Concept2 Forum

How long should you be able to sustain max heart rate or within 3 beats of max?
In a 2K race, at what point do you get close to max and carry it to the finish?

I dont understand the point of the question. When you race you race and do not worry about heart rates. Unless you are concerned about having a heart attack.

I used to monitor my heart rates but after reading a lot of Mike Caviston's posts I am not interested anymore. And when I my transmitter ran out of power I did not bother replacing it.

From memory when I used monitor 2k races I think I got close to max heart rate around the fourth minute and have to battle on for 2:45. But I cant look at my smart card right now.

You're right I wouldn't wear a heart monitor to a race. I was thinking more of a 2K time trial at home. I was trying to get a feeling about pacing and holding a maxed out pace.
[/quote]"From memory when I used monitor 2k races I think I got close to max heart rate around the fourth minute and have to battle on for 2:45."
I think thats very impressive. Thanks for your answer.

I can't seem to sustain it for more than a minute or so. During my best 2kms in which I was wearing a monitor I'd hit max no earlier than 1600m, and if I hit it that soon it would usually drop a bit before the end.

Rick

You will get a feeling for pacing by doing a lot of the training programs that are around the place. Especially, efforts that call for race pace eg 8 x 500m or 4 x 1000m.

Also, if you have done a few 2k's you will know what you are capable of.

Another thing to consider is that the good rowers have their peak lactic acid measurements after 1 or 2 mins. So you have to be prepared for pain for a long while.

I am due for a 2k soon and I am dreading it.

Personally I enjoy using a heart rate monitor for training purposes, and for the few races I have entered I think I have gained some excellent insight into how heart rate and effort are linked. Whether or not you are a high performance athlete I think it's good to know how your body reacts to different activities and different levels of effort.

Let me give you an example: when I run I find my heart rate to go up significantly higher than when I erg, even for pieces that "feel" the same. What I learn from this is that when I erg I should be pushing myself harder than when I run if I want the same benefit (if that's the goal of that particular workout). I also have some workouts that specifically vary the heart rate up and down throughout. It's like your body is an instrument, and you're learning how to play it. Wearing a HR monitor lets me see the results at the time, and to analyse them later.

As to the original question, I can only relate what I learned from my most recent race result. My HR climbed up fairly quickly to about 95% max HR in about 2min. As I maintained a steady pace it stayed close to that, drifting slowly upwards to about 97% Max HR before finally hitting the 100% ceiling in the final 15-30 seconds of my finish. (btw - I am using the highest heart rate I achieved in this race as my Max HR. It's been a long time since I have had this tested independently) I should say here that I didn't look at my watch during the race, I was only able to look at it later. But for those with heart conditions who still erg, you CAN set them with alarms for exceeding certain thresholds.

I can't say what "should" happen for you, because you are not me. But I can say that the feedback I have gotten from wearing a HR monitor for both training and racing has helped me understand how my body functions during training AND racing.

Big Fat Fishy wrote:when I run I find my heart rate to go up significantly higher than when I erg, even for pieces that "feel" the same. What I learn from this is that when I erg I should be pushing myself harder than when I run if I want the same benefit

That's the effect of gravity. When you are upright the heart has to expend some energy in pushing blood uphill. So if you exercise with the body upright, as when running, the heart rate will be higher for the same exercise energy expenditure than it will with the body horizontal, as when swimming. Because rowing is performed semi-recumbent the heart rate will be somewhere between that produced by the same level of exercise whilst running and swimming.

So, you'll be pleased to hear that you don't need to push yourself harder in order to achieve the same training effect.

Cheers

Dave