Question:I've recently started to use a heartrate monitor for training. It helps
keep me honest, especially during intervals and overdistance workouts,
and I am comfortable using it during workouts. I'm also using it to
check my resting pulse in the mornings, and here, it's causing me some
confusion.
I understand that resting pulse is an indicator of how well rested the
body is, and am trying to use it to decide when to schedule hard
workouts. I know that resting pulse is a function of a lot of things,
including how much sleep I've had, whether I have a cold coming, stress
level, etc. What's confusing me is that I often get the lowest resting
heart rate the day after relatively long and hard workouts, when I still
feel sore and not fully recovered. And I'm not sure what sort of rise
in resting pulse I should consider significant enough to adjust my
workouts.
What I'm wondering about is what sort of "jump" in resting pulse you
consider significant in your own training planning. Do you make
decisions about easing up, for example, based on 5 or 10 bpm rises in
resting pulse?
Maybe I'm just reading too much into this resting pulse business.
Answer:
I cannot rely on my resting heart rate because I am not a good sleeper to begin
with. I've discovered that I start tossing and turning, unconsciously, about 30
minutes prior to waking up. When I actually do wake up, the heart rate is
higher that it should, making the whole thing innacurate. So, now, I have to
rely subjectively and through the actual training whether I'm overdoing it or
not.
I don't know if that is your problem also, but I would like to point that out
in case you do.
Happy training.
"Iron Pete" Priolo +--------+
|26 |
IMC'96: 10:36:37 | Fe | '98 IMC, GCT, BSLT
IMC'97: 10:42:53 | |
+--------+
"THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"
I generally make the decision to ease up when resting pulse upon awakening is
10bpm higher then usual-I don't take a day off or anything, just do an easier
workout, sleep a little late, eat a little more-a reasonable amount of
pampering. RHR is a superb indicator of how your body is doing physically so
NO you are not reading too much into it.
The key here is not to get too wrapped up in the resting pulse business.
As you mention, the reading of a resting pulse is a function of a
variety of factors which interact infinately and exponentially to result
in a reading.
For example:
Some athletes are known to have their lowest resting pulse at the end of
the day after several hours of hard training. How so,
1. perhaps the long day of training results in a significantly higher
blood volume.
2. Hypoglycemic tendencies or pertetually low blood sugar upon awakening
results in an elevated hr rate due to a multiplicity of intervening
stressors which the condition causes.
3. Conditioning- If the body is conditioned to a certain biochemical
environment. Then the absence of that environment can result in an
elevated hr. (i.e. some peoples hr goes down after drinking coffee)
4. These are just a few examples but the point here is that you need to
KNOW YOUR OWN BODY and don't rely on studies done on ANYONE BUT
YOURSELF.
I'm just too lazy to put on the heart rate monitor in the am, or count it out
for that matter. But, I do notice what my heart rate is prior to a workout. I
can tell if it is running 5+ bpm over my "normal" rate for that time of day.
I'll adjust accordinly by taking an easier workout than I planned. I also
notice my workouts go better on the days when it is lower than usual. Self
fullfilling prophesy? Could be, but it works for me.
We know that time has wings, but we're the ones who have to fly...
