Technical Heart Rate Question

Right, so you sometimes go up to 199 ... Your heart is beating fast and you're not collapsing or feeling ill effects.

Training benefits may go out of the window a bit if you do go up to that high, because you can only sustain it for short periods of time. However, athletes REGULARLY run at their Max HR aerobically. After a short time, you're more than likely to star going anaerobic and naturally slowing down.

My training heart rate range is between 116 (50%) and 191 (197 is my max)

Training between 116 and 131 is counted a slight exercise for me,
131-146, weight management/fat burn
146-161 Aerobic Base building
161-176 Optimal Conditioning
176-191 Elite athlete.

Now, you say you reached 199 on a sprint finish and averaged 184... so basically you were training in terms of your current CV fitness Very hard but as was a sprint finish, you were working at 199 for a very short period of time which is NOT harmful.

I sometimes when really going for it will do a sprint interval and my heart rate will be up at 190 or so.

However, as you get fitter, you'll probably feel things getting easier for the same workout (distance and speed) as you get fitter and your HR will naturally be a bit lower. Your RHR will probably also drop.

For example, I started running 5 times a week initially and my heart rate was REGULARLY up at 176 or so for a 10.8KPH pace. However, for the same pace, a few weeks later, I found that my HR during training was around the 163 mark and the 10.8KPH pace didn't feel quite so hard. This is where I upped the speed and once again the HR went up and a few weeks later it was down again... I was getting fitter. My RHR also dropped from about 62BPM to about 42BPM in about 9 weeks of long distance running and cross training.

So, workout hard so long as you have no other medical reason not to (irregular heart rhythm, diabetes, asthma, injuries etc) and reap the benefits... and watch as your HR drops!

PS... your eqp.t for measuring your HR may also be a little out/inaccurate! )

I can't really tell you whether or not to be in a panic, since I'm not a doctor, but I can tell you that I run at an average HR of 172-177 bpm. I've run this at a 12min mile and at a 9min mile. (I've gotten faster since I started, obviously.) I've been doing this since I started running, and probably longer because I've never really monitored my heart rate. My maximum should be 189, and I'm typically hitting 188 and 190 on the sprint and major uphill portions of my runs.

I did consult my doctor about this, and my heart is in good health, as is my pulmonary system, so while he doesn't necessarily recommend working out at that level 4-5 times per week, he said that as long as I'm not struggling to breathe during my runs or leaving my runs feeling overly tired or feeling ill in the middle of my runs, I should be OK. I can usually maintain a conversation during my runs (even my fastest ones), so as long as I follow that rule of thumb, he said he isn't going to worry about it.

Note that I had a full physical prior to beginning my fitness program and have checked in with him relatively often since I started (about two or three times since June). Part of the physical was a full blood panel.

I think that if you're fairly worried, you should consult with your doctor, as s/he is the only person who can tell you whether or not your heart is capable of maintaining a higher heart rate for an extended period. Otherwise, remember the rule of thumb that you should be able to talk during your runs, as in full sentences without taking gasping breaths.

everyone is different and you shouldnt take it by your heart rate but by how your feeling
if you feel faint, or pain or anything like that then i would stop and get it looked at
but if you feel fine then dont worry about it
im a nursing student and have studied this a bit as well as asking my lecturers as i was concerned after i did cycling

work with whats good for you not someone else =D