this is my second season training for tris and the first where i've been measuring and logging my workouts w/ a HR monitor. i'm training for oly courses this year and am almost 2 months into my base period.

i went on a short run this morning, and as i looked over the data my trusty little gadget recorded, i was surprised to see that it didn't seem to square too well with what i've been observing to date.

specifically, during the portions of the run where i noticed my breathing was getting heavy and exertion was getting a little high for the type of running i was supposed to be doing, my monitor told me over and over again that i was about 8 or 10 bpm below where i expected to see it [160ish vs. the 170 or so i've found to be my running LT].

i know that i shouldn't get too worked up about exact HR numbers and that there will always be variation in the relationship between HR and perceived exertion, but i couldn't help trying to figure out what the deal was.

i have lots of theories [i have the sniffles, i was probably dehydrated, i was pushing a baby jogger, etc.], some of which make more sense than others, but i was curious if any of you more experienced data junkies have seen consistent patterns in your own training with things that confound the relationship between HR and effort. i mean after all, since a lot of us obsessive-compulsive types are logging plenty of scribbles and graphs along with our miles, it would be nice to help make some sense of them....