Question about running?

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stonel94
stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I'm not a runner, never have been, it's always been hard for me whether I was fat or skinny or playing competitve sports or not. I've never enjoyed it and never considered myself a good distance runner (i have been a good sprinter when I did track) Anyways, when I run, not very fast, like 10 min mile, my heart rate gets up very high, like 180, when I stop for just 1 min it'll go back down very very quickly and a couple seconds after stopping I feel fine, and I don't feel dizzy or anything when my heartrate gets this high, but it has gotten all the way to 200 when running, and if I'm doing something like elliptical it'll usually be in the 160s, so my question is why does my heartrate get so high..is it bad, i feel like I'm in good shape, and obviously recovery is good, but why does it get up so high? (I have hypothyroid if that matters at all)

Replies

  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
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    Question about running and heart rate?
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    I think you would be better served by addressing this question to your doctor or cardiologist.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
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    Slow down. Reevaluate your definition of running. It doesn't have to be under a 12 minute mile to be considered running. It's different for every person, body shape, height, weight, etc.

    More distance = less speed
    more speed = less distance

    I like many others started with the C25K app and felt like I wasn't a runner. October 28th of this year I ran my first race, a 10k, I did it with a 14 minute mile. Doesn't matter how slow I was, it matters that I started and I finished. It matters I ran the whole time but that only matters to me. The beautiful thing about running is you aren't competing against anyone but yourself. You can't beat your PB until you set a PB. So now my goal for this year is to run a 10k faster than I did last year.
  • Runner5AbelTownship
    Runner5AbelTownship Posts: 243 Member
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    The fact that is goes down very quickly is a good sign. Also, believe it or not a ten minute mile for a beginning runner may be too fast. When I started at 245 my mile averaged 17 and that was with walk breaks (I can still walk faster then I run). I'd try the Couch to5K and go from there. Also you need to determine your actual HR Zones before making any real judgment. Running is a whole body, weight bearing exercise and so far removed from elliptical and the like.
  • ianh5979
    ianh5979 Posts: 13 Member
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    General rule about max heart rate during exercise is 220- age so for you your max is 201, rapid recovery normally means you are reasonably fit
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    Do a slower warm-up. I find when I do a proper warm-up, and do them consistently, my HR doesn't spike at the beginning of my run. If I run without the warm-up, my HR will go straight to the 160's and settle in there. From there, it will slowly creep up throughout an aerobic or LT run. If, on the other hand, I take a good 10-12 minutes or so - a whole mile at least - and start with a slow shuffle... bring my HR up slowly, walk when it spikes up, jog again... wait, watch... walk when it spikes, jog again... then at the end of that 12 minutes or so it will settle in around 140 bpm (sometimes lower!) and I can run a 10 minute mile without it going higher.

    TL;DR - try warming up properly/more slowly.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    General rule about max heart rate during exercise is 220- age so for you your max is 201, rapid recovery normally means you are reasonably fit

    HR calculations are not very accurate. For instance, I'm 38 years old and observed 194bpm just last year. That would put my max 10 beats off, which will skew training. If you regularly observe a HR higher than your predicted max, then your max is higher than the predicted.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    Yep, running is hard. I had the same experience when I started. When I thought I was in pretty good cardio health, as I'd worked up to being on the elliptical for an hour with varied intensity, I started running and was in for a shock. My heart rate jumped up to about what you are experiencing during my very very slow running intervals. But, within a few weeks it improved. Now, over a year later, it takes running up a steep steady hill to get my HR up to that level, and it drops quickly as soon as I stop.

    By all means check with your doctor if you are nervous about it, just to make sure that everything is okay. And as long as it is, just stick it out, it'll get better.
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
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    If you start slowly and build up over time, your body should adjust. Give some thought to using the RunDouble app and going through C25K with it, or alternatively, using the Zombies 5k Training app. Both are great at starting you out slowly and building you up to a more intense, sustained session through interval training.

    Like Otter, and others have said also, you might want to consider checking with your doc to be safe. That's good advice before starting with any exercise program.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    If you start slowly and build up over time, your body should adjust. Give some thought to using the RunDouble app and going through C25K with it, or alternatively, using the Zombies 5k Training app. Both are great at starting you out slowly and building you up to a more intense, sustained session through interval training.

    Like Otter, and others have said also, you might want to consider checking with your doc to be safe. That's good advice before starting with any exercise program.

    Oh, I didn't catch that you weren't using an interval program. Try C25K or one of the other apps to ease yourself in. It'll help your joints adapt as well. Lots and lots and lots of runners start with it.

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