Need running advice please.

Ms_Natalie

Hi guys,
I'm looking for a bit of advice. I started running in the Spring/Summer of 2010 and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately I injured my achilles tendon and had to take some time off without any exercise :sad:

Anyhow, I started running again in Autumn and carried on until Christmas came along and I caught a nasty bug.

So, started back to my running again today and unsuprisingly, I'm hooked again. I'm easing back into it slowly as I understand my fitness has dropped due to the time off I've had.

I ran 3.5miles today at a rate of between 4.5 & 5.2mph. I felt pushed but comfortable to continue and wasn't struggling for breath.

I need advice on heart rate...When I started jogging last year I could easily get into the 130's within a few minutes of jogging, however now it takes me 15minutes to get my heart into this zone. I usually peak at about 135 to 140bpm! Is this good enough?

Do you think I need to push harder with my exercise and get it any higher than this? I need aerobic exercise rather than anaerobic as I'm looking to burn calories and fat rather than anything else. I have 13lbs left to lose before I'm at goal and want to get stuck into losing this.

Any advice would be great :flowerforyou:

Mindful_Trent

I'd definitely push yourself. As your fitness improves, it takes more effort to work your body the same way. If you were working at an 7 out of 10 (on a general effort scale) before at 4.5-5.2 mph, you may now have to push yourself to running at 5.4-5.8 (or whatever) to reach that same level of effort. It's a great thing - it means your cardiovascular fitness is improving. The anaerobic zone is pretty darn high - 80-90% of your max HR (I believe...), so you should be able to push yourself more and still be in the aerobic HR zone.

Ms_Natalie

I'd definitely push yourself. As your fitness improves, it takes more effort to work your body the same way. If you were working at an 7 out of 10 (on a general effort scale) before at 4.5-5.2 mph, you may now have to push yourself to running at 5.4-5.8 (or whatever) to reach that same level of effort. It's a great thing - it means your cardiovascular fitness is improving. The anaerobic zone is pretty darn high - 80-90% of your max HR (I believe...), so you should be able to push yourself more and still be in the aerobic HR zone.

Thank you!! How far should I push myself? I know I shouldn't be struggling for breath... Will have to measure my current resting heart rate to get an idea I guess of what I should be aiming for.

After so much time off I was expecting the worst, but running today felt OK!. Only broke a serious sweat towards the end of my workout. I used to run about 5 miles on a good day so I know my distance has suffered.

Thanks again for the advice :flowerforyou:

Leannek74

I love running too!
It's a good thing that it takes longer for your heart rate to speed up, your cardio is improving!
Maybe try speeding up after your initial warm up if you want great the heart going a little faster. Or if you're on a tread mill increase the incline a little.
Other than that, enjoy your new and improved self!

Mindful_Trent

I'd definitely push yourself. As your fitness improves, it takes more effort to work your body the same way. If you were working at an 7 out of 10 (on a general effort scale) before at 4.5-5.2 mph, you may now have to push yourself to running at 5.4-5.8 (or whatever) to reach that same level of effort. It's a great thing - it means your cardiovascular fitness is improving. The anaerobic zone is pretty darn high - 80-90% of your max HR (I believe...), so you should be able to push yourself more and still be in the aerobic HR zone.

Thank you!! How far should I push myself? I know I shouldn't be struggling for breath... Will have to measure my current resting heart rate to get an idea I guess of what I should be aiming for.

After so much time off I was expecting the worst, but running today felt OK!. Only broke a serious sweat towards the end of my workout. I used to run about 5 miles on a good day so I know my distance has suffered.

Thanks again for the advice :flowerforyou:

I've been reading about running because it's something I've gotten into over the last year - a good easy test to check if your pace is good is to see if you can talk (or hum a few lines to a song quietly to yourself). If you can do this without gasping for breath or breathing too unnaturally, then you're at a good pace. Here's what one website says:

"The 'talk test' means running at a pace comfortable enough to converse with a training partner—but not so easy that you could hit the high notes in an Italian opera." —Runner's World editors
http://www.menshealth.com/run/101-greatest-training-tips-of-all-time.php

Edited to add: you can also invest in a HR monitor with zone training - this will tell you when you're in your cardio zone and if you go too high.

Ms_Natalie

I'd definitely push yourself. As your fitness improves, it takes more effort to work your body the same way. If you were working at an 7 out of 10 (on a general effort scale) before at 4.5-5.2 mph, you may now have to push yourself to running at 5.4-5.8 (or whatever) to reach that same level of effort. It's a great thing - it means your cardiovascular fitness is improving. The anaerobic zone is pretty darn high - 80-90% of your max HR (I believe...), so you should be able to push yourself more and still be in the aerobic HR zone.

Thank you!! How far should I push myself? I know I shouldn't be struggling for breath... Will have to measure my current resting heart rate to get an idea I guess of what I should be aiming for.

After so much time off I was expecting the worst, but running today felt OK!. Only broke a serious sweat towards the end of my workout. I used to run about 5 miles on a good day so I know my distance has suffered.

Thanks again for the advice :flowerforyou:

I've been reading about running because it's something I've gotten into over the last year - a good easy test to check if your pace is good is to see if you can talk (or hum a few lines to a song quietly to yourself). If you can do this without gasping for breath or breathing too unnaturally, then you're at a good pace. Here's what one website says:

"The 'talk test' means running at a pace comfortable enough to converse with a training partner—but not so easy that you could hit the high notes in an Italian opera." —Runner's World editors
http://www.menshealth.com/run/101-greatest-training-tips-of-all-time.php

Edited to add: you can also invest in a HR monitor with zone training - this will tell you when you're in your cardio zone and if you go too high.

Thanks both! Yes, I've heard about the talk test..but havn't actually tried it yet. Will give it a go tomorrow. I need to get the most out of my workouts. Will have a browse online now and read a little more into it.