I've just got my first HRM, a Polar FT4. I set it up with the default Max HR (220-age) and went for a very easy 10k run. My average HR was 85% of the Max HR and the Max HR on the run was 93% (on a short steep hill right at the end of the run). The average %age seems too high to me, and I definately wasn't that near max effort going up the hill. This suggests that the calculated Max HR of 171 is too low? I've heard that the formula values can be out by as much as 15% to 20% and that it's best to measure it yourself.
So ... what should my target average HR be as a %age of Max HR for easy runs just getting in the miles (for someone just starting to get back into running after a break of a few years? And, how do I measure my Max HR without paying for an expensive session in a gym with a trainer? Any advice would be welcome.
Advice for a newbie HRM user.
I've just got my first HRM, a Polar FT4. I set it up with the default Max HR (220-age) and went for a very easy 10k run. My average HR was 85% of the Max HR and the Max HR on the run was 93% (on a short steep hill right at the end of the run). The average %age seems too high to me, and I definately wasn't that near max effort going up the hill. This suggests that the calculated Max HR of 171 is too low? I've heard that the formula values can be out by as much as 15% to 20% and that it's best to measure it yourself.
So ... what should my target average HR be as a %age of Max HR for easy runs just getting in the miles (for someone just starting to get back into running after a break of a few years? And, how do I measure my Max HR without paying for an expensive session in a gym with a trainer? Any advice would be welcome.