The last thingy: HR Training - Day 42 & Final Thoughts

Today was a very odd day. After a stint in fixing the toilet tank in the bathroom all night and into the morning, I woke up too late for the group run. I figured that I could possibly run in the evening and subject myself to one more night of treadmill hell, but I was really tired - almost to the point where I felt like I hadn't even gone to bed at all.

After running my errands for the day, I decided to just take that final day off for my own good. This was the only one of two days where I actually bailed out during the entire training plan, the other being a light run a week earlier.

So this is what my last week ended up as for the Training Effect:



And the overall since the beginning:



So what was the point of all this?

Well, this is what I got out of it:

1.) HR Training does work, but it does take a great deal of time and patience in it. If I was an elite career athlete instead of a weekend warrior, I would probably devote a whole year to just tune in my HR and not do any events. But I'm not on the cover of a Wheaties box, so the idea of me strictly doing that doesn't fly.
2.) If you run for fun and only for fun, then HR Training isn't for you. The fun for me was gradually sucked out and I tried my damndest to enjoy the runs with what I had.
3.) If you have a very specific goal in mind, HR Training can work for you. But your patience will be tested greatly. Expect to be frustrated with yourself for the first two weeks. It will get better once your body "gets the message", but it'll suck at first.
4.) If you decide to do HR Training, expect to be ALONE. Unless you can exercise restraint and not get sucked into the semi-competitive nature that group runs can generate, you're better off being alone and focusing on yourself.
5.) If you train on a treadmill, you can tune your HR better - but it can turn to crap when you're outside. However, 99.9% of races will not be done on a moving rubber belt, so learning how to run outside while HR training is necessary. There's no point in learning how to develop perfect-pitch in vocal music if you're not going to practice actual songs for a concert. This goes back to the goals thing.
6.) If you decide to pursue HR training, get a VO2Max/Metabolic test done. There is a cost, but you'll have the most accurate information to help you out and the motivation factor of "I PAID FOR THIS, I BETTER USE IT" really kicks in. I doubt I would have taken my HR Training as seriously had I not paid for my testing.
7.) If you are not able to mentally handle HR Training while doing other types of workouts (cross-training), you might have to abandon your cross-training for a little while. I had to since my brain was stressed out from trying to remember the training patterns for my specific HR training.
8.) Get use to radio interference and those transmitter belts just going nuts for no reason. Mine would lose signal or give off a reading that didn't match my perceived exertion.
9.) Figure out what your perceived exertion is using the HR data. The better you know what your breaking points are, the more in-tune you'll be with your HR when you lose the connection or get erratic readings. My perceived exertion has gotten better since my start of this training 6 weeks ago.
10.) If you train outside, you need to REALLY focus on matching your perceived exertion against your HR. Reason: You may not hear the beeps or the HRM might not operate properly in spots. The world isn't a quiet place usually.
11.) If you decide to HR Train, do as much of it as possible to adapt faster. I walked alot more and did alot of the slower light-runs when I had time. The more time you put in, the more does come back. However, it also has the negative effect of getting really boring and giving you the desire to scream obscenities frequently.
12.) Don't be afraid to ask questions or to question the methods of any HR Training plan. I know with my training plan specifically, there were alot of crazy things and every run seemed like it was an interval run. Eric told me that the training plan he devised for me was to tune into my HR zones better. However, looking back I think my training zones were too wide and I should have had more sub-zones to train at. Running at my Aerobic and Anaerobic Thresholds made me go as fast as I could within those zones, but I know that isn't always the best thing to do now. You need a variety of HR Zones or sub-zones to train in depending on what you're aiming for in your goals. This is why I developed those sub-zones for myself based on my own observations in my training.

As for my actual performance, I'll let the numbers do the talking...

