rythmic but even near the top of Z3 I'd say "very labored" is a bit much.  With a better set of definitions I think you might find that your current HR zones are more in line with the appropriate RPE.

Yes, consistently doing the majority of your training in Z4 is too much.  Give these zones and a decent training program an honest chance (6-8 weeks at least) before passing judgement. For the bike test it is best to find someplace as flat as possible where you can hold a consistent effort level.  I'd stick with a set of zones for 6-8 weeks before re-testing.

From the OP of this thread, also stated on this page of his website.

BTW, I double checked the HR zones EABonney posted and it lines up with the Excel spreadsheet the OP has on his website today and with the BT HR Zone calculator.  It must have had a change since I originally pulled the file in 2005 as the Bike % are also different. 

EABonney - 2007-09-06 12:23 PM

TH3_FRB - 2007-09-06 11:35 AM

Yes, consistently doing the majority of your training in Z4 is too much.  Give these zones and a decent training program an honest chance (6-8 weeks at least) before passing judgement. For the bike test it is best to find someplace as flat as possible where you can hold a consistent effort level.  I'd stick with a set of zones for 6-8 weeks before re-testing.

Thanks Joel. That might explain my bouts of "burnout" that I have experienced since May. Since I am at the end of my season at this point, I plan on starting with these zones in my winter programs. I am going to do one for the bike also and just use them and give them a good try like you suggested and see what happens. Looking at some of the plans though say for running to stick to Z1-Z2...that is a major slow down for me and I am already slow as heck running.

EABonney, it's humbling at first but pays off in the long run (no pun intended!).  When I first started using the HRM I had to run and use short walks to keep my HR down.  But in 8 weeks time you'll be amazed at the difference in your fitness as a result.

You have to realize:

1. Dr. Jack is old school.
2. He invented VDOT so why would he want to say another way (ie HR training) is superior?
3. He deals mostly with top level runners who run to win, so they must rely on pace above anything else.

Triathletes train differently than swimmer, cyclists and runners so keep that in mind. :-)