What's a "good" resting heart rate

Hi Jenn,

Yes, 212 bpm is pretty high.  Resting HR is a very individual thing, determined not only by conditioning, but also genetics.  Suggest you review this thread, it's a pretty comprehensive discussion of HR issues:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=25733&posts=208&start=1

Mark

i'm willing to bet you didn't hit 212.  Sometimes the HRM will glitch and get interference in the signal and cause readings like that.  The more you use the HRM, the better you will get and telling if the reading is right or if it is absolute crap.  Usually huge jumps like that are erroneous, especially if it jumps back down just as fast.

The HRM is a training tool.  You have to use it in conjunction with how you feel and what your body is telling you.  To say that the HRM is the finite measuring device and to only listen to it is as silly as saying that monitoring your HR is useless and you should only run by feel.  It's a happy medium.

If you want a good feeling for your RHR, every morning, before you get up, take it and record it (you can do it in your logs).  Over time you will start to see what is normal for you and you will be able to tell when you are about to get sick, or are pushing too hard, as it will suddenly elevate a little bit.

I know that 0 bpm is BAD! 

Seriously, like everyone else says...it was probably a glitch.  Just like when I forgot my HR strap and I got a reading of 50 bpm 4 times when i was riding out in the middle of nowhere.  As long as you are being active, it will drop and you're all the better for it.

On the 212, it very well could have been a hiccup.  If I've got the out of zone alarm set to beep, I wait for it to go off 3 times in a row before I pay attention to it, because sometimes it will be 141, 144, 142, 268!!, 141. 

To get an RHR, once or twice a week I'll just wear the HRM to bed and take the overnight average.  It sounds especially anal retentive, but I am terrible at remembering to try to get an RHR in the morning before I am up and moving around. 

Funny.

It's the trend that counts not the absolute number.  Watch what it does over time.

I think your resting HR is a great tool to see how fit you are, if you are getting sick or overtrained. What is a good resting heart rate depends on you. Best way to track it is to see the change. Mine used to be in the 60's 15 months ago and now it is in the high 40's which means my heart pumps more blood so the stroke volume is higher which is a good thing. Since I still have a lot of potential to get fitter which means I should continue to see that my resting HR  get lower. Women's resting HR is normally higher than men in a general trend.

My HR I see in the 220's frequently I just ignore those weird high readings.

Having an HR that is over 200 isn't something to worry about .. sustaining an HR over 200 might be cause for some concern.

I go over 200 all the time, but as long as it doesn't stay there when I'm done excersizing, we're all good.