Used a Polar Heart Rate Monitor for First Time

[Goran]

I'm into week 2 of Base Building....and holy crap did I underestimate how fast I've been going. Today was my first run with my new monitor and I kept it at around 140-145bpm. Last week I was probably doing my LSS around 160 or maybe a little more.

Some things I noticed after today's run (45 minutes):

Felt refreshed and energized after I was finished instead of tired and ready to hit the couch. I think I can easily sustain twice a day training at this pace (1 run and 1 strength).

Could have kept going much longer.

My heartrate shot up on even gentle slopes (157-162bpm) so I walked them on the way back to keep under 150. Wasn't a long walk just a few moments.

My ego is much stronger than I thought....a group of scantily clad very fit women blasted past me and I had to force myself not to pick up the pace. It got worse when they passed me again after the turn around point lol.

[Train_Hard_Live_Easy]

Bravo, matey.

Best thing I ever did was use the HR monitor. Polar flow, app on iPhone and iPad. Great attitude, throwing the ego out..... You will notice significant benefit from training the heart in the correct zone.

Nice one

[Green2Blue]

I've been looking at getting one of these. Which app did you use?

[Barkadion]

I've been looking at getting one of these. Which app did you use?

Polar Flow sync. You don't really need it, though.. It can be used standalone.

[WallBilly]

I had a similar experience, then a revelation that made my LSS life a lot easier and more enjoyable.

Starting with Base last April, I began to run again after pretty much not running regularly for a long time. There was a point in my life 30 years ago when I was doing a lot of 10k and half-marathon road racing, so I know what it's all about, but I haven't run much for the last 10-15 years.

In the beginning, it was hard, and it really sucked. There's nothing worse than sucking at something you used to be good at. I used to think an 8 minute mile was granny pace. When I started Base, to stay below 150 bpm, I was "running" 13-14 minute miles. Yikes, it sucks to get old, and out of aerobic shape.

But Base and then Black worked wonders. I started to enjoy running again. I downloaded MapMyRun and started trying to improve my distances, and my times over the same runs I had done. I started to feel like a runner again. I was starting to get addicted. I was getting faster. I could run 8 miles and I felt like I was actually running, had it down near a 9 minute pace.

Then one day about a month ago, I went out for an LSS and I thought to myself, "Self, should we do an easy 4 miler or take the hilly 6 miler at the turn?" Ego turned left onto the hills. This was at the end of the 90% week on Operator/Black.

Idiot. I bonked the last mile of the run and was gassed for 3 days.

Then I asked myself "Self, why are you running?" And self said, "Because KB told me to." That's too flippant, the real reason is it's part of TB, which I trust implicitly, and it's good for my aerobic system, endurance, and general health. Maybe I can play hockey until I'm 80.

So the revelation was: I am running for my heart, lungs, etc. Not for time or distance or chicks. I realized that my goals should be:

1. Keep HR in 130-150 range
2. Time. If you read the "over 40" thread, KB now says us dinosaurs should keep the time closer to 30 minutes than an hour or two.

Voila! I deleted MapMyRun. I don't care how far or how fast I go. My "running" goal is to keep the HR at 135-145 for 30-40 minutes. And when I'm done, I feel great. No more stress. No need to push the mileage to get "better". And I also walk up the steeper hills. It is amazing how much control you actually have over your HR by varying the pace and the run/walk/jog cycle on a hilly course. I have found that I can keep it from 132-138 really easily even over a very hilly course, and you can shift it up or down almost instantly.

I had actually come to this revelation before KB chimed in on the 30 minute max, and that just reinforced it. (This is the max time he suggested for us Dinosaurs in the "over 40" years of age thread.)

I run for HIC also, but that's a different animal. It really is fun to go balls-out up a hill towards a kettlebell, especially when you know the pain is only going to last 30 or 40 seconds.

[Goran]

I've been looking at getting one of these. Which app did you use?

Hi G2B, don't know if this is for me, but I didn't use an app. I'm using an RS100 which is the watch plus chest strap.

[RugbyGuy]

Not to thread jack (what everyone says before the derail a thread big time)

But as a young buck who still has to run a PFT every now and then, thus needs to stay fast, how many of my E sessions should be tempo/fun run/ intervals and how many should just be a good ole LSS?

