Heart Rate Question for Long Distance Runners

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eatrainsmile
eatrainsmile Posts: 220 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My question is for runners. I run 4-5 days a week. Approximately 1 hour per session. I wear a HRM. My average heart rate was around 170 until this week. I cant stay above 160-165 for 2 days. I took the weekend off and get a good rest. I feel like I still have the same speed but my heart doesnt go up. It's calmer than last week. Why is this happening? My heart gets used to that speed so it doesnt push yourself harder? Or is it me who has lost condition? Someone please explain this to me.

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  • eatrainsmile
    eatrainsmile Posts: 220 Member
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    No input?
  • shoneybabes
    shoneybabes Posts: 199 Member
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    I used to run long distances all the time and I found that my heart rate only changed when I exerted myself harder than my comfortable rythym or was going uphill.

    What you may find is that your body is getting used to the routine so you may need to change the route or up your tempo. There isn't anything wrong with a steady heart rate :smile:

    If you want to push harder then work harder and run faster.
  • Chrisswa
    Chrisswa Posts: 71
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    i am not a 100% sure but the change might be a sign of your fitness improving
  • eatrainsmile
    eatrainsmile Posts: 220 Member
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    I follow the same routine on the same place with the same speed but my heart rate is slower than before. I need to push myself really harder to reach the heart rate that was my average heart rate some days ago. I hope it is a sign of my fitness improvement.
  • eatrainsmile
    eatrainsmile Posts: 220 Member
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    Waiting for more input:ohwell:
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
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    That is what you want ! You want your HR to go lower, that's a sign of fitness, the lower your HR the longer you will be able to run.
    Your HR should actually be 180-your age, that is what you are aiming for. That is conversational pace and rate you want to be able to run at for miles and miles. a HR of 170+ is actually too fast or too hard... that's how injuries occur.

    Slow it down, and keep it down.... how old are you ?
  • wombat94
    wombat94 Posts: 352 Member
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    It is definitely a sign of fitness, but also can be a sign of the changing weather.

    One of the big drivers of heart rate is the body's temperature regulation system. Moving the blood around the body helps to even out the temperature and transport heat from your core to the surface where it can be cooled through perspiration.

    I find that in cooler weather, the same level of effort (both by feel and by running at about the same pace) results in 10-20 beats per minute lower on runs longer than 3 miles or so.
  • frhenderson
    frhenderson Posts: 32 Member
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    Lower heart rate with the same pace is definitely a good thing. You might want to also check your resting hr. Mine has dropped about 20 bpm, and I have to push resistance and/or speed to get my hr back to where it was a few months ago when exercising. That's how you're able to increase pace/endurance. I've shaved 5 minutes off my 5k pace and actually have a lower average hr (and don't feel like puking at the end) in less than 60 days.
  • stubbysticks
    stubbysticks Posts: 1,275 Member
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    How long have you been training at this level? Do you ever alternate low-intensity training into your routine? If you've hit a wall trying to get your pace up, it's something to consider. Here's an article that explains it well: http://www.duathlon.com/articles/1460

    I've gone through 2 cycles of 12-week heart rate training programs & the first one improved my 10k pace by almost 30 sec/mi & the second one got me a new 5k PR as well.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    Yes, it's either improved fitness or lower temperatures. My HR can be 10 bpm higher in hot days!
  • eatrainsmile
    eatrainsmile Posts: 220 Member
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    Oh thanks! All of what you said make a lot of sense. The weather is getting cooler here. I run outdoors. This might be a reason why my heart rate is lower this week.

    As for the questions I am 28 years old and I have been running regularly for 1 year. I have a loooong fitness background though. But I have been wearing a HRM only for 1 month so I can watch my HR only for 1 month. When I got lower HR for 2 days this week, I was so disappointed because I couldnt figure out what was going on with me. I wanted to see my previous average HR while running but I was out of breath when I had it although it was just a normal HR for me until this week.

    Thank you a lot guys:) I'll check my resting heart rate and see if it's fitness improvement or wheather temperatures.

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