Heart Rate Training: Day 1 (or so)

Today marks my first day (sort of) training with a heart rate monitor and using it like I'm supposed to.  I think.

I've been reading The Big Book of Endurance Training which takes an interesting approach to heart rate training.  And I've read the blogs of some runners who've tried it and liked it.  The one that sticks out most in my mind is Miss Zippy and some really rock solid results.

I just purchased a heart rate monitor.  Finally.  I'd been checking out different models for a long time. I got this one because I wanted a strapless HRM with a screen that I can read, and that will work with the apps on my phone.  Done.  (It works with my version of Endomondo.  Though they do require Premium or Pro for the pretty graphs. 

I had a "run while ignoring the heart rate monitor" on Sunday, so I could get a base line of just how dangerous I am.  I never let my heart rate get too wildly out of control.  But I did spend about half the time in the anaerobic zone.  We have some work to do.

Today I hit the road at the crack of dawn and was reminded how awesome it is to be out for a run and see the sun rise.  The goal for today's run was to keep my heart rate in the range of 143-153, and to have at least a mile 'warm up'.  For the warm up, I started out walking a couple blocks, then throwing in light jogging for half a block at a time, then for a block at a time, so I could make my heart rate rise slowly instead of spiking it up at the beginning of the run as I always had.

Starting out, I thought this would be the longest, most discouraging workout ever.  I was please to see I could run at least one 12:00 mile aerobically, and had fun with the rest of the run.  I'm supposed to do a true MAF test to keep track of my paces, but this isn't it because the course isn't flat enough and I stopped to take way too many pictures in the back half of the run.

The secondary awesome part of this run was just being outside again enjoying myself.  I honestly cannot remember the last time I had an outside run before breakfast.  I suspect it was sometime before Christmas.  (It's been a long winter.) It was nice to get out and see the sun rise again.