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Let your heart do the talkingBefore you start trainingWhether you are planning to run a half marathon as a singular accomplishment or as a stepping stone to a full marathon, crossing the finishing line will give you a great feeling of accomplishment. What follows are two 12-week training guides, designed for both the novice and intermediate runner who wish to complete a half marathon. Let your heart do the talkingThe training guides that follow require the use of a heart rate monitor. The portable heart rate monitor (HRM) is the most helpful tool that you can use to improve the efficiency of training and monitor your progress. Today's heart rate monitors allow a runner to determine the correct training intensity with a precision that - even 15 years ago - would have been available only to elite runners. Here are a few of the ways that a HRM will improve your training: No more guesswork - The intensity of your workouts is of the highest importance: too low an intensity and you will get little benefit, too high an intensity and you will overtrain, risking possible injury and illness. To put it simply, the faster you run, the more oxygen is required by the muscles and the faster the heart has to beat to provide the muscles with enough oxygen. For this reason, heart rate is the best method of evaluating how hard you are working. This training guide will use heart rate zones to set exercise intensity, improve the efficiency of training and prevent both overtraining and undertraining. More power, less work - Your heart rate fluctuates greatly on a run: low when running at an easy pace, high when climbing a steep hill. A HRM can record your average heart rate throughout your workout, and this allows you to track your fitness level clearly over time. For example, if your average heart rate gets lower over the course of several weeks - given the same pace and running conditions - it's a clear sign of improved fitness. Tame those intervals - Intermediate runners who wish to improve their running speed will want to perform speed intervals, which usually consist of fast sprints separated by walking or easy jogging. A HRM can help manage your interval sessions by indicating when to work and when to recover, with all of the essential data recorded for later entry into a training log. Run the road to recovery - Rest is vital if you wish to achieve peak performance. Rest days are scheduled to allow your body to adapt to the training load and recover. To force yourself to take it easy on designated recovery days, your heart rate should stay under a certain limit (See Heart Rate Zone table). This will allow your muscles to rest for the next workout. Basic heart rate monitors retail from approximately £40 and it is highly recommended that you purchase one to maximise your training potential. As mentioned earlier, the training guides will use heart rate zones to set your exercise intensity. Therefore, the first thing you must do is calculate your maximum heart rate and heart rate training zones. How hard should you train?Calculating your maximum heart rate and training zones Your maximum heart rate (MHR) is the highest number of beats per minute your heart can reach during all-out effort. Because maximum heart rate decreases as you get older, a popular calculation used is: 220 - age = MHR For example, a 25-year-old man would have an MHR of 220 - 25 = 195 beats per minute. Follow the steps above to calculate your MHR. Once you have calculated your MHR, it is then possible to calculate your heart rate training zones, which are as follows: Heart Rate Zones Table:
Take your MHR and multiply by 0.60, 0.65, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80 and 0.85 to determine the percentage number for each heart rate zone this training guide uses. If your MHR is 195, you would multiply that number by 0.60 and 0.65 to determine what your MHR range is for zone 1 (which would be 117 to 127 beats per minute). |
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