Obviously this is highly individual, but looking for average heart rate numbers or what percentage of ones max heart rate should you be able to complete an ironman distance race?
Great Question. For Ironman, I stayed in zone 2 - 120 HR. I could have pushed it harder though.
Again, great question. Would like to get ST wisdom on this issue.
Forgot to tell you, but it’s a guarded secret! 
Can’t imagine how it’d matter, but
123/176 for the bike
138/181 for the run
I’ve never done a true max test, these are what I’ve recorded over the last 18 months of training. These numbers got me a ~10:45 at B2B '11.
I haven’t yet done an Ironman, but when I do it will be ZONE 13 ALL THE WAY!!!
For the last one I did…
140 on the bike.
142 run.
Right at the top of zone 2.
My absolute max is 185.
My resting is 23.
Gosh, I wore my HRM for the Bike portion at Ironman Az and my Avg Heartrate was 165! Freaked me out! And I wasn’t even going that fast… like a 6hr ride. I think my max was at 185 and I wouldn’t let it go higher. The funny thing though, by the end of the ride when I was getting tired, I was having trouble keeping my heartrate high. It was seriously the most comfortable high heartrate I have experienced. When I’m on the trainer at home and I have a workout that averages 160+, I am wobbly legged for a while.
I have never done a full, but I couldnt imagine keeping my HR in the 120-130 range. I would have to consciously pedal slow, and I am slow to begin with!
Im watching this thread…
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I’ve never wore one for a tri, but during the cross season it’s an average 180 per race, with a high of 200.
For a 1/2 IM average HR 150 bpm max HR 171 bpm.
My last Ironman, Az in 2010 I averaged 140. My max is now around 180. I am an old 56 year old. 140 was too high. It should have been close to 130 based on my work with a new power meter and heart rate. I died big time on the run.
My LT is around 151 and my average for both bike and run (didn’t differentiate) was 127 last IM. I’m a 51yo woman, RHR 48 a few months ago (last time I checked)
Great Question. For Ironman, I stayed in zone 2 - 120 HR. I could have pushed it harder though.
Again, great question. Would like to get ST wisdom on this issue.
same for me - zone 2 on the run - as much as I would like to run harder it never happens in an IM
in an open marathon I can run at threshold 169 bpm
in this year’s IMs I averaged 148 (flat course slowest time), 141 (flat course with a bonk) and 148 (hilly course fastest time)
The bike is lower, about 138 although I ride to power not HR
This is a classic example here of how heart rate can vary as a product of different environmental conditions. It is a down stream measurement of exercise intensity after all.
Your heart rate profile in a racing setting might be different from training, I typically race up a few beats, even when doing the exact same thing, i.e. ride a 20 minute TT. Indoor heart rates on the trainer are a different animal as well. It can be best to test and/or profile in specific contexts when using heart rate.
Obviously this is highly individual, but looking for average heart rate numbers or what percentage of ones max heart rate should you be able to complete an ironman distance race?
155 avg on the bike, below 160 the first half of the run, whatever i wanted on the last half
max HR from workouts was 197. i was shooting for 140 on the bike, but i couldn’t hold that at any speed, so i just went by RPE and it worked out ok.
Last IM…
B: 158 AVG/177 Max (81% - 90%)
R: 150 AVG/194 Max (77% - 98%)
41
6’ 0"
190 lbs
138 avg on bike with an LT of 176
145 avg on run with an LT of 180
Felt great all day - these numbers were right in my wheelhouse based on avg hr numbers I saw during my longest training days.
138 avg on bike with an LT of 176
145 avg on run with an LT of 180
Wow, talk about something being truly individual. My LTs aren’t much different than yours but I averaged 157 on the bike (LT of 177) and 162 on the run (LT of 184).
142 which is about 79% of max. I am 43, 5’10".
145 on bike and run for IM
150-152 on bike and run for HIM
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