first thing in the morning HR and fitness

[chrisbainbridge]

Having decided to train properly this winter I have changed my diet (loads more protein), upped my sleeping (just by being disciplined) and have a written training plan.

I have also noted that many people recommend recording HR first thing in the morning and using it to assess freshness, etc.  I did not want to buy a heart rate monitor but found that there a multitude of apps on the iPhone which use the flash and the camera as a simple pulse oximeter. 

So I have been doing this for the last 3-4 mornings with reasonably steady HR.  This morning I noticed it was about 8 beats higher than normal.


Got through to do my workout and the legs just did not want to work.  Abandoned after the first set.  The I thought about my raised HR?

Pure chance association or useful adjunct to training with a useful predictive role?  I don't know .  Anybody else any experience with early morning HR recording?

[rob]

HR is a bit variable as an indicator of fitness, but can be a useful guide.

I have tested first thing in the morning but do it less these days.   I did find it was higher after a hard days ride and also if I was coming down with something.

Beware though as running a higher HR than usual sometimes just happens, but it can then play with your head and make you think that you need to abandon a session even if you feel OK.

[Ningishzidda]

A nice bit of training for Audax is to get up in the morning, have no breakfast and ride at a moderate pace to work.
Have a full fried breakfast, a nice lunch and at the end of work, take an extended ride home of about thirty to fifty miles depending on the weather.
Repeat daily.
Don’t worry about testing HR. It’ll put you off.
 

[L CC]

There's more to cycling than Audax, even on this forum, and especially on this sub-forum.

[chrisbainbridge]

Thanks fboab.  I ride on a MOnday and Tuesday to work.  8km straight I can do upto 30km if I have time.  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday I move around too much to commute so a training session helps.  Some Saturdays and Most Sundays I get out but I will not ride in really icy weather due to risk of accidents. 

I also have to do a 12 hour day at work so if I ride hard to work then I am less capable at work which is not good.

[bikenrrd]

A nice bit of training for Audax is to get up in the morning, have no breakfast and ride at a moderate pace to work.
Have a full fried breakfast, a nice lunch and at the end of work, take an extended ride home of about thirty to fifty miles depending on the weather.
Repeat daily.
Don’t worry about testing HR. It’ll put you off.
 

Crap protocol for time-trialling, though.  Where's the speed work?  Where do you expand your lactate threshold?  You're never going to break 23 minutes for a 10 doing that ^.

Raised HR in the morning usually indicates you're coming down with some lurgy.  Take it easy, and maybe use the Audax protocol above until you've recovered.

[hellymedic]

I too would suggest that a raised resting morning heart rate might be due to some viral lurgy.
Or have you been taking your worries to bed?