Running

No bloody idea but when you find out can you tell me?

My plan says that I need to keep long runs entirely aerobic, 5 or 6 weeks ago I could just about do this under 5 min kms, but increasing volumes (gone from 60k per week up to 85k ish) and a bit of a sniffle, means that this is now more like 5:15 min kms but I know I can run at the faster pace, so trying to reel my ego in and run slower to get the benefit and avoid injury as volume ramps up takes a monumental effort..

It involves starting slow and staying way under target heart rate for quite a lot of the run and hen accepting in the last few kms I’m going to be a bit over of I hold the pace steady.

I think, was it @nefarious ?, who brought about the "just breath through your nose, no mouth breathing" for the long slow run. It works in keeping your pace steady.

I had to do a threshold test only breathing through my nose on a treadmill. It was the worst. The absolute worst.

I’ve never needed any particular techniques for running slowly - it comes naturally.

I’ve never needed any particular techniques for running slowly - it comes naturally.

Hahaha this is me!
But when I want to slow down I concentrate on counting 1234 and also try to relax my body more, shake out my arms etc.

I run with a HRM and make sure I stay below a certain level. Seems to be the only thing that’ll keep me really slow!

I was big on heart rate training as a newbie. If done properly I think it's a great way of disciplining yourself to run within yourself. Crucially, it gives you an objective way of tracking fitness improvements without the need to go out and beat your running times every time. I've mentioned it here before but fetcheveryone.com (my favourite training log) has a feature of "(heart-)beats per mile" which you can compare for runs at different paces. The lower the number the more efficiently you're running.

Hoka Clifton 7, 7-mile test run report: lovely!

That’s one of the things that keeps me motivated (along with staying injury free). It’s lovely to see my easy pace improve on the same BPM. Less lovely when it dropped back down after a month with a chest infection...

I've mentioned it here before but fetcheveryone.com (my favourite training log) has a feature of "(heart-)beats per mile" which you can compare for runs at different paces. The lower the number the more efficiently you're running.

Thanks, have been looking for something like this. How do you navigate to that particular chart?

I had to look this up, it's a while since I've monitored HR! In the training log there's a drop-down menu on the notes section. If you go to "Heart" it shows you HR stats including "B/Mi". This will be very individual for different folks but I was always happy to see it ducking below 1,000, and it correlated well with my race times.

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If you haven’t already. Run without music. You’ll spend a lot more time listening to your breathing and it will regulate better because you can hear it

You obviously can calculate it from HR[sub]avg[/sub], time and distance. I do this in my own tracking spreadsheet.

I've got a long term goal to get mine under 1000, which I think I might be able to do if I ever lose the 20kg I need to lose. Right now it's nice to watch it slowly trend downwards as I get fitter and as the weight drops off.

Running without music is something i "learned" way too late.
I also find it very meditative (is it the right word?) running in quietness.

On the HR chat... Recently I've been running a bit more "just running" without trying to keep HR in low (Z1 or 2) on what are supposed to be easier runs. I'm finding my breathing is still easy - can still nose breathe and generally do 4 steps on the in breath and 4 steps on the out breath. But my HR is creeping into easier tempo range (lower Z4) despite the easy breathing, and only a small increase in perceived effort. Don't know what the point of this post is really, just an observation.

My heart rate got up to 202 on a run today, I guess I didn't need to wear a polar fleece in 24 degree sunshine...

202???

@hats is young.

Individuals are just individuals. I'm 44 and I've seen my HR at 205bpm when playing 5-a-side football (which seems like a distant memory right now). Tops out at ~190bpm when running though.

Not that young! I have a very low resting heart rate though so I guess my heart relaxes when it can so that it can do this when needed.

A lot younger than me and @Chalfie though.

How low is your resting HR then? Mine gets down to the high thirties when I’m really fit, but my HR Max these days is around 170, which is 25 beats below what it was when I first started using a HR monitor (in 1992).

My head just plays children's TV theme tunes without music. I'll clear my head, start counting breaths and a few minutes later realise I'm running to an internal version of "Justin's House" or "Gigglebiz".

Talking of HR training and building your base. I started running all my runs at 75% of my maxHR in an effort to build my base. Started out at 7:18min/km and just over a year later (training has been off and on due to injuries) am now around 5:18mins/km.
(Audio books are my friend)
Have lost about 10kg in the process so am sure that has contributed to the improved pace.

Plan is to do another 3 weeks of this and then start throwing in some faster stuff.
(knee is aching a bit so no doubt i'll be off injured again soon!)

I'm 36, I keep being shocked that I'm full on adult age nowadays. Resting heart rate is 40-45, if I'm full of coffee it goes up to around 55. I have no idea what my HR max is, it didn't feel that high today (just HOT) so I guess it could go slightly higher. I should try and find out.

I'm 45, my resting hr is about 45. I think I've hit 180 in my life. Sometime ago. HR is currently telling me 160 ish? for top peak high blood capacity volume moving speed.

I thought my HR Max was 190 until I was trying to not get dropped in my first road race of the 1993 season, then I glanced down and saw 195. Felt like it too.

My heart rate got up to 202 on a run today,

I haven't been able to get my HR above 200 since I was about 20!

My red line max tends to be about 195 now days.

When I did did my coaching badges and A Level Sports Science (over 20 years ago now) we were taught that a good rule of thumb for maximum HR is 220 minus your age.

https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/measuring/heartrate.htm