HR TRAINING ( LHI vs MHI )

In analyzing my Polar data, I noticed one obvious

finding. My treadmill trainings (be it tempo, interval,

long run) mostly stay within the LMI(149-160, the

interval normally will have a small portion in the

MHI(161-174) if it is done hard enough.

Whereas, the road running counterpart has significant

portion of MHI, especially the races, where MHI make up

the majority. No wonder I always feel that road running

is harder than mill runing, and in every race, I felt like I pushed

myself to the limit.


We are here to examine possible reasons that caused this difference:


(1)Obviously I ran the race much harder then the trraining.
Okay, no flaw here, the traininng should be easier and
the race should be harder. But hang on, it also suggests
that you need to practice running hard sometimes and that's
why those tuneup races are important.

In a way, the interval and tempo training also try to simulate the race
condition but they are both the controlled version of it.

Well, now I know where to keep my perpective on those tuneup races, time trial,
interval,tempo, etc.


(2)One valid question arises from the above mentioned observance:

Are we supposed to learn to race faster at a lower HR (stay in
LMI for as fast as possible during race)

or

Are we are supposed to build more endurance in sustaining the MHI
(meaning you train at higher HR so that you get used to the elevated effort
during race) ?

If you choose to believe in the first option, then, you are opt to believe in
LSD, something like train slowly so that you can run fast, etc.
The reason behind all these theories/beliefs is simple:

YOU LEARN TO RUN AT LOWER HR (better running economic) AT HIGHER PACE.
YOU WANT TO LEARN TO RACE JUST BELOW THAT THRESHOLD THAT WILL PUT YOU IN
MHI (Yeap!, I meant the Lactate Threshold LT).
So, there is no reason to boost those tempo, interval, long run to a harder level
(except when you improve naturally and progressively),

the goal is simply learn TO RACE JUST BELOW LT.

(You see, the first approach is that there aren't anything wrong with the training,
it is only the racing that is wrong--race too hard)


Well, you might also believe in that option 2 will certainly be the one
that will maximize your racing potential.

Hey, isn;t it DOING YOUR BEST sounds familiar?

If you stay comfortably the whole race in LHI, would you still call
that a race? If so, what's the point of racing?

DON'T TURN A TRAINING INTO A RACE
similarly
DON"T TURN A RACE INTO A TRAINING

So, if you believe in this, you opt to think that you do need to
boost those training runs so that you will build the endurance of the
MHI.


I would say both are right, the first option will be very nice
to be employed in the first half of the race.

Didn't the idea of negetive split, even pacing for optimum racing
sounds familiar?
(So, there is a point in learning to control the racing pace
so that we will not cross that MHI border, at least in the first half).

And if you are serious enough about racing and doing your best,
you certainly will need to risk something and cross that MHI border,
at leqst at the later stage of the race,
Well, then, all those hard interval, tempo, tuneup race, time trial, etc
will certainly help
(at least you are more familiar to the pain and would say
something like

IF THERE IS NO PAIN, THEN I AM NOT DOING MY JOB
).


************ *************** ************** ************

In short, you learn to run faster using tempo, interval, etc

so that your running economic is improved.


You learn to race faster by:

(a)Controlled aggression

(b)GUT IT THROUGH


Crank on.