Have been trying to get back into some running lately as I prepare to kiss goodbye to my 40’s. Been out of it for a couple of years with family issues plus injuries, though always riding and never carrying much excess weight. Don’t drink or smoke.
So went to do a 10k grass track run today. Having strained my calf last Tues I wasn’t planning on going too hard. Thought 5x2km @ 6:00, 5:30, 5:00, 4:30 and 5:00. Very early in the calf was telling me it wasn’t going to play ball so settled into a steady state around 5:15-5-20 after first two intervals.
Thought this was a good way of forcing zone 2 type run. At around the 5k mark and then again perhaps around 6k mark I noted HR going from the constant 140-145 to 165 ish, then coming back down. I hadn’t noted a pace pickup. Then for about the last 4km it just stayed high and got into the 170’s by the end.
Watch was Apple SE Gen 2. I did a similar run about 2 weeks ago and HR didn’t reach these levels until pace was around 4:20/km.
Equipment or physiological given I’m not regularly running? I was noting the calf more at the end and nursed it through. Will go see a physio this coming week. Note it was a cool morning perhaps 15c
As you fatigue, you recruit additional motor units, which requires additional blood flow as they’re less efficient at working aerobically. This is a good training adaptation for aerobic exercise.
Potentially slight increase in temperature will also cause heart rate increase, but most likely what I said previously is the case
Yes, the broad principle of that I follow though historically the plots have been a general climb with perhaps some plateau.
This one just seemed a bit more abrupt when there wasn’t any noticeable change in fatigue levels. I needed to go 1:00/km quicker two weeks ago to reach those levels.
Heart rate is extremely variable, that’s part of why it’s used less often for prescribing intervals and such. Minor differences in sleep, hydration, fueling, fatigue state can all influence it quite a bit.
I’d look at trends and not worry too much about the specific numbers. With only two weeks off, I wouldn’t worry too much about it, I’m sure you’ll be back quickly enough!
What was the rest on this? It looks pretty normal to me. You did pick it up from 7-8k. Might’ve just overcooked it a touch there. Hard to keep the HR in check once you cross the line.
Wrist HR data can also be less reliable than a strap. Could be an issue there but it checks out that it’s going to keep rising the later you get into a workout. It probably doesn’t jump like that if you stick to ~5:15 pace. Looks like you crossed threshold to something more like 10k pace.
I’m not seeing a pickup at all and certainly didn’t feel like it. Kilo’s 3 and 4 were the same as 9-10 and 6-7-8 were not more than a few secs quicker.
A similar session from 8 days ago was as follows
So HR climbed to similar levels but needed 4:15-4:20 pace to push it there then it remained there when backing off to 4:45-4:50 pace, so more along the lines of what you refer to. 5:15 should typically be a coast.
The Apple Watch tech is apparently meant to be pretty good correlation with chest straps. Thought perhaps it may have been loose but the early data looked fine. Perhaps some enviro factors I’m not taking into account, just seems strange it didn’t start off higher as well if that were the case.
So km 9 and 10 your hr jacked….
But on the previous run your hr obviously higher for faster pace and km 5 and 6 was quick but you reduced pace to 4:47 and your hr settled down to 171-172.
From what I understand your wondering why your hitting 170 odd at the end of your run in question for the same hr at a slower pace. About 30 seconds per km give or take.
Tbh I just think that’s a case of variability. One day your good the next your not. This morn I was ok to hold 5:15 pace on 149 beat average for 1hr15. But some days I am at 5:40 for that hr. And similarly I swear my ticker knows when it’s nearly home time coz it always jacks up last couple of kms regardless of speed lol.
That previous run is a quick one for you it seems and your heart rate shows u we’re working. Maybe now you’re a bit more fatigued so working harder but it’s only showing up towards the latter stage of your workout ? How’s your endurance in general?
Do you need to slow your runs and run longer or do you already do that on different days ?
Ps- sort your calf those things are the devil when Injured. It will keep coming back unless you rest for a bit. Then stretch and strength train that and the soleous. Then use a walk/jog method to return and a treadmill if need be. Then strength train it for the rest of your life lol.
6-8k was a little quicker. I think it makes a lot of sense that the HR would gradually creep up later & later into a steady tempo run. 15c is pretty good weather – any humidity? Maybe it is a touch aggressive at the end but would expect the HR to move through a steady effort like that. Maybe 5:15-5:20 was right for that effort on the day & the 5:11/5:08/5:08 were a touch too much. Or maybe the data is a little off.
Though I’ve managed to commute by bike year round, I have not had decent volume across any discipline for perhaps three years and haven’t raced for over 12 years. Unfortunately I’m seeing someone outwardly fit looking and thinking I’m still that 35 min 10k athlete.
5:15 is in my head as an easy pace so it’s part that, but more that ihr was quite a bit lower for the same pace the week before. The previous session it was easy to understand because it felt hard and remained so after backing off. This last one it felt really easy the whole time other than managing the calf pain.
Digressing to the latter yes I’ve been pinging them for the best part of a decade and it’s a lot of the reason I have not been out running regularly in that time. They tend to get very tight very quickly I start any form of run type training.
Having not had a goal for so many years I wondered whether I could still crack a sub 4:00 10k and thought that could be a nice personal goal. When I saw the main local run race was also celebrating turning 50 the same year I am, it lit a fire that hasn’t burned for a long time. ‘Fools rush inâ€.
