So I did the maximum heart rate test from RunnersWorld (link at the bottom of the post if you are interested). Based on that actual field test with the heart rate monitor that I got for Christmas two years ago, my maximum heart rate is about 195 beats per minute. As I've always known, those silly formulas (like 220-your age) are pretty off - by about 15bpm. And, quite frankly, I bet I could actually get my HR up higher than 195 if I was sufficiently motivated. But that seems close enough since I basically ran on the treadmill till I thought I would puke.

(Side note: All the pics are of races I've been in. This should motivate me to get back into running regularly)

So now that I've got this number, I'm just working on a basic plan to figure out what to do with it.

For the next few weeks at least, I'm running 3 times per week (20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes). I used to have mileage goals for those times, but I'm putting that aside and not allowing myself to measure distance for January. Instead, I'm going to run the time that I planned at an intensity that keeps my heart rate between 65% and 75% of the maximum. My husband SWEARS this is how he got such great race times when he was a runner.

I don't know if I'll have the mental fortitude to do this without dying of boredom, so I'm giving myself a plan B if this is too dull. The plan B is to make the 20 minute workouts more of a ladder - something like run 4 minutes at 65 to 75 percent of MHR, 3 minutes at 75 to 85 percent, 2 minutes at 85 to 90 percent, and 1 minute above 90 percent, then work back down (which would make it a pyramid) or just jog it out. But the first goal is to do a couple of weeks of the boring ol' 65%-75% runs.

At the end of January, I'll do either a 5 mile run or a 60 minute run and figure out if my pace has improved using the HR training.


RunnersWorld article: www.runnersworld.com/run
ning-tips/how-use-heart-ra
te-monitor?page=single#