Now how does one go about figuring out their training zones?
Well there are a lot of ways, but the most simple way is to take 220 and subtract your age. This method does have some inherent error in it, but it is a good starting method. I am going to use myself as example. As I am nearly 36 I'll use that, so 220 - 36 is 184. Now 184 bpm should be my maximum heart rate and we can now figure out the zones from that number. The zones are historically 90-100%, 80-90%, 70-80%, 60-70% and 50-60%. Now if you take 90% of 184 you get 165.6 so lets round up to 166 bpm so there is the highest zone or zone 5 166 bpm to 184 bpm. The next zone is 147.2 to 128.8 so lets round to 147 and 129.
I could figure the rest of the zones for myself, but TomTom has already done it for me, but now you know how it works. You can see that the numbers aren't 100% exact, but pretty darn close.
Now for the training method. For long distance runners it is touted to be best to train in zone 3. This is the aerobic training zone that you burn more calories and elevate your endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
In order to stay in zone 3 many runners will actually have to slow down. I find this to be very difficult as I feel like I am going to slow to be doing any good. Now this could be the fact that I was use to training in zone 4 instead of zone 3 up until this point. It could also be that the 220 - my age isn't all that accurate for me. (Italic area copied from Beyond General Fitness: Running: My Adventure In Heart Rate Training. Speed Test 1 on 03/19/2017)
Now since then I have read several articles about the accuracy of wrist heart rate monitors. They can be off by as much as 20%. Next there is the fact that the 220 minus your age has up to 20% error as it depends on your fitness level and other factors. So I could be trying to do a heart rate training with an error that could be as much as 40% error.
Then there could be the fact that I have also been testing a run walk combo while doing heart rate training and something occurred to me while running today. I might be trying to test too many things all at the same time.
Well on my blog post on 04/17/17 I posted that I was disappointed with the results of my heart rate training. I had done the math and figured what my pace was slower then prior. Although it seems that I was wrong now that I have placed the numbers on a spreadsheet.
Now that I have the numbers all together I can now see that I am progressing. After two months of heart rate training I have dropped nearly 39 seconds from my original test and 12 second off my second test.
The numbers speak for themselves and as you can see from the dates that I ended up taking a break from speed work and I even took an entire break from working out in November - December. You can see that I was running at these speeds in the past, but my heart rate average was very different. As you can see that I am doing the same speed and work at lower heart rates.
I also placed weather or not I did a strength rotation in the middle of the run. So I would run a half of a mile out and then back and then do strength rotation. Then running out at back again and if I was still getting that break in the middle of the run my numbers might be even faster.
I still am considering a VO2 test and a running gate test at some point and time to ensure that I am doing the correct heart rate and ensuring I am getting the most out of my training. I also want to get my gate tested to ensure I am running correctly and won't injure myself. I tend to worry about my knees.
I am going to continue the heart rate training now that I see the numbers together. It seems to be working.
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