Heart Rate Zone Testing Question

[stingey]

Hi Lynda,

[Lynda]

Sarah,

Stick with the heart rate zones from your test. It looks like a good test. After a week if you feel the zones are really too low for you drop one of the harder workouts from you week and do the test again.

Use this Training Intensity Guidelines chart during this week to check your heart rate zone matches your general feeling, breathing, conversation and perceived exertion indicators while you are training.

Lynda

[stingey]

Okay – Thank you Lynda-

[stingey]

I have a follow up question! I just did my first XC race of the season on Saturday – and collected the following stats:

• Time elapsed: 1 hr 45 min
• Average Heart Rate: 163
• Max Heart Rate: 178

Is the Super Threshold heart rate zone range supposed to represent the highest heart rates you can sustain for long periods of exercise?

[Lynda]

Sarah,

Rested and fresh you should be able to maintain close to your threshold heart rate for an XC race. It sounds like you tested low and your threshold heart rate is close to 163 bpm

You should test again when you are rested. Some athletes heart rates are greatly depressed with fatigue. You might be one of them. This means some days your heart rate will be low and some days high. Those athletes can make so much more sense out of training with a power meter.

Heart rate is NOT a measure of exercise intensity, but a response of your body to exercise intensity PLUS other variables (fatigue, time of day, caffeine, adrenaline, altitude, motivation, hydration, temperature etc) The other variables can make HR training confusing at times.

Lynda

[stingey]

Thanks Lynda – that is really interesting. I didn't know that about heart rates, and it makes me much more interested in looking into a power meter for future training.

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