The gadgets etc had no effect on my desire to start running at all, I started just doing a 2 mile circuit with no consideration for time etc... then I started making a mental note of the time as I left the house and checked again when I got back, then came the stopwatch for slightly more accurate timing and it's just progressed from there! Of course at no point has my running been reliant on these bits of technical wizardry, but I feel they've helped me improve and understand what my bodies doing, and why.

Jason, I know exactly what you mean about hitting an incline and your HR shoots up. Over time I've learned to feel the difference between different exertion levels so now I can run with more consistant energy exertion rather than trying to maintain a consistant pace, which isn't really very efficient during a hilly race!

In answer to Calton1954

I would gladly grow a tail if I had the longs slim legs of that avatar...... Sadly its never going to happen as I 5ft tall so I will have to make do with what I have got.

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Dance like there's no-one around!!

If you want to get the *most* out of your 1 or 2 hours training session, then use a heart rate monitor, learn where your body is working hardest and do it. Simple fact is these devices will make you faster and fitter in a shorter amount of time. In order to maximise your stroke volume growth, you must run intervals. Research shows that to maximise this you must run your heart to it's maximum and rest it to 120bpm. Why not spend £150 on a device which will do this for you, for years and years.

I don't *think* about using my gadget, I just slap it on, and run. When I need a reference, or I need motivating, or I think I'm going off like a jack-rabbit I check my speed, heart rate, temperature and distance and I have all the information I need.

I can't tell you the amount of times my body has said NO and my heart-rate has said YES and vice versa. I've tried following my 'feelings' in my body, and 100% of the time I followed the heart-rate I've come off better off.

Learn everything you can about training, getting fit and physiology, and use your gadget to your maximum advantage.

£150 for a HRM??! :eek: I do hope you mean something along the lines of a Garmin which is more than just a HRM.

Does anyone manage to hit their max HR very often? I've only ever hit 197bpm once and that was doing the bleep test, when I do intervals or hill training I've not yet managed to go beyond 191, and usually it's more like 182 at the end of an interval. Any suggestions?

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I've got the Polar S625x which has the footpod for speed/distance aswell, so that's the extra cost!! Very useful.

As for maxing your heart rate, you are unlikely to do it on a logner run, much more likely during intervals or fartlek... Monday night we sprinted the last half mile or so of a fartlek session and I saw 190+ on the HRM which was great since my plodding along HR is 174 at 7.5mph.

Basically, once warm, if you are reasonably fit your muscles will not have the capacity to draw 100% from your heart, and once they are slightly tired your heart can pump all the blood required. If you're like me, you'll find your heart rate settles at 182, your breathing is mammoth and your legs feel like 100tonnes!!

Must attempt max HR *after* good warmup, and *before* legs/breathing dies.

My previous post was referring to what feel like maximal effort intervals though my long run HR tends to be around 150bpm which I'd have thought was normal for a long run - 174bpm for me I think would be 10k(ish) race pace. I've not hit my max HR for so long that I'm beginning to question if it still exists at that level

Sorry for hijacking the thread btw littleminxie *awaits virtual slap*

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Yeah, they *feel* like maximal effort, and probably are for your legs - that's what I meant. Your heart has doubled (say) in performance, and your legs have only improved by 25% (say). Therefore you won't max your heart as easily. It takes much more work to improve the limbs than the heart/circulatory system.

stupid legs

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luthor... out of interest, what would be the best way of going about testing my max HR now then?

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Your max heart rate won't change with fitness, it's fixed. Hard to believe, I know, but it only reduces with age. The best thing to do is become awfully unfit and then run an interval, you'll see your max heart rate then!

Your heart stroke volume increases and reduces with fitness, so when it reduces (unfitness) your heart has to try it's hardest relative to your leg speed thus you see it.

Best to work on leg circulatory fitness, and capilarisation (increase in blood supply to muscles) to work the heart harder.

It's the dimishing return whereby you get a quick improvement, then as your heart/lungs/circulation improves you actually encounter injury in the limbs which puts your training on hold until repaired, by which time you've lost some of the heart/lungs fitness improvement.

Get the legs built up for stamina until you're running further and starting to stretch your heart again. That's where I am now too, low HR, high leg ache