New Math

I have been running under the assumption that my max heart rate was still in the 192-195 range but I am beginning to realize that it is probably much lower. The few times I have run an AT effort 170-172 feels exactly like 180-181 used to feel like. I find that trying to push my HR up to the high 170's and low 180'ds is a race-like effort.

Over the first 8 months of the year I missed 50% of the time because of three calf pulls.

I am aging. Wow, what a concept.

My max probably dropped due to de-conditioning, stress and aging. Eventually it catches up to you.

HR training, if done right, bring about a response. Over time you get quicker at specific heart rates. That's how it worked for me back when i first starting doing it in late 1990. My best guess is that my old AT heart rate is no longer valid. I haven't done anything approaching a max test in years but I can make a pretty fair educated guess. The new math says back it off. When my max was just over 200 I used 195 to be on the safe side and it worked. It took roughly 6 months of slow running and monthly AT test runs to see the benefits. So now maybe I am 190 (maybe) so using the new math I will back off my calculated max to 185 for the time being. We'll see if that brings about a training response.

New Math

Heart Rate Percentages
% of Max & Heart Rate

100% 185
95% 179
90% 172
85% 165
80% 158
75% 152
70% 145
65% 138
60% 131
55% 125
50% 118

I went out for an early afternoon run today. Sunny, cool, almost no wind. Perfect. I ran for 65 minutes at 130-135 HR.