Heart Rate Monitor Training

I have some friends who swear by heart rate monitor (HRM) training for weight loss and for just general physical conditioning. I've use the HRM before, but never really know what to do with the numbers that show on the fancy watch after my workout.

From Polar HRM site

What is HRM training? The theory is simple: The harder you work the higher your heart rate. The body doesn't burn fat at a high heart rate, rather, it will burn more fat while working at a middle (aerobic) level. Exercising below your aerobic range is said to increase the percentage of fat burned in a workout.  Energy used from fat is less likely to be replaced. So people looking to lose weight should be exercising at about 60-75% of their maximum heart rate to lose weight fastest.

WebMD states doesn't necessarily subscribe to the HRM weight loss theory- "To shed pounds, you must burn more calories than you consume. And when it comes to burning calories, the greater the exertion, the greater the rate at which calories are burned. Working out at about 60% to 75% of your maximum heart rate burns fewer calories than working out at 75% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. But caloric burn depends on a workout's duration as well as its intensity- and it's easier to work out longer when exercising at a lower intensity." 

 One fitness blogger suggest that for marathon runners who want to lose weight, you should run once a week  at a sub aerobic heart rate for 50 percent longer amount of time.  If you usually walk at a 16 minute pace per mile for two miles, then you should walk at an 18 minute pace for 3 miles.

I'm mentally fixated on going faster. I'm generally a slow runner, usually not topping over 12 minutes/mile. I want to BE faster, I want to finish my second marathon in under 5 hours. That means 11:30/mile. And now HRM training wants me to start running slower once a week? It's hard to wrap my head around that one. 

Let's look at my numbers and what I would have to do to have effective HRM training:

• Today's resting heart rate: 62 BPM (maybe I need to drop back on the caffeine..)
• Calculating out my maximum heart rate, I take 220-my age (34) = 186
• To reach 60-75% "fat burning" HRM, I need to stay between 111-139.5 BPM
• To reach 75-85% "max zone," I should be between 139.5-158 BPM

When I went running earlier this week (1/1/15), I wore the HRM to get an idea of where I was. Over a 35 minute span, my HR was at an average 149, with me hitting 181 as my max. I hit the max zone within 3 minutes of me being on the treadmill. And this was a slow, easy run for me! Prior to this, I tried doing a run in my "fat burning" zone and ... I was walking most of the time. It felt awful and slow and like I was moving through molasses. I wanted to do more but my HRM was telling me not to.

So I'm making a deal with myself. I will run however I want to run, at whatever pace I want to run, and not worry about the HRM. I'll wear it when doing cross training/weights and keep tabs on it, or I'll add on another "run" day, knowing I need to walk/keep it slow for the burn. I'm curious to know if it works or not, especially because I'm stuck in a weight loss rut at the moment. And I'm definitely curious to see how my overall heart health improves as I continue to train- my HRM recommends that I take a monthly evaluation to compare/contrast. So far, I like what I see...!

Revaming the Blog to Represent the New Me

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." 

That's right, I'm renaming this blog. I'm no longer only 30 years old, I'm WAY past that 30 lbs, and now, my big goal is to hit the 100's. I haven't been in the century club since...junior high? I think it's about time to re-join the fight and get back to a weight I don't even remember. Honestly, the least I can remember myself weight was still in the 210's. That's scary-I don't know what I will look like nor what I will *feel* like when I hit the 100's, but it's happening.

The Biggest Loser keeps using the phrase "onederland" - people who left the 200 weights behind them and entered, backward, into the 100's. It kind of stuck with me while watching this last season. Not very creative on my part, because I stole it from a TV show and other weight loss bloggers, but it resonates with me. Why? Because it would be wonderful to be back to under 200. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with my body. I'm a lean, mean, running machine. My body fat % has been dropping. I'm toning up. I don't see the changes, but others do- and they're letting me know.

...and every time I hear "wonderland" I think of that John Mayer song that catapulted him into his douchebag years, "Your Body is a Wonderland." While I know he wrote this song for Jennifer Love Hewitt and my body in no way resembles hers, I can get behind the idea of a guy telling me my body is a wonderland. 

So, a new name it is. New name, same old Liz. Sometimes the remake is better than the original, right?