These are the numbers for the runs that were "light". Check out the average speed and the top speed of these:

12/18 - 21:50 avg/15:30 max (this was before the official training)
12/22 - 23:23 avg/13:27 max
12/23 - 20:16 avg/16:51 max
12/25 - 17:39 avg/10:44 max
12/26 - 17:57 avg/13:02 max
12/27 - 19:39 avg/13:29 max
12/28 - 16:06 avg/9:52 max (this was a very good day)
12/29 - 18:23 avg/15:28 max
12/30 - 19:23 avg/14:53 max
01/01 - 19:52 avg/14:27 max
01/03 - 18:27 avg/13:58 max
01/07 - 19:23 avg/15:57 max
01/09 - 19:35 avg/14:19 max
01/14 - 16:47 avg/11:12 max
01/16 - 15:17 avg/10:45 max
01/19 - 19:02 avg/15:52 max
01/21 - 20:07 avg/16:28 max (powerwalked, cranked up treadmill to max%)
01/31 - 17:01 avg/10:56 max

As you can see, the overall speed has increased within a six week time. Also, my HR has been more steady as well (although I do need to fine-tune things a bit more).

Overall, I would have to say my experience was good and I will be taking some aspects of what I've learned and incorporating it into my training

For those in Seattle, Tacoma, or points in-between, definately do your VO2Max training test at The Balanced Athlete in Kent. You'll get your test plus the bonus of a training plan and advice on improving your performance...and making sense of crazy HR Training zone runs.

Well, now that's over - on to the future!

The Grief of Good: HR Training - Day 34

Today was the Pigtails Run. In the past, this was my track record:

First time in 2007 - Ran the whole 50k course in 5:28, two minutes slower than my first 50k run (which was the Pigtails Flat Ass, go figure).
Second time in 2008 - Ran two loops, fell asleep while running in the start of the third and decided to bail out. The new job I had really messed up my sleep schedule ever since, even though I quit and went back to my old company.

So, now I have this event as my third time running it and my expectations were:

1.) Do your crazy LSD Base run on the course, but keep your HR more consistant.
2.) Try to enjoy the moment.
3.) If you have time and the family is cool with it, run more loops. Maybe even finish the 50k.

Well, 1.5 out of three ain't bad (ain't good either!)

I did the same course last week, same workout. There were some things that were royally screwed up.

1.) Warm-up sucked. My HR was pretty low one minute, then high the next, waivering back and forth within the first 10 minutes, even though I did a couple of repeats to get the blood flowing in the beginning.
2.) HR was recording some really strange crap on some of the run. I would run hard and it would register 118 bpm. Seriously, WTF? Was the HRM losing contact with my chest?
3.) Footpod stopped sending data to the watch. Dying battery? I had to stick the thing in one of my strap pockets on my Nathan's Hydration Bladder to have it communicate to the watch. Seems that the beeps from the watch would only go off with the footpod being on. (Note: Alot of the data in the chart doesn't totally flow with the run, mostly the interval times.)

But with the things that failed, there were the good things too:

1.) I did enjoy that there was company on the course. Seeing people before the start, my Maniac bros & sisters and friends from the Balanced Athlete group. Honestly, it has gotten too lonely on those training runs sometimes.
2.) My HR was a bit more steady on the ups and downs as you can tell (well, when the HRM wasn't going nutty). If you compare with the previous time, I have done better.
3.) My wife and daughter being there. I usually run most of these things solo, but it is nice to have family. However, I did wish my kid was more patient and not begging for me to quit (I ended doing only one loop and lot of time to kill - next time, she's getting a babysitter).

Below, you can see how I did on Saturday versus the other day on the same course. My Training Effect ended up being higher, but there is more consistancy in the more recent run then the previous one. The recent run is listed in black. (Note: The interval points are in the wrong place for some stupid reason - don't ask me why.)



And as always, the recap for the week. Week 5 is officially over and I'm on the last week now. (Note: I skipped a light run that I was planning to do the following day, but decided to just run errands and spend time with the family. Sometimes, you just gotta do that.)



