Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Heart rate & cadence

Training Zones
Heart Rate
Objectives
60%
137
Fat burning and re-energise glycogen stores
70%
151
Develop oxygen transportation systems
80%
165
Improve lactic acid threshold
85%
172
Lactic threshold
90%
179
Speed

Tonight was such a good run for me! I was debating whether I should do a Tempo run, a Speed workout or the fun Hill challenge. I decided on the Tempo even though I sorta already ran one on Monday. My normal run speed is 6.5mph which is around 9:37 pace. Tonight, I did the 4 mile tempo run at 9:05, with the last mile at 8:57.

The above table is what I should be hitting with my heart rate when my resting heart rate is 54 and my max heart rate at 192. Tonight, I should have been in the 80-85% area. I was running around the 170's but didn't think that it was high enough, so that's why I upped it to 8:57. Lo & behold, I increased my heart rate to 182-184. Hmm, now I was reaching speed pace. I unfortunately, didn't have this chart available on me so I didn't know. But now, I will print this out and keep it with me in my running bag (well, at least try to remember it!).

I even counted my cadence tonight. Counted the right foot landing in a minute. 30+30+24=84.
...most elite runners maintain a cadence of 85-95 regardless of pace or distance of the event...
Unfortunately, I didn't enter that range. I was just 1 step shy of it. But I sure as hell felt like an elite! Especially as I was drinking out of my bottle. I remember last year, watching the New York City Marathon and seeing Paula Radcliffe drink out of bottle with her left elbow sticking out. I just felt so cool! And the best thing was that I was in the front row of the treadmills so people got to see it all and wonder how I could be going so fast and drinking out of my bottle and still look so cool and collected. HA! My sports tank was drenched though I noticed once I got to the locker room.

It was a good run. I'm looking forward to hopefully finally running outside on Saturday!!

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