If you search the Internet long enough you can find just about anything that will support your theories…
Too Slow
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| I have no doubt Mark Allen knows what he's talking about |
Recently I read an article by Mark Allen (six-time winner of the Ironman World Championship) that stressed staying in your aerobic or fat burning for the first 10-12 weeks of training. Based on his formula, I needed to keep my heart rate below 134.
This proved to be easier said than done. Last Friday I did a 10 mile run with HS and managed to maintain an average HR of 134. In order to maintain this HR, I ran a 12:21 minute per mile pace. UGH!!! I didn't think I could do this for 10 days let alone 10 weeks. There had to be a better way.
Google Search
This unbearably slow pace is what lead to today's Google search. I can't remember my exact search criteria, but it had something to do with base pace being too slow.
I found the following two part article by Paul Carmona. For what it's worth, Paul Carmona is a lawyer who has completed 33 marathons and 30 triathlons (from sprint to Ironman distance). Does this mean he does or doesn't know what he's talking? I don't know, but I like what he has to say and it supports my theory that I'm running too slow! LOL
- Slow Down To Speed Up: Base Training to Build Endurance and Boost Speed (Part 1)
- Slow Down To Speed Up: Base Training to Build Endurance and Boost Speed (Part 2)
Carmona's two part-er does not depart from the fundamentals stressed by Mark Allen. The main difference is in part 2 where Carmona offers a more customized way of calculating your HR range. Carmona's method takes into account your resting HR. Look at this example Carmona uses…
Let’s say for the purposes of illustration that our runner is a 40 year-old who attains a maximal heart rate of 175 on the hill test. Next, she averages 55 beats at rest. HRR is maximal heart rate minus resting heart rate. In this example, 175 minus 55 is 120. That is her “heart rate reserve,” 120. In other words, she can go from complete rest at 55 beats per minute to a maximum of 175 beats at very hard effort.
Generally, the recommended zone for aerobic training is 65%-78% of HRR. For our example, where the HRR is 120, we arrive at these numbers:
- 65% of 120 = 78
- 78% of 120 = 94
However, you have got to add back into these numbers the resting heart rate. Thus, for our runner whose resting heart rate is 55, the zones are:
- 78 + 55 = 133
- 94 + 55 = 149
Voila! Her target training zone for aerobic exercise is 133-149. Now, compare that range to the simplistic method above (220 minus age x 60%-80%), which yielded zones of 108-144. The 133-149 zone is much narrower, and is tailored specifically to her own resting and maximal heart rates.
I have a pretty good idea of my maximum HR based on my Garmin averages and the field tests that Coach James has put me though. If there is any doubt about those numbers, my recent VO2 max test at the University of the Pacific should put those to rest. The only missing piece to this puzzle will be my resting heart rate.
For today's 5 mile run, I borrowed the HR range from Carmona's example…why not? It's better than walking my run. My moving pace for the run jumped to a speedy 10:58 minutes per mile. Ok, maybe that's not exactly speedy, but it is much more do-able than 12:21…I'm just saying.
For the next week, I am going to be recording my resting heart rate as soon as I wake up. Maybe my results will get me a few extra bpm ;-)
Resting HR this morning was 67. Base on the formula above my range is 137-151. This seems much more reasonable than 134.
ReplyDeleteYou are WAY over thinking all of this. You need to listen to YOUR body and train it /feed it the way that it knows how to work. Books and research are basic guidelines directed at the general population. Do you where the exact same size pants from every different company. Like you said, search long enough and you can find research to support whatever you are doing......get your brain out of the way and let your body do what it knows how to do.
ReplyDeleteDuring my first year of triathlons (2013), I pretty much did whatever I wanted without much thought about the effects. Since I was new to the sport, anything I did improved my fitness and as a result improved my performance.
DeleteNow that I'm starting my second year, I am actually reading "The Triathlete's Training Bible" (recommended by my coach) and trying to outline a training and racing schedule. This includes incorporating "base" and "build" phases into my plan.
Since I am still relatively new, I've been researching what to do in the base phase. This lead me to various articles about target heart rates and is why I'm currently focused on finding the correct aerobic zone for my workouts.
Completely understand....I've been doing this for years and hundreds of races. You need to take all the information you get with a grain of salt if you will otherwise you are going to spend your entire season looking for that perfect number which might be way different than what everyone else thinks it should be. Focus on ONE training aspect at a time (building your base,controlling your breathing, finding your racing weight, getting your nutrition right, mastering transition,improving your run or bike or swim, etc.) otherwise you can't be sure which change is having what effect.
ReplyDeleteNote that some of these things take longer than others and might need to be "tweeked" from time to time, but building the foundation in each area requires full attention & focus during that phase.
The world of multi-sport racing is very different than anything else you will ever train for or race in on top of that each distance within multi-sport requires a different style of training in order to be successful. Plus you have to look at you ultimate goal (is it to be the best in your age group at a given distance or is it to complete longer distances as the years progress or smoke everybody on the run no matter what.
As you watch/ race more events you will hear talk about the "swimmers" or the "super bikers" or the "runners"...even in the pros they are always tweeking something to improve, but not all at once. Figure out what type of "er" you are first, decide what your season & long term goals are then make your plan of action....but be ready for short term sacrifice in one area for long term gains overall.
There are lots of things that work in harmony with each other and trying to control/change to many of them at the same can put you in a worse place than you started.
Good luck!