I planned a three mile run for my second day of training.
After having established my true (un)fitness level the previous day, I started the treadmill at a more realistic 5mph and allowed my heart rate to more gradually climb to my recovery ceiling. I started to drop the speed from around 0.75 miles into the run, but at a less dramatic rate than before.
My first two miles were 12:04 and 25:09 respectively, meaning that I was just over a minute-and-a-half faster to the two mile mark. My body was starting to adapt to training again. During the third mile I had to reduce my speed more frequently (using the technique I described in my previous article) and ended the run slowly at 3.8mph. My time for three miles was 40:36.
Day three was a rest day.
Day four was scheduled for another three mile run at recovery pace, following exactly the same principles as my earlier runs and starting at 5mph. I didn’t have to reduce my speed at all in the first mile, so it took 12:00 minutes exactly. I will increase my starting speed for my next run by a few tenths, since I am happy to reach my recovery ceiling sooner.
My times at the end of each mile split were 12:00, 24:16 and 37:27. So my three mile time was a full three minutes faster than on my previous run. If only progress was always that easy! I should point out that the weather was somewhat cooler today, so that will account for part of the improvement. My experience is that the heart works harder and does impact the timings on hot days. I’ll get a better idea how I’m progressing when the temperature settles down.
I’m planning a rest day for day five, followed by a four mile run on day six.
I’ve previously determined my heart rate recovery ceiling to be 153bpm (beats per minute). I monitor my heart rate throughout the run and when it reaches 154bpm, I immediately reduce my speed by 0.1mph. If it does not reduce to 153 or lower within ten seconds, then I reduce by another 0.1mph. In the early stage of the run, this process may be required in fairly rapid successions – particularly if I have started out too fast, like I did today. I may find that my heart rate still climbs after reducing my speed by 0.1mph, so I will drop it 0.2mph or more to quickly get back below my recovery ceiling. Sometimes my heart rate may drop to 151bpm or lower, in which case I’ll increase speed by 0.1mph increments to get back up to 152/153bpm. So as you can see, I’m looking to be training as near as possible to my recovery ceiling without going over. This process is easier to carry out on a treadmill, but the principle is the same when running outside. As the run progresses and as fitness improves, the process of reducing the speed becomes less frequent.
The First (comeback) Run
To kick-off my new training routine I decided to limit myself to two miles. This was a recovery run on a treadmill with no incline. The idea was simply to assess my current level of fitness (or lack thereof) and help me to set my level of training for the forthcoming week.
As I mentioned in my previous article, the brain is more ready for returning to training than the body. I started off at what I thought was a conservative pace of 6mph. However, I reached my heart rate recovery ceiling within just a couple of minutes and had to reduce the pace quite rapidly to 5mph and then gradually lower during the remainder of the run. I dragged my sorry ass in at 3.9mph at the end of the run. It was a humbling reminder that a heart rate monitor accurately measures how the heart responds to exercise, and the heart does not lie about the fitness level. Heart monitor training has no place for ego.
Today, my first mile was completed in 12:17, and my time for two miles was 26:44. My peak heart rate was 153bpm and averaged 151bpm. To put this in perspective, the final two miles of my marathon were completed more than three minutes faster than this!
After my target distance was completed I cooled-down by walking for five minutes, allowing my heart rate to slow down gradually. My lower back had ached during the run, so I did a post-run back stretch that I had been shown by a physiotherapist. This is performed by laying on the floor, then drawing the knees up to the chest into the foetal position. A gentle rocking motion aids the stretch.
It would be easy to dwell on the negative, but this is where keeping records can help the motivation. I could see a previous time in my training diary where I had missed training for two months, and I had a similar dramatic drop in fitness. Knowing that I successfully recovered from a very similar set-back in the past means that I am easily able to look beyond my current situation to where I will be in the coming months, as long as I follow structured training and remain patient.
Day One training was now complete, and I’m happy to say I was immediately looking forward to the next session. That’s exactly how it should be.
I’ve been harbouring a little secret since starting the Women’s Heart Rate Monitor blog – I have not been actively training for the last couple of months. After initially suffering a recurrence of a lower back injury, I had to stop because the running appeared to be aggravating the problem. To be honest, though, this only really prevented me from being able to run for a couple of weeks. The rest of the time has been procrastination!
I think, part of my reason for starting this blog was to get back my enthusiasm that frankly did wane. I ran my first marathon this year and my training has just not quite felt the same since. Post-marathon blues? Maybe. Lack of a new challenge following the marathon? Probably. Other priorities that had been put on ice while training for the marathon? Check.
Anyway, thanks to starting this blog I’m all fired up and ready to go again. Which is a perfect opportunity to discuss how to use the Heart Rate Monitor to re-start training after an extended lay-off (say, more than a month or two without training).
The point of training at this point in time is to get ready for training. The brain may be ready for hard training, but the body is not! Rather than dive-in to a twelve week schedule to run a race, for example, it makes sense to add on several more weeks to build-up to a reasonable base mileage. Temper the enthusiasm a bit to avoid unnecessary illness or injury through over-training.
Anybody that has returned to training with a heart rate monitor after a lay-off will know that it can be quite shocking how much cardio fitness is lost over a relatively short period of times. According to Bob Glover in The Runner’s Handbook:
“In general, your body builds fitness slowly and loses it rapidly: It takes three times as long to gain aerobic endurance as it does to lose it. With complete inactivity, aerobic fitness may decline almost 10 percent per week.”
Thus, I would suggest that it’s prudent to restart with no more than half the amount of mileage that was regularly performed before the lay-off, and possibly even less.
My weekly mileage was 35 to 45 miles in the run-up to the marathon, but then fell back to a more manageable 25 to 28 miles in the next couple of months. So my plan will be to run around 12 to 14 miles in the first week, then build-up from there.
