I got a nifty polar hr watch and strap for my b-day and am having a blast with it to improve my run training. It is a high end model and I literally spent a few weeks researching the different hr watches on Amazon before going with it. It does not have gps nor does it count steps or monitor sleep patterns, but that is fine by me as I primarily wanted a hr monitor with "Swiss accuracy." Battery life is supposed to be 5 years. This one trumps my cheap 20 dollar polar watch I used previously.

If you have experience with both running and use of a hr monitor for training running patterns, then I have some questions for you. Sorry- this post is going to exclude most folks. If you have the experience and knowledge, feel free to critique in any way. My goal is to improve my running vo2 efficiency through hr training.

I just completed a run today of 30 minutes using the watch for the first time. I wanted to see what kind of feedback the watch would give me for a run where I challenged myself.

Start hr: 65 (not quite resting)

5 minute warmup up to 6.0 mph: 125

After 5 minute dynamic stretch, hr still around 125

At 5 minutes, speed at 7.0: 135

At 10 minutes, speed at 8.0: 145

Every minute, alternate between 8.0 (149) and 10(155)

Finish at 30 minutes: 155

Cool down 6.0 jog for 5 minutes: 135

Walk at 3.5-2.7 for 3 minutes: 105

Total distance is about 4 miles over 30 minutes. Felt fine afterwards and immediately did another 30 minutes of elliptical with hr at 145-150.

Here is some HR info a web site calculated for me given sex=male, age=38, resting hr=55 and max hr=186.

Resting Heart Rate: 55

Maximum Heart Rate: 186

Heart Rate Reserve(HRR): 131

Fat Burning: From 121 to 134 beats per minute

Aerobic: From 134 to 147 beats per minute

Steady State: From 147 to 160 beats per minute

Anaerobic: From 160 to 173 beats per minute

Maximal: From 173 to 186 beats per minute

Questions:

1. According to the chart, my sprinting at 155 hr is in steady state range. Is this where it should be or should I go anaerobic? I feel somewhat pushed at 155, but not winded. I could definitely turn up intensity if I should be doing it.

2. I would like my short 1 minute rest intervals after 1 minute sprints to drop lower then 149. How can I get it lower, such as 145 or even 140. I do not feel hr at 149 is giving me enough rest before next sprint.

3. What do you think of my hr at other running speeds (e.g. 135 bpm at 7mph) is that good, ok, bad? I just do not know.

4. If target hr for cardio is about 140 for my age and sex, is this what I should be running at on average (given no sprinting)?According to my watch and running session today, hr=140 is about 7.2-7.5 mph for me.

I guess I am looking for some analysis on how to improve vo2 efficiency in the HIIT segments of a running session and what I should be targeting when in various states of running.

@@Fiddleman

Here was what mine showed today. I specifically wanted to run a progressive (HR) 10k focusing on % of max today. 75-85%, which is 140-160 for me. It was hot/humid and I'm slow: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/518110812

Nice! It looks like @ 20 minutes you put the after burners on and got a 6:00 pace. How long did it take you to get hr into your target zone @ 6 mph? It is a little hard to tell from the graphic. For me, if I am running 6 mph, it takes a good 10 minutes until I am up to 135. Always. It is very predictable. I have to be doing 7-8 mph after that to see 145-150. And as I said above, 10-12 mph puts me around 155-160. It is very hard for me to get above 160 unless I go faster or increase incline to 6 % or so.

Edited June 11, 201412 yr by Fiddleman