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  • Training with HRM – tips please!
  • hughjayteens
    Free Member

    I’ve just bought a Garmin Edge 520 and HRM strap and was wondering what the best method of using it effectively when training, both on short 45-60 min rides and then longer 3-4 hour ones.

    I’m training for next year’s Trans Savoie so need to improve all aspects of fitness and strength!

    Cheers

    fifeandy
    Free Member

    Get a copy of Friel’s Training Bible – start at the start – read to the end.
    Repeat.

    In the meantime – do a 30min LTHR test – yes it hurts – enjoy.
    http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/joe-friel-s-quick-guide-to-setting-zones

    ferrals
    Free Member

    A massive amount of info out there, e.g BC website, various books, you need to have a detailed read and assess what you want to do.

    Personally I use the HRM as a limiter, e.g on a long z2 ride, avoid going over 140, shorter threshold work dont go over 170. Because of HR drift it wont work for intervals less than a minute so you have to go on feel.

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    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    Your HRM won’t help you train for the trans savoie per se, you need to work out how to train for that kind of ride and then use the HRM to ensure you’re doing the right workouts.

    I use mine for intervals (although as noted above, short intervals don’t work that well as it takes time for the HR monitor to catch up and then slow down again, then again short intervals usually means max effort anyway and if you’re doing them right you won’t be able to read the HRM at that point anyway through the tears and blackouts 😉 )

    But for doing long steady rides / identifying the level you can sustain for a long period – as above do a threshold test (hard as you can for 30 mins, take the average of the last 20 – because you’ll start off too hard in all likelihood) and then calculate your zones off that.

    whitestone
    Free Member

    +1 to what’s been written above (though it’s not the monitor catching up with the effort but your heart – the monitor displays what is happening in real time).

    If you are doing HR zone training then do it on your own so you don’t get in to that “I have to keep up with my mates” malarkey and push things past the zone you should be in. If you live in a hilly area, HR zones are hard work since as soon as you come to a hill your HR rises quite dramatically – I’ve been in bottom gear almost track-standing trying to keep my HR down – you are best coasting in to the hill and taking it as easy as possible. Conversely heading downhill it’s nearly impossible to keep your HR high enough.

    hughjayteens
    Free Member

    Useful input, thanks chaps. Will have a play this weekend and see what happens!

    fifeandy
    Free Member

    If you live in a hilly area, HR zones are hard work since as soon as you come to a hill your HR rises quite dramatically – I’ve been in bottom gear almost track-standing trying to keep my HR down – you are best coasting in to the hill and taking it as easy as possible. Conversely heading downhill it’s nearly impossible to keep your HR high enough.

    Very true – it takes a while to get into planning routes that combine with the training goal for the day. Throwing the bike in the car for a short drive is quite valid for one key session a week if it can improve the quality of the session.

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    though it’s not the monitor catching up with the effort but your heart – the monitor displays what is happening in real time

    didn’t know that – assumed it was a function of averaging the HR over time which when time is short and HR is varying the algorithm takes time to settle.

    Although i guess i did know it as well – did some stuff on heart rate with my daughter for school science a while back, so we measured my resting HR (about 64), then i did 15 burpees as fast as possible (which took me to near death) and then remeasured HR at about 145 whereas on a bike I can get 175+

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