Max heart rate

[Aspidistra]

Not being funny (I rarely am, after all) but how do you know you never found it? Wouldn't it be safe to assume that the highest you achieved was your maximum?

1. After a couple of attempts where I got wildly differing results I chucked it in. Whereas the 10k method came within 2 beats a minute over 3 races, then over the months as I got fitter it increased in line with the training I put in.

In the distant days of proper training (improper is so much more fun), I did a max test of 2 x 800 flat out, with about 30 secs in between. I then added a couple of beats, on the scientific basis that if someone with an axe (or JJ since you mention her) had been chasing me then I could probably have squeezed out that extra bit of effort.

2. I opted for a test over 90 mins (3 x 10k) rather than 4 mins. More scientific.

I have found my greatest all-round improvement comes from a more mixed approach of 1 LT session, 1 track session at 3k pace, 1 long run, and steady/recovery runs to make up the numbers.
I find that a few 40 mile weeks of 4-5 days of that does the world of good but that more than this knackers me out.

3. I'm not that much of a lightweight , but I benefit from a mix too, ideally 1LT, 1 medium recovery, 1LT (or race), 1 long recovery. We all benefit from different types of training. An LT and a long run being the foundation.

[TheHeathens]

2. I opted for a test over 90 mins (3 x 10k) rather than 4 mins. More scientific.

For maximum heart rate??? You'll get your max HR if you blast out a 300m as fast as you can, have 30 secs rest, then blast out another.

I found (under lab conditions) that the above method had quite a good correlation with the max HR obtained whilst doing a VO2max test.

220 - age is pretty useless though. Based on that formula, my max HR is 194 but I have a max HR of above 215. 214 - (age x 0.8) is meant to be more accurate, but as you can see in my case this still would not apply.

[haworth hobbler]

Find a long steady hill, running up at a steady pace for at least 10min, then begin to run faster untill you feel s*agged, then all out sprint untill you collapse (well nearly) you will find your max. for it to be accurate you must really push like hell!
Have fun!

What's the best way to find your max heart rate (by runnning) rather than using the 220 minus age?

[theNoor]

And minimum heart rate...

...Miguel Indurain allegedly had a resting heart rate or around 28-30 bpm.

[Xenos]

Its true.

There's also cyclists who finish the Tour de france with such a low blood pressure they cant stand up without fainting. Wierdos.

[Mud]

And minimum heart rate...

...Miguel Indurain allegedly had a resting heart rate or around 28-30 bpm.

I haven't got a heart. Ask anyone.

[wycoller]

I wore a heart rate monitor during the Midgley Moor race yesterday. My average HR was 171 and the max 182. The race took me 56 mins and I'm 48.

Does this imply that my lactate threshold is around 171?

My HR was between 166 and 180 all the way apart from the initial 3 minutes and then a long queue at a stile.