Hi everyone,
To say I am confused, is a bit of an understatement. Just to set the stage, I am 35, 245lbs (lost 45 in the last 7 months) and committed to a Tri on July 5.
1. Is it "better" to train using a heart rate monitor and go for a specific DISTANCE, say a 5k run, knowing that's the length of the run I will have to do in July, keeping my HR in the zone, even if it means running 5 steps and walking three...or...
2. Is it "better" to train using a heart rate monitor and go for a specific TIME, say 30 minutes, because my training plan tells me to, keeping my HR in the zone, even if it means running 5 steps and walking three...or...
3. Is it "better" to train NOT use a heart rate monitor and go for a specific DISTANCE, say a 5k run, knowing that's the length of the run I will have to do in July, pushing myself to run as much as possible...or...
4. Is it "better" to train NOT use a heart rate monitor and go for a specific TIME, say 30 minutes, because my training plan tells me to , pushing myself to run as much as possible...or...
5. Should I forget the training plan times and distances, do as much as I can, going as hard as my body and mind will let me, as often as I can?
I have been running a few times a week for 5.25km, which takes about 40 minutes. However I am only in the HR zone for no more than 10 minutes of that time. I can feel myself getting "better", not having to walk as much, stronger mentally, etc, but the manual I got when I signed up for my Running Room Tri clinic says going out of the zone is more harmful then helpful.
I am really uncertain because I was going to do this tri clinic, as well as continue running at lunch and start cycling 9km each way to work. Now I am afraid I am going to overtrain and just pack the whole thing in before the race.
Any advice?
Thanks,
Craig