General Category > Further and Faster
Too fit or too unfit? HRM question
mattc:
(Very useful link, BTW - thanks Simon!)
--- Quote from: simonp on 23 May, 2012, 09:16:22 pm ---For a normal distribution that means almost 1/3 of people would have an error of more than 11bpm which is why the article recommends measuring max HR rather than using their formula.
--- End quote ---
Yep, I agree with your numbers; but of that 1/3, hardly any will be 30 beats out - so the formula works well enough in the lower zones.
Unfit folks will find it hard to test their HRmax, so a few weeks/months building up in the 'steadier' zones will work fine, and get them to the point where they can do a decent max test. Those months will not be wasted, just because their HRmax estimate was (say) 12bpm out!
citoyen:
--- Quote from: mattc on 24 May, 2012, 11:50:17 am ---Unfit folks will find it hard to test their HRmax...
--- End quote ---
Not just unfit folks...
I did a kind of informal test of my HRmax on my commute last night - there's a 1.2km stretch of straight, flat road on the approach to Bromley, and figuring I could have a nice sit down on the train at the end of it, I decided there was nothing to lose by taking it flat out.
Took me about 20 seconds to get up to speed, then I was pelting along at top whack for a bit... and then my legs went. The motor was running fine, I just ran out of fuel. Had to cruise the last couple of hundred metres. :facepalm:
I made the road a segment on Strava for the purpose of analysing the stats. Here's the above in graph form:
So, my HR didn't even hit 190, which is a bit disappointing. I know my max must be higher than that because I recorded 196 on the short climb on the way to work yesterday morning (and I don't think that's my max either).
I'm interested in the power reading Strava has calculated. Does anyone know how accurate that is likely to be? The power spikes at the beginning of the segment are probably because although the road is "flat", there's a very slight gradient at the start (about 1 in 40, if that). Maybe I need to get myself a PowerTap so I can get properly geeky about it.
Maybe I'll give it another go tonight, only I'll take the first 16km a bit easier so I've got plenty of juice left in the tank for the final sprint...
(Also, I'm well aware that the evidence of the graph is that I need to develop some leg power so I can turn a bigger gear at speed. I am not built to be a sprinter.)
d.
citoyen:
--- Quote from: mattc on 23 May, 2012, 07:01:11 pm ---Because they can't catch you?
--- End quote ---
You are a bad man. ;D
d.
amaferanga:
--- Quote from: citoyen on 24 May, 2012, 01:09:45 pm ---I'm interested in the power reading Strava has calculated. Does anyone know how accurate that is likely to be?
--- End quote ---
Not accurate enough to mean anything at all. It really would be better if they didn't have the silly power numbers.
citoyen:
Noted. I shall duly ignore them.
d.
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