Got a HR monitor... Now what?

[Carl Watts]

Probably best not to look at it. Some people put tape over it so they cannot see it but you need to record it.

Basically it can jump depending on all sorts of things. If for example I join an Online row with loads of other people it jumps through the roof before I even pull the handle. Seriously the pre row nerves can add 20bpm. Perhaps your focusing on the HR too much and its elevating it. You may find if you drift off and think of something else you may find it will drop. I would have to say that possibly using a HR monitor for PB's is not necessarily a good idea either, you tend to start freaking out as it nears your max and you should be focused on other things like trying to maintain good technique.

[aussieluke]

You're right in that watching the numbers probably makes the whole thing worse.

Guess I should just do as many 30 minute to 10k rows in my UT1 / MAF zone as I can and ignore the pace ...and hope to see some improvement over a month or so.

After my brief, failed experiment, I think I will stick to 20SPM too, and return the df to 125 and just leave it there and go as slow as I need to each day to keep my HR in check.

[hjs]

You're right in that watching the numbers probably makes the whole thing worse.

Guess I should just do as many 30 minute to 10k rows in my UT1 / MAF zone as I can and ignore the pace ...and hope to see some improvement over a month or so.

After my brief, failed experiment, I think I will stick to 20SPM too, and return the df to 125 and just leave it there and go as slow as I need to each day to keep my HR in check.

Thats the whole idea. Only watch hf/rate. Pace is not a goal but a result. Temp.is a big factor here. After the summer longer work gets easier, less heat, less sweating, not directly more fitness.

[Carl Watts]

As Hjs said you have to watch the heat, its a major factor.

Rowed tonight in 16 Deg C, so much easier but in the summer it peaked at about 32 Deg C. Couple that with humidity that can go to 90% easily over here and the results will vary wildly.

Don't focus on the heartrate just note the average for the row in the top line of the results in the monitor. If you upload your results to the Concept 2 Website you can add notes. The log in RowPro is pretty good you can add temperature and humidity for future reference.

If you track your HR over time it becomes invaluable information. Just saw my lowest ever resting HR the other day after lying on the ground for 1 minute, it was flicking between 53 and 54bpm, never seen 53 before in my life.

[TomR]

For what I plan to do at the moment, which is to ensure the bulk of my easy distance work really is easy, and to track improvement on that, do I NEED to know my actual max HR?

No, hf is just a rough guide. But certainly not needed. Don,t think the Kenians use it a lot.....

the Kenyans use dope, Henry, not monitors.

aussieluke sounds like an honest lad.

luke I focus on pace and feel. One breath per stroke is right for the long stuff. Two breaths per stroke is a different world. I also track heart rate some days. As training progresses, I find it heartening to see that I'm doing a quicker pace even though hr has gone up.

[jackarabit]

http://highperformancerowing.net/journa ... tocol.html

The Australian step test as suggested by Lindsay. The moderator "Citroen" has an alternative: arbitrary 55W to start and 25W power increase on the "fours" to failure. No 1' rest because no exhaust gas collection or vampires.

[hjs]

For what I plan to do at the moment, which is to ensure the bulk of my easy distance work really is easy, and to track improvement on that, do I NEED to know my actual max HR?

No, hf is just a rough guide. But certainly not needed. Don,t think the Kenians use it a lot.....

the Kenyans use dope, Henry, not monitors.

aussieluke sounds like an honest lad.

luke I focus on pace and feel. One breath per stroke is right for the long stuff. Two breaths per stroke is a different world. I also track heart rate some days. As training progresses, I find it heartening to see that I'm doing a quicker pace even though hr has gone up.

No matter what Kenyans use or not, they are not using more then any other country. The wr in track are almost all, dope aided, certainly all those old woman records.

The "best" doped woman in my view still is Florence Grifith. They build here half man. Which killed her pretty rapidly.

And Yes Kenia has a dope problem, but that does not lower their base potential. No people are better suited to run than they are. They also have the current Word champ. In Javelin learned the basics from youtube.

For people who think dope is needed, Herman Goring is always handy, the man deadlifted 700 plus lbs..... With 1 arm
And why did he not use anything? He did it BEFORE there was doping.

Just randomly accusing everybody is very leam and lazy. Some people simply have amazing talent and the willpower to work that talent 99,99% has not.

[aussieluke]

Well I'm definitely not on the drugz. I'd be wanting my money back if I was that's for sure.

