Overtraining?

[Sligo]

That’s quite a low heart rate, especially for someone who doesn’t appear to be doing large amounts of aerobic exercise and your approaching 60?

Are you taking beta blockers or ace inhibitors?

[Notsofast]

Thanks for all the replies. Not taking any medicines that would have an effect on HR - I have always had a fairly slow resting HR but also a low max HR. Will see the Doc just to be on the safe side.

[aussie nick]

Based on both posts and your general background, assuming the 10k in 33:00 is accurate, overtraining is unlikely to be the issue, even with a 10 year layoff. A 33 min 10k is no joke and anyone who has been able to train to achieve something like this should not be overtraining from 3 x 10k lower HR steady state sessions on the erg.

quoted for truth! 33min 10k equates to a sub 2.40 marathon! that's a properly conditioned athlete who is also genetically talented

[Notsofast]

I would not say talented just years of training 6 days a week. Unfortunately I never got to run a marathon but a few of my friends I was training with at the time managed 2:45 marathons. Erging is using muscle groups that I have never trained before and I am 25 years older. Oh to be young again!

[Dangerscouse]

Thanks for all the replies. Not taking any medicines that would have an effect on HR - I have always had a fairly slow resting HR but also a low max HR. Will see the Doc just to be on the safe side.

As I'm assuming you know, the heart is a muscle so I'm not surprised that you've got a low HR, but it's best not to assume anything

[Cyclingman1]

Interesting topic. When one is younger, "overtraining" is fairly non ambiguous. It's too much, too fast.

But as we age, and I don't mean 40 or 50, overtraining gets more nebulous and overlaps with fatigue, tiredness, and the like. And is not directly related to exact training regimens. The notion that one is "only" doing 30K a week and therefore cannot possibly be overtrained/fatigued/tired is not helpful.

Even into my mid to late 60s, I never was concerned with any of. Did 6:48-7:12 2ks anytime I wanted; likewise 18:00-18:30 5Ks. Felt great the next day.

But alas it all catches up to you. Now fatigue is a constant companion. Don't feel particularly tired walking around, but getting on the rower is another story. About half the time warming up in the 2:05 range is not too hard but other days, I drag. Rowing in the mid 1:50s is usually pretty tough. Occasionally, I can squeeze out a 1:50-52 2K. Doing right at 30K a week, spread across about 5 days. Road biking 1 or 2 days with maybe 1 day off.

How to put a finger on my rowing or lack thereof. Overtrained? Undertrained? Am a long time athlete. RHR typically 50-52. Today 56. Attempted a couple of fast 250m today. Totally sucked. Last week: 1:35.x. Today: 1:41 ish. No zip whatsoever.

Rob Spenger used to talk about rowing only twice a week in his late 80s. Maybe I just need to cut back despite not meeting training requirements from the rule book. I do know that I'm not crazy about rowing 2:15 all the time. I'll work on it.

[johnlvs2run]

I have always had a fairly slow resting HR but also a low max HR.

Your resting heart rate is fine. Mine's about the same and I'm 77.
What is your maximum heart rate, and how do you know it's your max? It might be higher than you think it is.

In any case, 120 is quite a low rate for exercise, which means you can go a lot faster.
My feeling is that you're way too worried about what your heart rate is, and that doesn't matter that much.

[Cyclingman1]

Not worried about RHR at all. Just threw the number out. I do not use a HRM. I do know that my max heart rate is much on the low side. Don't have a number.

I go with how I feel. I do experiment with drag factor and SPM.

[Notsofast]

Thanks for all the replies. Turns out that I am prediabetic and have moderate sleep apnoea so that would probably explain the tiredness. Hopefully the rowing will help!