running for first time and heart rate is super high

dont worry about your heart rate. as long as you are overall healthy, got the clearance from your doctor to exercise and don't pass out, then keep at it. especially dont worry about some arbitrary numbers.. 180 might be high for some people but not at all for others. that's why it's good to go by the rate of perceived exertion scale.

i frequently work out in almost the anaerobic range, i started off with heart issues (HBP) and my doctor told me to keep at it and just use my best judgement where feeling light headed means stop but generally being uncomfortable and huffing and puffing means suck it up cupcake and keep moving.

i've been working out like this for almost a year and my heart hasnt exploded yet

Just keep doing it, it will drop in time. Not a lot of time too - within a month it will drop to 160's.

FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY OF COURSE YOUR HEART RATE IS HIGH. YOU JUST STARTED RUNNING, FOR PETES SAKE.

do yourself a huge favor and throw your HRM away. Better, sell it to some other sucker on Craiglist. For some advanced training regimens an hrm can be helpful. For a beginning or intermediate runner, not only is it not needed it actually hurts more than it helps.

Just go run. Running and lifting and dieting are things that get people fit. Not checking hrm readings every 20 steps. I swear 90% of the HRM users on this site are slowing their progress down with those things

I've been running since June, and my heart rate started out in the 190's... now I can sustain it in around the 180's.

The only reason why I can do this is because of my HRM... I can look at and know if my heart rate is getting higher then normal and adjust my speed based on that.

Great info, it has really cheered me up. When I first satrt running heart rate zooms up and then after about 5-10 m ins I get into the run and it settles down to about 150-160 ( I plod a lot rather than fast running). The main thing is to get out and enjoy it. It is hard on the body at the start but well worth the effort (unless it is pouring down with rain as it is in UK and I hate running in the gym).

Also - my heart rate monitor says I burned 870 calories in 50 minutes - does this actually count since I was anaerobic for a significant portion of the 50 minutes?

Of course it counts, calories burned are calories burned. . How do you know you were anaerobic? Are you sure you don't just mean 'in the cardo zone' as opposed to the fat zone?

Try backing off on your pace until you are more used to running. Run at a pace where it would be uncomfortable to have a conversation with a running buddy. As you get more used to it, you will be able to pick up your pace and your heart rate will not race as much. I had a similar problem with swimming. I have always been a runner and train in the 140-150 BPM range and at 7:30-8:00 min/mile pace. I started swimming and could not go more than 50 meters without a break and it felt like my heart would come right through my chest. A friend told me to slow my stroke rate down and find a pace that I could swim 400 m to start and gradually work up to where I could swim 30-40 min straight. It worked, and now I can swim 1600 m without a rest and the pace is beginning to improve.

I've used heart rate monitors on and off for around 10 years, and sometimes at the start of a run you can get some very strange readings: sudden spikes in heart rate when I'm not physiologically feeling as though my heart rate is that high. It could be due to the HRM picking up some stray electromagentism from traffic or other sources because further into the run the readings drop substantially. I'm not suggesting this is the reason why your readings are high, but they can be distorted. If you're really out of breath and your chest is pounding, then stop. If you're feeling ok, then that's because you are actually ok. High heart rates are only a concern if you have high blood pressure and you are at risk of heart disease or a stroke, or some other illness that can really hurt.

One thing that I love about my HRM is that I can see the progress I'm making with running. When I start a new week on C25K, my heart rate spikes into the 180's..., by the time I'm done with that week and ready to move on, the spikes are low 170's, and the overall average for the run is a lot lower. I can see over time that my heart rate recovers a lot faster than it did just a month ago.

Start slow. When the amount you're doing seems easy - step it up for the next run. I have to repeat weeks in the C25K program, but I'm seeing progress, and it's very encouraging. When I first started, 30secs seemed like forever. Now I'm up to 5 minutes, and that 5 minutes seems easier than the 30 secs did that first day.

I am astounded at some of the most irresponsible comments regarding a heart rate monitor and of a hr of 190! Not one person here asked your age and physical condition, and yet gave you a bunch of unqualified advice. A hr of 190 bpm is not high if; dependent on your age; if you are in good health; good shape; properly nourished and hydrated - but on the other hand, a hr of 190 is one step away from the grave if you are an older out of shape person.

A good heart monitor is a great piece of equipment. It serves as a tachometer and gives a reference point for your performance. It will tell if you have been training too much and if you need to take a day off. After you become acquainted with your hrm you will be able to reconcile your performance. It will show your physical improvement (be sure and keep a log). It will also help with your cool down. I never stop my cool down walk until my hr drops below 100 bpm.


NOTE: If your heart rate does not drop at least 12 bpm in 60 seconds after you stopprd running and have transitioned into your cool down walk you may have a heart condition. See a doctor.


Many times I get up for my morning run and just dont feel like it. I find all kind of excuses, Im sick, something is wrong, etc. - I strap on the hrm and if it shows my hr is high then I know I have a legitimate reason to take the day off,, but if it is normal, I get my lazy buns on the road.


You only have one heart, and I cant give you one decent reason to ignore such a rapid hr without going for a physical.