Tonight did a nice easy 30 minutes at r20 HR138 (took a while to build up then sat at 140)

2:12.1, 6810m

Definitely easier on the HR when not stressing about the pace.

Also ran just short of 8km at lunchtime. Nice and slow at around 6min/km. Looking to get a gps watch with HR to make sure most if not all of my runs are in the same band.

[aussieluke]

I just put my HR details into the calculator that Carl posted near the start of this thread. Turns out I've been working it all out wrong...

I thought it was percentage of max heart rate, and thought I was doing UT1 work by sticking between 128-146 (I have been aiming for 140 as my max)

I was also using the MAF 180-age basic formula as a second guideline, and the numbers worked out nearly the same (my MAF number is 145)

But according to the calculator, that is UT2 for me, and UT1 is 147 bpm to 158 bpm

I'm now even more confused where I should do the bulk of my work. I know for sure I would be rowing a lot harder/faster at 158bpm as opposed to 140.

Trying to do as many 10k pieces at aerobic level per week, which is usually 3-4 session, plus 2-3 8-10k runs at a similar level (I don't have a hr monitor for running yet but run at a nose-only-breathing pace)

Also trying to add one hard row session a week, ie 8 x 500m, or a 2k test, should probably add 4 x 1000m in there too.

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[Carl Watts]

Similar HR range to me, 54 to probably late 180's these days have not checked for a while it went into the mid 190's a few years ago.

128-146 is pretty low I really have trouble keeping it that low for an AVERAGE HR for the whole 30 to 40 minute row. Essentially that sort of HR feels like taking a fast walk and my pace would need to be about 2:08 which is not even a cool down these days.

UT2-UT1 average HR appears to be pretty sustainable, as soon as your average creeps above this it gets pretty tough to do 6 days a week. Average HR in the low to mid 160's kind of sucks it out of you and you find yourself having to row a little slower the next day to get back on track. A year is a long season day in day out to try and keep up your average daily meters but it depends on your goals, if hitting PB's is your goal then it cuts into your training meters, well at least it does when your heading for 50 years of age, the recovery time is longer.

UT2-UT1 seems pretty aerobic to me but trying to squeeze that extra couple of hundred meters out of the 30 minute and jumping from UT2 to UT1 makes it alot harder. That extra couple of hundred meters is not really significant if you can then go on to do the likes of a 2000m cool down and get a load more meters.

It would be fair to say your goals change with age. Potentially I could still get some PB's but thats not the objective this season.

[G-dub]

Luke, I would pin most of the long meters to under 146. Once or twice a week do some longer "intervals" or a 20-30' piece in the UT1 range. That is sort of how the Interactive Plan is set up.

[aussieluke]

I think you're right, G-dub

I did a 10k piece today and dropped the df to 115 after re reading Mike Caviston's notes about the WP and doing all level 4 work at 115. Worked out well I think I've lost some of the snappiness I had when I was using df100 for everything. Actually held a faster pace today at a lower HR - struggled to get above 140 for the first 5k. Finished 10k at average 2:08 and avg HR 140

[G-dub]

DF 100 is a little light to me. It also gets tough when you want to crank on some speed intervals because you then have to move the drag up and it feels heavy. After clunking around for a couple of years I've settled around 110 - 115 for most everything except for 500 or less.

[Carl Watts]

I think you're right, G-dub

I did a 10k piece today and dropped the df to 115 after re reading Mike Caviston's notes about the WP and doing all level 4 work at 115. Worked out well I think I've lost some of the snappiness I had when I was using df100 for everything. Actually held a faster pace today at a lower HR - struggled to get above 140 for the first 5k. Finished 10k at average 2:08 and avg HR 140

Whats your rating ? that makes a big difference. For 2:08 usually I'm down at 16-17spm or its like pulling air with the DF at 134.

[aussieluke]

I think you're right, G-dub

I did a 10k piece today and dropped the df to 115 after re reading Mike Caviston's notes about the WP and doing all level 4 work at 115. Worked out well I think I've lost some of the snappiness I had when I was using df100 for everything. Actually held a faster pace today at a lower HR - struggled to get above 140 for the first 5k. Finished 10k at average 2:08 and avg HR 140

Whats your rating ? that makes a big difference. For 2:08 usually I'm down at 16-17spm or its like pulling air with the DF at 134.

Always 20

Bear in mind you've got 20kg and a few inches on me ...without going down that rabbit hole again

Also I would be pulling 1:58-1:59 at r20 if I wasn't limiting my HR to 140ish