For Whom the Dogs Bark

Great job. So is there a reason why you are watching your heart rate so much?? You always seem so concerned about it.

I wish I could say the same about the Jazz. They really have no heart so far this year.

50 bpm variation isn't too bad. When the HR seems to be jumping all over the place, trying to control it can often just make things worse, so during some of my past and sporadic ventures into HR training, if that kind of thing happened I just abandoned even monitoring my HR for the rest of the run and simply ran by feel (perceived-effort-based training), which is how I primarily train these days.

Just my $0.02 (probably worth almost $0.01 with inflation...)

Jasro, yeah, the Jazz usually start out a little slow, but I've noticed that Sloan usually has them whipped into shape after a while and they are invariably a formidable playoff team -- they have been the Rockets' postseason demise many a time.

Huans and Nevels, thanks for the input. I run at low heart rate in order to maximize the aerobic benefit and hopefully progress faster. Someone on this blog said run real slow or run real fast, I guess that's kind of the idea. You're right, though, I've noticed that not many other bloggers seem to be tracking it and I should stop making such a big deal out of it. Nevels, I saw your race report for that 100-miler in Alabama, very entertaining and good job. Not sure I could ever run that far.

I haven't tried the training by HR yet. And have debated about getting my next GPS with it. Not sure how much I would put into the HR monitoring. It would be more to make sure that I wasn't red lining it to much and to keep a constant effort. I am sure its hard to try to look at and control on the run and bring it down or up. Without making it change due to just looking at it. Do you normally watch your HR during the run or is it something you look at after??

BTW I am only looking at it so I can understand the HR monitoring way of training. I have seen some fast runners like Jeffmc which I believe took 2nd at SGM was going alot by his HR/effort. And have thought about training that way versus paces.

Huans, yes, when I have the monitor on I check it constantly and adjust my speed up or down to keep my heart rate more or less constant, but it isn't too difficult to do once you get used to it. What is difficult is days like today where for whatever reason the heart rate is all over the map. I can't imagine I am getting much LHR benefit out of a run like that, even though the average was right on target. Anyway, here are a few links. The first is the basic article on low heart rate training: http://www.rrca.org/resources/articles/slowdown.html

This next link is to a very spirited discussion about the Maffetone method linked above, including input from Sasha, complete with a surprise ending: http://mattfitzgerald.org/blog/?p=19

Finally, this article by Mark Allen, a Maffetone disciple, is cited more often than anything else I have seen on the subject.

Oops, here is the last link: http://www.duathlon.com/articles/1460

Those articles are interesting. I liked the surprise at the end of the one article. While I am applying the same principles to my training as you are, I have consciously decided against keeping track of my progress via a heart rate monitor. I have used one in the past, and I didn't enjoy my running as much. But I am staying at a conversational pace in all of my runs. If I feel run down, I skip a day. I guess I am going more by "feel" than by "logic." Like you, I'm also a lawyer (yawn), so it was difficult for me to get to this point (of relying on my feelings. But running is so emotionally satisfying to me, that I wanted to keep it in the "feel" realm of my life and out of the "think" part of my life as much as possible (if that makes sense). But once I get up to 8 miles a day, I do plan on implementing one day of speed work or tempo runs per week. Also, on Saturdays, our group often does intervals and tempos and I plan on staying with those as well.

I am not trying to persuade you to adopt my approach, but thought I would explain my approach to you since we have become blogging buddies and are taking a similar approach to our training. It will be interesting to see how it plays out for each of us. I've been impressed with your diligence. You are doing great.

And Nevels, way to go on your ultra. I'm impressed!!

Jasro, that's interesting. Another lawyer, huh? There are probably several hiding in the bushes on this blog. You're right, running is a good break from the daily grind, it provides perspective. I'll probably morph over into your method before long. I'm hoping to see first if I have any speed left from long ago.

Oh I am sure your speed is still there man. Get the distance down and then speed will come. I think running by feel is what I have tried to do more often then not on runs where I toss in a hill or 2. So I don't spike my HR on them. What really was turning me on to it is in cycling. Watching the tour de france. You really are doing good with consitance and it will pay off. Just stick with it man.