Newbie runner and using HRM to gauge effort/endurance

janinab75

I started running/jogging/wogging (trying again) a month ago. I've typically always tended to have a higher heart rate, even when I was in really good physical shape in high school, compared to my peers, or so that's what it always seemed to me. I never really payed much attention to heart rate as a result and just kind of exercised. So now as sedentary and overweight, I have an even higher HR. Now trying to lose weight and becoming less sedentary, I recently purchased a HRM, which gauged my HR when exercising between 118 - 155. When trying to go for runs, I would end up near 172 - 175 and be able to last 20 minutes. So I've slowed down and tried staying within what the HRM says and can go for a bit longer and it feels better.
My questions are:
by staying within the recommended HRM range, will my CV fitness improve overtime, even though right now my pace is painfully slow? Will my pace end up getting faster eventually?
is it bad to regularly go above the recommended range and push myself to go faster?
should I scrap the HRM all together and just run? I've tried that previously and just given up many, many times because I try to do too much too fast!
And am I over thinking this?

bazzawood30

I am the same my hr is very high when running, 160 to 170 is easy running for me. I dont feel under pressure running like this can easily run for 40 mins at this output. I start to drop off when over 170 and i am flat out at 180. I tried running in the hr target zones just did not work for me. I just accept i have a high heart rate when training, at rest its about 47. My body fat is about 11% and i am in the best shape of my life. All these scales are just guides and ther are exceptions to every rule.

Your cv will improve,
Your pace will increase,
Pushing is good try doing sprinting or hill work to get your v02 max up, mix up your training keep your body guessing.
I use my HRM simply to get an accurate calorie consumption figure, your body will tell you when you have had enough not your hrm.
Get a training plan try a 5k or 10k

Socalgal13

Good for you on wogging again! I would keep in mind that the recommended HR zones are just general ranges and the only way to know what you HR zones are, are thru testing. I am nearly 50 yr old and my Max HR is 183 and my resting HR is 46, which means all my other zones are higher then the recommended zones for my age. I would recommend you looking to see if your local gym, HS sports coach, YMCA might have someone who can help you with finding out your HR zones.

Your CV will improve as will your endurance. For me when I was heavier my HR ran much higher, and so for me now I have to work so much harder to burn the same amount of calories as I did when I was fat.

Do not give up on your HR monitor, I use it as accountability when you know your zones, you can see if you really worked as hard as you think you did.

Keep running!

janinab75

Thanks for replying. I did a bit better yesterday. My legs are feeling good, the lungs and heart and trying. I see improvement. I know it's a slow process. I need to be patient with myself. I just want to know how realistic I need to be and how much I should be expecting and how much I should push and not to push.