Quantcast

Why does knowing your heart rate matter?

Grimey

Monkey
Aug 21, 2003
191
0
cali
I have never really cared about my heart rate, as long as I am alive and its ticking, I say things are ok. I just started working at a shop that caters to tri people, and they can't get enough of hear rate monitors. Can you train with to high of a heart beat? Basically the only function I can see using is the min. heartrate warning thing, but then, I think I know when I'm slacking off. Is this one of those things for lazy people that really don't want to work out?


The only time I really tried using one is when a guy a rode with wanted to know my resting heart rate. He couldn't believe that his was lower than mine and he got a little cocky about it. But every since we rode together I could drop him on every climb and maintain a higher speed on the flats for longer.
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
Knowing your body and what you are capable of is key to endurance sports. Monitoring your heart rate is just another tool too help you stay in touch with your current fitness level as it changes from day to day.

Most people do not use a HRM to make sure they don't slack off, a HRM is an excellent tool for making sure you do not push too hard and end up over trained.

As for your buddy... engh. Many, many people can drop me on a climb and push me hard on the flats... for an hour or two anyway. Once we are up to 4 or 5 hours of sustained effort... that's a whole nudder story!!!

Today I maintained a 177 heart rate average for just over 7 hours, during that time I had a peak period where I sustained 191 for a little over an hour... ;)

BTW - TRI GEEKS are not lazy people... :rolleyes:
 

Grimey

Monkey
Aug 21, 2003
191
0
cali
Hmm.. I guess I have never done any type of endurance sport, so I guess that is where I'm at a loss to messing with heartrate. But I think I know my body well, and know where my limits are. I think I might pick up a hrm and use it on some of my longer rides - but mount it someplace where I can't see it. Maybe take a few notes and then compare them to what the hrm says. Like, if I feel like I am really working it for a while, check the hrm after the ride and see how hard I really was working it.



I know try geeks aren't lazy, they are just geeks. Its like a super roadie geek and to prove this, well, 650c disc wheels, c'mon thats pretty geekie.(not arguing effectiveness, just geek-ness)
 

Gee

Chimp
Aug 15, 2002
20
0
Orange Co. CA
Originally posted by Serial Midget

Today I maintained a 177 heart rate average for just over 7 hours, during that time I had a peak period where I sustained 191 for a little over an hour... ;)
Aaah but your HRmax is 234 so you were slacking! :)
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Hey Grimey,

They aren't just for endurance sports. i use them for my XC race training every day. It helps me to train at specific levels and push the right amount. In racing you shouldn't necessarily be just riding as hard as you can everytime you ride. I've gotten really into the science of training this year - very interesting.

I'm a GEEK!:eek: :eek:
 

MikeOK

Monkey
Nov 29, 2002
118
0
twelve
My max when I was 30 was 198, and I thought I was gonna die getting it that high! I knew after a few tries that was all I was gonna get, it's just different for different people. My resting heart rate is still just 44 (at 40 yrs. old, fat and outta shape).

Anyway, I used a HRM when I used to train a little more seriously. You will get hooked if you ever give one a decent chance. I found that I trained harder when I used it, it was almost like having a coach screaming at you to stop slacking. Plus on 80% days a HRM is about the only way to do it right. Man, those 80% days are killers!

Another big benefit is that you can tell more accurately when you have been overtraining. After awhile you get used to where your HR should be for a particualr effort or a particular climb, and when you've been at it too much your heart rate will be surprisingly higher for the same perceived effort. The more I used mine the more I liked it...