So the revelation was: I am running for my heart, lungs, etc. Not for time or distance or chicks. I realized that my goals should be:

1. Keep HR in 130-150 range

[WallBilly]

Not to thread jack (what everyone says before the derail a thread big time)

But as a young buck who still has to run a PFT every now and then, thus needs to stay fast, how many of my E sessions should be tempo/fun run/ intervals and how many should just be a good ole LSS?

No need to apologize!

If I was 24 instead of 54, or if competitive distance running was one of my goals, I would have different training philosophies, and I would not be doing what I described in my post.

[Saracen]

I had a similar experience, then a revelation that made my LSS life a lot easier and more enjoyable.

Starting with Base last April, I began to run again after pretty much not running regularly for a long time. There was a point in my life 30 years ago when I was doing a lot of 10k and half-marathon road racing, so I know what it's all about, but I haven't run much for the last 10-15 years.

In the beginning, it was hard, and it really sucked. There's nothing worse than sucking at something you used to be good at. I used to think an 8 minute mile was granny pace. When I started Base, to stay below 150 bpm, I was "running" 13-14 minute miles. Yikes, it sucks to get old, and out of aerobic shape.

But Base and then Black worked wonders. I started to enjoy running again. I downloaded MapMyRun and started trying to improve my distances, and my times over the same runs I had done. I started to feel like a runner again. I was starting to get addicted. I was getting faster. I could run 8 miles and I felt like I was actually running, had it down near a 9 minute pace.

Then one day about a month ago, I went out for an LSS and I thought to myself, "Self, should we do an easy 4 miler or take the hilly 6 miler at the turn?" Ego turned left onto the hills. This was at the end of the 90% week on Operator/Black.

Idiot. I bonked the last mile of the run and was gassed for 3 days.

Then I asked myself "Self, why are you running?" And self said, "Because KB told me to." That's too flippant, the real reason is it's part of TB, which I trust implicitly, and it's good for my aerobic system, endurance, and general health. Maybe I can play hockey until I'm 80.

So the revelation was: I am running for my heart, lungs, etc. Not for time or distance or chicks. I realized that my goals should be:

1. Keep HR in 130-150 range
2. Time. If you read the "over 40" thread, KB now says us dinosaurs should keep the time closer to 30 minutes than an hour or two.

Voila! I deleted MapMyRun. I don't care how far or how fast I go. My "running" goal is to keep the HR at 135-145 for 30-40 minutes. And when I'm done, I feel great. No more stress. No need to push the mileage to get "better". And I also walk up the steeper hills. It is amazing how much control you actually have over your HR by varying the pace and the run/walk/jog cycle on a hilly course. I have found that I can keep it from 132-138 really easily even over a very hilly course, and you can shift it up or down almost instantly.

I had actually come to this revelation before KB chimed in on the 30 minute max, and that just reinforced it. (This is the max time he suggested for us Dinosaurs in the "over 40" years of age thread.)

I run for HIC also, but that's a different animal. It really is fun to go balls-out up a hill towards a kettlebell, especially when you know the pain is only going to last 30 or 40 seconds.

Great post and on the money. The only thing I'd clarify is I don't think KB's 30 minute max was a blanket statement for everyone over 40. I took it as being for for older athletes who are training for general health and want to lean a little more to the muscular side of things. If you're over 40 and your goal includes performance of an endurance-nature (Spartan, Go-Ruck, bootcamp) then you'd include longer E sessions (or Green) accordingly. Whereas if you're looking to maximize lean body mass while at the same time not neglecting your ticker, then there's very little need to go over the minimums.

[Saracen]

Not to thread jack (what everyone says before the derail a thread big time)

But as a young buck who still has to run a PFT every now and then, thus needs to stay fast, how many of my E sessions should be tempo/fun run/ intervals and how many should just be a good ole LSS?

Depends on what stage of training you're in. If it's Base, then they're all LSS within the HR parameters for the first 5-6 weeks as per the template. After 5-6 weeks higher intensity/tempo comes back.
If you're doing Continuation, then you're encouraged to make a portion of your E sessions tempo or speed.