Running in heart rate zones
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:50 am
Lani,
I started running a little over one year ago and participating in numerous 5k races. I have run in about 12 races overall, including a 10k and a few 5 mile races.
I signed up for a half-marathon which will be in May of next year.
My aunt and uncle, as a Christmas present, purchased me an online coach and training plan to prepare me for the event. The online coach has assigned me heart rate zones. These zones are calculated by my average heart rate from my most recent 5k race. So, on certain days, I am supposed to run in heart rate zone of 108-126. On other days, between 131-141.
Does this seem too artificial and constraining to you? It does to me.
I would rather go for a system where I simply "run slow" one day and "run moderate" the next, without getting into the numbers of heart rate zones.
Do you think that a coach, who has never seen me in person, can, using a software program, determine specific heart rate zones, which will provide optimal training? I think not. But my aunt and uncle are encouraging me to go ahead and follow my coach's advice. My aunt and uncle do olympic tri-athalons on a regular basis. They have enjoyed success with this coaching team that they hired for me.
Problem is that my coach has shuffled my target heart rate zones twice in less than a month, after I told him that my heart rate zones forced me to run too slow, as slow as a snail. Now, the information I have provided him, from my recent races, has not changed. But my coach has given me, up until now, 3 different sets of heart rate zones. So, I'm questioning the validity of these zones.
Also, compliance with these heart rate zones sort of takes the fun out of running. I would be willing to sacrifice some fun in the short term if it would mean, long term, better results. Sort of like in nutrition.
So, tell me your opinion. Are these heart rate zones to be put in the category of protein supplements and bee pollen? Is it more gimmick than science? What do you think?
Thanks.
I started running a little over one year ago and participating in numerous 5k races. I have run in about 12 races overall, including a 10k and a few 5 mile races.
I signed up for a half-marathon which will be in May of next year.
My aunt and uncle, as a Christmas present, purchased me an online coach and training plan to prepare me for the event. The online coach has assigned me heart rate zones. These zones are calculated by my average heart rate from my most recent 5k race. So, on certain days, I am supposed to run in heart rate zone of 108-126. On other days, between 131-141.
Does this seem too artificial and constraining to you? It does to me.
I would rather go for a system where I simply "run slow" one day and "run moderate" the next, without getting into the numbers of heart rate zones.
Do you think that a coach, who has never seen me in person, can, using a software program, determine specific heart rate zones, which will provide optimal training? I think not. But my aunt and uncle are encouraging me to go ahead and follow my coach's advice. My aunt and uncle do olympic tri-athalons on a regular basis. They have enjoyed success with this coaching team that they hired for me.
Problem is that my coach has shuffled my target heart rate zones twice in less than a month, after I told him that my heart rate zones forced me to run too slow, as slow as a snail. Now, the information I have provided him, from my recent races, has not changed. But my coach has given me, up until now, 3 different sets of heart rate zones. So, I'm questioning the validity of these zones.
Also, compliance with these heart rate zones sort of takes the fun out of running. I would be willing to sacrifice some fun in the short term if it would mean, long term, better results. Sort of like in nutrition.
So, tell me your opinion. Are these heart rate zones to be put in the category of protein supplements and bee pollen? Is it more gimmick than science? What do you think?
Thanks.