HRM's Rate them or Hate them

I havn't used one since the World Champs in 2004 and was considering getting one again to do some tests. I thought now that I have started training after a month off that I could do some tests on the turbo and treadmill and measure the average and peak heart rate and then do the tests again in spring just before the season starts and carry out a comparison to show any improvement. Would this be a good way to do it and also who uses HRM's on a regular basis, what info are you getting out of them and how are you using it

I use mine on my bike where the Powertap picks up the info along with power from the hub. I use it as a cross check to make sure I'm working hard enough, or to see if something is a miss (ie too high might mean I'm fighting off some bug or I'm tired and not recovered from earlier training or becoming dehydrated). Have to say since getting power I refer to heart rate much less, I used to ride off it for intervals now it's just power.

Don't run train with one on as a rule but do wear it racing when my Garmin picks up the feed and I have it displayed alongside my pace, time etc. Very good guide for me ref pushing too hard too early on the run or getting dehydrated.

Testing before and after a period of training would certainly give you a guage as to progress for sure. And aids in setting effort levels. Very easy to work too hard, or not hard enough without any guide at all as perceived effort is often quite inaccurate, particularly for working lower ends of training.

K

I mainly use it for training (unless my coach requests that i race in it or i'm swimming) the main area that i take particular notice is running determines whether i'm running too hard for an easy session if that makes sense.

I started a training program for my first IM next year and its all based around the HR, its here if you want to have a look.

http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/training-programs/36-week-ironman-training-program-000649.php

The idea is, after getting an accurate Max heart rate (MHR) and resting (RHR) you use a formula to get all your percentages (60%, 75% etc) and these are what you work with.
(MHR - RHR)x % then add RHR, % being your percentage as a decimal eg. 0.75 for 75%

If you work at the right HR your body gets more efficient allowing you to do more work for the same amount of intensity, getting faster as a consequence. It also means your constantly increasing your fitness levels as your training never remains at a certain level. There are a lot of outside factors that affect HR but that just means the pace might be lower, the intensity remains constant so you still get the benefits from the training session. Plus the recovery sessions are what they say they are, so the risk of injury is reduced.
Then again I don't have a lot of experience in triathlon so I could be wrong, it seems to be working for me though, I'm 3 weeks into this plan. Most of my bike sessions are on the turbo so I have Watts and HR to go by

My HR monitor tells me that I am alive

A 36 week training plan! Good luck with that!!

Just thought I'd let you know how my heartrate training is going and the 36 week training plan.
So far this year I've taken 20 mins off my london marathon time, its now 03:24:52. I've qualified for the Worlds duathlon at Cambridge a week later and Sunday just gone I managed 04:45:35 for 1.9k/80k/22.5k at the Swashbuckler compared to 05:14:42 at the Vit last year, not an accurate comparison as the courses are very different but the only one I have as I've only done 2.

So it seems the heartrate monitor is my friend and the training plan has been brilliant too

Hope everyone's training is going well.....

Great to hear that! Turbo and I have been doing hr work over the last few months to great effect! We've been keeping it proper hard or proper endurance.

My HR monitor is in the cupboard

somewhere

or is it in an unpacked moving box?

Batteries probably dead now.

HR is so old school!! power is where its at. Interval training with Hr isn't practical as their is such a lag in heart rate catching up with intensity over short distance. You say do a test which says in theory you should sit at 168bpm for a 10mile tt but on this day your feeling better and in the zone shal we say so you restrict your performance and go slower!! Also over longer endurance events you will see HR drift and this will cause you to race slower if you go by HR alone. If i use mine for eg in a 10 tt i will av 172 hr, for a 25tt 5bpm lower 167bpm but i dont use it as a guide to race with i just go on feel. When it goes past 180 i know im going too hard but you know that anyway from the burn in your legs. As you train more iv seen resting hr drop, the best use i can think of for a Hr monitor is to record your rsting hr each day when you wake up. If it's higher than normal then its one indication towards illness or over training. If you do get one garmin 705 is a awsome bit of kit with euro map card.

705 and power gadgets are mega bucks for the average Joe!

Yes, the lag is there for HR on intervals, and yes it will drift up a little over longer events due to fatigue and dehydration however it's a very good starting point to train with and I think far better than perceived effort which I think is massively variable depending on so many factors and for my money not 'sciency enough' if that's what you are after.

Just read 'Born To Run' and that's all about staying lower or training proper hard. Proper hard sprinting you can do without HR monitors (it's flat out!) but is isn't possible for the average bod to run/cycle slow enough without a HR monitor, especially when you are fresh - everyone works harder than they should for the endurance building sessions.

I've had fun playing with the Powertap over the last year but to be honest I reckon you can get pretty good results using a HR monitor sensibly and you could invest the thousand in better wheels, kit, or go have a holiday, or have less debt!

K

Have to admit i'd wouldn't mind having a powertap but its a toss up between £180 HR or a £800+ powertap, unfortuantly i can only dream of the powertap!