Tonight, I'm stuck between doing a treadmill Moderate run or swapping that with the Base Builder II run instead. I'm planning on meeting up with the Balanced Athlete group on Tuesday for another group run (I know, I'm asking for trouble), but Eric did say that he had some additional thoughts on my training (some things I won't like he says, but it'll be better for me in the long run) and I'm willing to listen...mind you, I may not DO everything he says, but I am willing to listen to everything. :-)

A Trip to LSD: HR Training - Day 28 & Week 4 result

Today was my first LSD Base run according to the training plan. It's one of the most complicated runs in the entire list, touching all three HR Zones. Here's the pattern:

5 min Zone 1
5 min Zone 2
5 min Zone 1
3 min Zone 3
10 min Zone 1
10 min Zone 2
5 min Zone 1
3 min Zone 3
15 min Zone 1
10 min Zone 2
20 min Zone 1
10 min Zone 2
15 min Zone 1

Total time is supposed to be 116 minutes (not including my 15 minute warm-up). But there are two problems I have with doing this:

1.) The pattern is insane! No way I can remember this! I knew that I'd mess it up somehow. (Which I did during the Zone 2 and Zone 3 runs).
2.) The 3 minute bursts in Zone 3 cannot be programmed into the Suunto's interval timers anywhere, so I'd have to mess with this too, setting my watch to go off every 5 minutes and with the Zone 3 runs, run hard for those 3 minutes and then slow down after for the remaining 2 minutes. This would make the run at 120 minutes instead.

So, with a complicated run like this, what do I do? I make it more complicated by going to a trail with rolling hills (aka Lake Youngs). Sure, like I don't have enough problems already.

However, this would be a good test to see how I would manage myself on the ups and downs while maintaining my HR in the appropriate zones.

As you can see, compared to my past runs, this was all over the place. There were some good points where I was able to keep my HR in zone 1 while going uphill and downhill in spots. However, if I'm going to be able to take on Cascade Crest, I'm going to need to train on hills MORE and get my body toughened up with some core work (hence, my CrossFit training using the Gant Hybrid after day 42.) And I ALMOST finished the whole loop in the 2 hours (2:04:27).

Other good things: Flying on the downhills! Change of venue! The sunshine!

Hopefully, I'll do better next week for the actual Pigtails Run where I'll do the same loop again - maybe faster or have a better controlled HR? We'll see.

And as always, the week in review. Compared to previous weeks, I did alot more harder runs according to the training effect.

This Boogie is for real: HR Training - Day 21 & Week 3 Result

Over the weekend, I had a few choices. Either take Saturday off or turn it into a 5.1 mile muddy, horse-crap covered, cold, dark trail run at Bridle Trails. Thankfully, better heads prevailed and my senses said to stick with the training schedule.

So, originally I was going to run outside to do the Base Builder II run with a 15 minute brisk walk for a warm-up. But then something started to nag at me and I decided to hold off on doing it outdoors, settling again for the treadmill hell that I've developed an unusual and sick liking for. Sure enough, a sudden downpour showed up at the time I was planning on heading out. Dodged that bullet. I have enough to worry about with managing my HR in the training plan, I don't need the pain of being cold and wet (mostly wet) until I get this thing nailed down first.

So, on the treadmill again with a 1% incline, doing the same run as I did on Day 16 and Day 18, except an even longer warm-up (15 minutes versus 10) and I would try like mad to keep my HR in better check in the zones. I also chose to run a bit easier in Zone 2 and not try to push it to the 161 bpm Anaerobic Threshold limit.

I have to say that this was another interesting find. I kept the speed between 3.6-3.7 MPH and my HR hovered roughly around 134 bpm on average, usually staying relatively low for the first two Zone 1 runs. It eventually creeped up as time went on as I maintained the same speed settings for those 5 minute spots. When I was required to go to Zone 2, I didn't push as I said. I went easier and more comfortable than in the past. As a result of that, my set speed was at 5.0 MPH and my HR stayed in the relatively lower 150's! I knew I had it within me to push more in the zone, but as I said - I didn't want to force it. Also, checking past data points from previous runs in the same "moderate" zone, I had a higher HR on average, more points where the HR would be floating above the 161 bpm mark, and my speed was not all that much faster than 5.0 MPH (between 5.1-5.2 at best and I HAD to slow down for those times!)