My typical week consisted of six days of running: one or two “hard” sessions, with four recovery sessions and one complete day of rest. I’ll work up to this level again, but will start my first week with three complete rest days.
So, for this week, my plan is to run on four days for two to four miles, with three rest days. All of the runs will be at recovery rate Needless to say I will be using my Heart Rate Monitor to ensure that I stay below my seventy per-cent recovery ceiling.
I’ll post more details in the blog as I progress. So, if you are considering returning to running – why not join me (in the virtual sense)? Perhaps we can inspire each other to reach new heights!
In this new series of articles and updates for Women’s Heart Rate Monitor, I’ll show you how I apply the principles of Heart Monitor Training to plan and implement a structured training schedule. You will see first-hand how I progress over time.
September 9th, 2009 -- Posted in Running Program | Comments Off
In part two of my series of articles for Women’s Heart Rate Monitor, I explained my reasoning behind the importance of keeping records. Now I will expand a little on the key records that I keep.
To start with, I like to keep a record of factual data that can be measured and easily quantified. The reason for this is simply that I am never in doubt that I am comparing like-for-like. The facts are indisputable. Perhaps one year ago I ran three miles in forty minutes at my recovery pace heart rate, and now I can run three miles in thirty minutes at the same heart rate. The progress is measured and can be compared directly.
I like to do measured runs on a treadmill for the most direct comparison, because this eliminates variables such as the weather and different running terrain. Typical figures I like to keep as a minimum are:
For longer runs, I also like to note my heart rate at each mile split. Very often there is a linear progression of improvement which relates to the quality of the training I have done. I can compare my progress in my current training cycle and adjust my goals accordingly.
I try not to include too much detail, as this would not benefit making comparisons. However, I do make extra notes in exceptional circumstances, such as a sub-par performance due to extenuating factors. The more factual the records, the more meaningful it is when making plans based on past performance.
Depending on your own goals, you may think of other things that you want to record. If you have a goal to lose weight, then clearly it makes sense to occasionally check your weight and/or body fat percentage. Whatever it takes to motivate and inspire when the inevitable “flat” periods arise.
When choosing a Heart Rate Monitor, it is a very good idea to go for a model that includes a “lap” counter. This helps to ensure that heart rate and times are accurately recorded for each split. Although not necessary when you are starting out and perhaps only run one or two miles, the feature becomes much more useful as mileage increases.
On a final note, I should mention that some heart rate monitors, such as the Garmin FR60 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor that I recently reviewed, have the ability to store data about the run and transfer it to a PC (or Mac) for analysis and review. This can make record keeping a snap and can provide a more thorough analysis of the run. However, I tend to refer to my own records that I keep on a simple spreadsheet. However you prefer to keep records, be it computerised or using a good old-fashioned notebook, start sooner rather than later. You will be glad you did!
I like it because you can see how it is well-suited to the female wrist and how the footpod is used. They also mention the auto-pause feature, which is dead useful when you have hold-up’s during your run (e.g crossing a busy road).
The watch is available online from Amazon.com. Remember that you really should purchase the footpod accessory to get the most out of the available features (as I covered in my review), though it is available without if you are on a budget.
September 3rd, 2009 -- Posted in Running Program | Comments Off
In part one of “My first running program” article for Women’s Heart Rate Monitor, I described my very first experience of training below my heart rate recovery ceiling. This was to form the basis of my training program for the next few months and beyond.
The following tip was given to me and I’m dedicating this article to explaining why I consider it to be one of the most important pieces of advice ever given to me. It not only applies to heart monitor training, but any kind of training and many other areas of life.
The tip was simple: Keep a record of your training – and start it now! In my opinion, the importance cannot be understated.
When starting out, you may feel unfit, overweight, and have generally low self-esteem when it comes to your body image. The last thing you feel like doing is recording these “facts” for posterity! It doesn’t matter that nobody else will see these records, it is just embarrassing to admit to yourself how bad things have become. However, this is the ideal time to start the record.
Make no mistake, it takes time to progress with any worthwhile activity. Progress is slow. Sometimes you may plateau in your training, or suffer a set-back through illness, injury or other factors beyond your control. No long-term training program will ever be plain sailing. You’ve heard of Olympian athletes who spend four years preparing for an event, only to suffer an injury that means that competing is out of the question. Imagine how it must feel to know that the next chance is four years away – if indeed there is another chance.
There are a myriad of problems that can demotivate us. It may feel as if it is not worthwhile continuing with the activity. It takes such a long time to make improvements, and set-backs make the process seem interminable. This is the time to review those records.
Whatever the set-back, the chances are that you are still fitter and leaner than you were on your first training session. This may have been forgotten, but the evidence is there in writing. Without it, you would have forgotten that your heart rate sky-rocketed on a jog (which, back then, you would have described as “sprinting”). You will also notice that you now recover more quickly from problems and it doesn’t take as long to make progress back towards your peak fitness. These are powerful motivators that can make the difference between quitting or continuing with training.
Another reason for recording each training session is that it helps immensely with planning a future running program. You will begin to see what works and what doesn’t work for you. I am constantly amazed at the number of people that do exactly the same routine at the gym every time they train. Set the treadmill for ten minutes at five miles per hour, every session. How can they possibly expect to make progress with their fitness over the long-term?
Heart rate monitor training helps a great deal, because our speed will adapt naturally as we become fitter. That is to say, we can gradually run faster at the same heart rate as we become fitter. We simply need to keep a note of how far we have run to see how we improve from session-to-session, week-to-week and so on.
Okay, so hopefully you realise that you only stand to gain from starting a record. Now you may be wondering what you should keep in the record. I’ll cover some suggestions in my next article.
