Are you using a heart rate monitor?

Why use a heart rate monitor? It’s as easy as training and racing and a pace that’s right for you! A heart rate monitor is the only way to accurately track your heart rate through your ENTIRE workout!

First determine your maximum heart rate MHR and your resting heart rate RHR.
Maximum Heart Rate – most say to subtract your age from 220 to determine this rate. There is some new thought rolling around that already fit people should subtract half their age from 205 to determine this rate.

If you don’t trust this then do a personal test, find a hill (Buena Vista or Runnymeade-200-300 meters in length) and sprint up the hill 5 or 6 times with a light job back down as your only rest period. This should get you pretty close to your Maximum Heart Rate.

For your resting heart rate, strap on the monitor when you first get up in the morning and rest for 3 or 4 minutes then record the resting heart rate RHR.

Now you can calculate for your workouts your MHR – here’s an example: ((MHR-RHR) x Percent level) + RHR

Take your Maximum Heart Rate-Resting Heart Rate X your percent level + resting heart rate.
For 95% workout, your calculation should look like this: ((190-50) x .95) + 50) = 183 BPM

Below is suggested percentages for workouts and distances:

Workout Percent of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)

Easy run and long run 65-75%

Tempo run 87-92%

Interval repeats 95-100%

Race Distance

5-K 95-97%

10-K 92-94%

Half-marathon 85-88%

Marathon 80-85%

Most running websites include heart rate tables for use during training, you’ll find that using a heart rate monitor will not only keep you from overtaxing during those long workouts, but keep you at maximum fitness during ALL workouts. Think about the heart rate monitors that come with our Garmin line! Do you like using a heart rate monitor?