There is also something else that I noticed. Every time I took a swig of water, my HR would go up a few points (anywhere from 2-4 beats). If I drank where the water slowly entered my system, the rise was less than if I swigged and gulped. I wonder if the body processes it as fast as it can, causing the HR rise? I can only assume that if this is indeed true (still trying to find any documentation that can support this), eating on the run will also diddle with the numbers as well.

Well, this is the half-way mark in the training plan and I have another three weeks left. For the remaining weeks left, I have to start heading outside. The new run on the weekend (The LSD Base Run) requires that I'm out for 116 minutes (this doesn't include any warm-up or cooldown times) doing a combo of Zone 1, Zone 2, and even some Zone 3 (yeah, my HR gets to get jacked up past my 161 bpm Anaerobic Threshold limit a few minutes at a time). But one nice thing is that I can use one of these LSD Base runs to do an event! More details to come on that.

And below is the progress for Week 3.

Breaking out the Duct Tape: HR Training - Day 13, Day 14, and Week 2 result

The light run on Saturday (Day 13) was a "Perfect 3" as Suunto would say. Although I should find a way to warm-up better to control the initial wonky HR. I would have preferred to have it for an hour, but the 33 minutes (15m run-3m rest-15m run) was good enough.



Sunday's run (Day 14) was going to be longer than I had done in some time. I missed being out and just soaking in the world. Despite my current ability to run on a treadmill and not get bored out of my skull, I needed to get outside and get some Planet Earth under me for a change.

The run was originally a Base Builder run, but I figured that trying to run for over 90 minutes doing basically 6 medium/hard runs and 7 easy/recovery runs so soon was out of the question. I'll have to contend with something like that for Day 21 anyway, so why rush things? But I did need more time on my feet. So after I didn't get any word back from Eric on tweaking the day, I decided to blend the Base Builder day with some light running before and after, throwing in an experimental run based solely on my RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion)...figured that would make things a bit interesting.

So, this is how the workout went:

1.) 15 minute light running in zone 1 (basically, this is the warm-up)
2.) 3 minute rest
3.) 10 minute running in zone 1
4.) 5 minute running in zone 2
5.) Repeat #3 & #4 three more times
6.) Run at what I think feels comfortable to me for about 5+ minutes and see where the HR lands
7.) Cooldown run/walk for another 7+ minutes.

The beginning part was messed up, but some of that is attributed to the powerlines in the area by my home. I've always had to deal with the insanity of those when I had HR trained in the past. Once the actual workout started, it was fine...until the insta-drop in my HR after 40 minutes into the entire workout. I was approaching an area that is notorious for creating unusual surges in electronic devices, but seeing my HR drop so much was definately pointing at other possibles. I was feeling fine. My exertion levels were good during both parts of the run when I would switch from zone 1 to zone 2 and back. I got back about a mile away from home and then decided to just run based solely off of feel and seeing if I can determine my steady-state/Most Efficient Pace (MEP) for myself. So, for about a half mile, I tend to feel steady at a 11 minutes per mile with an HR of about 150-153 bpm.

I can't say this was a good run, but it could have been worse. I doubt that I screwed anything up, but after doing some more research on the reasons for so many HR drops, I finally found something from Ironman triathlete Mark Allen (one of the huge supporters in this kind of training) and he says that these drops are common and caused by HR belts that are not strapped on very well. This would explain alot, especially since my HR belt does seem to want to slip. I'll have to try and tighten it up a bit more...then again, nothing like a bit of duct tape to fix that thing on for good, eh?


And for the 2nd week's progress so far:

HR Training - Week 1 Result

Not too bad! I wonder how this week will compare!