I started my IM training program in June last year, and about the same time lost the chest strap on my HRM and the battery ran out. I was a bit worried: whenever I would go for a run my heart rate would shoot up into the no-go zone, the steady state no mans land, and stay there. I didn’t want to run in that bad bad zone 3, the steady state, where it is apparently wasted effort: I tried walking to get the HR down, but I wasn’t getting anywhere fast. I talked about it with my coach and he wasn’t too concerned about it: He says that its your legs that give up on a triathlon, not your CV capacity, so train your legs and the rest will follow. So I just trained without the HRM, following a structured program that started with distance work and that had plenty of hills in it. Hills are apparently our friends, an easy way of building up strength endurance without running too fast. The program included half IM sims and a half IM proper in December, all done without the HRM. On the half IM I did a negative split on the run, as requested by my coach.
I’ve been reading the following article on beginner triathlete which adds a couple of factors: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=54 . These factors include cardiac drift, where the heartrate increases over a long session with apparently no ill effect, plus other variables such as fitness levels at the start and end of the season, temperature, race stress. In the article the author suggests matching HR to perceived effort levels, and using effort levels to guide you in a race, not to rely on the HRM. Why not cut out the middleman, and ditch the HRM? Then there’s the variability in Maximum HR used in determining zones. According to the formula used by my Polar HRM to set the zones, I am 11 years younger than I think. My coach also agreed that nearly everybody has a heart rate spike when they start running, which settles down after a while.
When the thing was working I did a half marathon at average heart rate of 90% or max. I just ran, and did a -ve split again.
When I had trouble keeping up with my cycle group, I didn’t go off and do a whole lot of Long Slow Distance on my own. I just tried harder and harder to keep up with them, until I could.
I’ve finally got myself a new chest strap, and replaced the battery, and what do you know: when I’m on my long rides or runs now, at my IM pace, my heart rate is at the top of that theoretical Zone 2 endurance level. Same effect as all that Heart Rate training program, without the Heart Rate program. Honestly I think now that if you need a HRM to tell you how much effort you are feeling, you probably have a problem. If you are in a race there are so many factors going on you might as well go on perceived effort anyway.
I suspect the principles of training are the same, as originally espoused by Arthur Lydiard, whatever the gadget or program: build up aerobic capacity through distance, then add strength, then speed. Run the distance work at a pace that you can complete the distance and recover before the next time. Don’t thrash yourself at the start of the season, build up slowly but surely. Watch those joints, they are the limiting factor. Give yourself time to recover. Do the miles!