Dale Matson
Heart Monitor Chest Strap With Suunto Ambit And Electrode Gel
The concept and techniques of training with a heart monitor
are not new. Sally Edwards has an excellent book The Heart Rate Monitor Book
(1992). http://thesallyedwardscompany.com/sallyedwards/books-by-sally-edwards.php
I have trained using various heart monitors over the years
starting with a basic Polar unit advancing to more sophisticated Polar watches
that provided my VO2 max, calories burned, altitude and memory for different
heart rate zones. I have also used the Garmin 305 (a GPS) unit that freed me to
run anywhere and keep track of the altitude and distance too. The more
sophisticated units can be downloaded via beams or micro cables to computer software
programs that store and analyze the information.
My current unit is a Suunto Ambit. It is much more
complicated than my previous Suunto Advisor that I used as an
Altitude/Barometer/Compass (often referred to as an ABC watch. I can download
the watch to “Movescount” and store and analyze my efforts each time. It has
uploadable applications that allow expanded use and function. For example I
have a ski, open water, trekking, running and treadmill function. It will not
give me my heart rate in the water but will give me my distance and route on a
topo/satellite map. I believe the Ambit II does do this.
Many of my friends use these devices simply for the distance
and don’t even wear the chest strap that transmits heart rate (HR). In fact
most folks I know that do use the chest strap have become so tuned into their
level of effort/heart rate, they could tell you what their heart rate is
without looking at their watch! Some of my friends like Faron Reed do not use
any device and simply “use the force Luke” in guiding their workouts. I can't
argue with a man who has competed in the Hawaii Ironman about 8 times.
The problem for me is that I have an average ability with an
average (conditioned) VO2 max for my age. I have found that to optimize my athletic
abilities, I have to train scientifically. This means that I have collected
data over the last 20 years that is stored in my computer and in a journal. I
knew that when I ran my first sub four-hour marathon at 190 lbs. at age 50, I
would have to lose 30 pounds to go under 3:30 to qualify for Boston, which I
did. Figure that you lose about ten minutes in a marathon for every 10 pounds
you are over your ideal body weight.
Although Sally Edwards stated in her book that your maximum
heart rate doesn’t drop all that much what I have noticed that I can no longer hold as high an average
heart rate for an extended period of time. What I mean by this is that at
age 69, my average heart rate in a one-hour tempo run is about 131 with a
maximum of 160. (I call this cardiac creep since the pace is about the same
throughout). When I was 50, I could hold an average heart rate of 160 for the
same period of time with a maximum of 175-180. If one used Kenneth Cooper’s
formula for a conditioned heart, the maximum predicted HR would be 205 minus
half your age. When I was 50 I could hit 180. Now maximum is closer to 170. So,
while my MPRH is 170, my capacity to hold
a high average heart rate is diminished considerably.
While I bike, swim and cross-country ski, I rarely keep
track of my heart rate during those exercises. I run three times a week. My
Tuesday run is a tempo run to keep my speed and heart rate higher. One simply
needs to be used to the sound of one’s breathing, pounding heart and the
discomfort that goes with that. I do a duty run on Thursday with my dog and a
long run on Saturday to keep my aerobic base up. There are hills for both my
Tuesday and Saturday runs. My long run used to be distance but now it is time.
It is 20 miles or 6 hours, whichever comes first.
Screen Shot Of Saturday Long Run Route On Movescount
The final point here is that
on the long runs, I have always tried to run easy enough to make my maximum
heart rate about the same as my average heart rate on my tempo runs. I do a lot
of stopping to visit with friends on a long run. The recovery time according to
my Ambit for my 20-mile effort is about the same as my one-hour tempo runs.
Frankly I’d rather do the long runs!
Hike To Kaiser Peak Heart rate Graph
Notice That My Heart rate begins dropping below 8,000' On The Return Leg
I hope there is something you can take away from this that
is not in a book.
The first measurement should be in the morning before eating or taking any medications, and the second in the evening. Each time you measure, take two or three readings to make sure your results are accurate. Your doctor might recommend taking your blood pressure at the same times each day. Blood Pressure Monitor
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an advertisement. My article was about a heart monitor not a BP monitor.
ReplyDelete