Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

177 is not that high. My marathon last November I averaged around 177 for the whole 26.2 miles.

People naturally have different max heart rates. I can still hit over 195 when redlining
 
This is true. Basing max on 220-age gives me 172 max so don't think it applies here so well. Also will check if it was just a peak.
 
Ian_Eb said:
This is true. Basing max on 220-age gives me 172 max so don't think it applies here so well. Also will check if it was just a peak.
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You can't really use vague formula like this. the only way to truely know is to to a progressive treadmill test until you nearly pass out. Unpleasant and not really useful
 
Yeah, i was watching a Zwift youtube video following a guy in a race (funnily enough he went to the shop at one point for batteries and i thought it looked familiar. He lives about 5 minutes away!)
But his max was about 202 i think.


I think the highest i've seen mine is around 188 although i'd say during a run i tend to average around 160-170
 
I peaked at 187bpm right at the end on Sunday, averaged 166.

Watches get some flack for their accuracy, but what the tolerances are I'm unsure. I have a Garmin Forerunner 235 which is regarded well enough. I can combine it with a chest strap from my bike GPS which I might try for training runs for better accuracy and see where I can push it more, wouldn't want to wear that for a race though would do my head in.
 
I have a Forerunner 610 so it only has the chest strap and no optical. Based on limited testing with a couple of other devices and once at the doctors because he was interested himself, all the readings were within 1 - 2 bpm. It looks likely that it was just a few seconds peak at the moment anyway.

Don't really fancy having it actually measured but the time it was highest does correspond to the time where I was thinking that I needed to slow down :-)
 
From what I’ve always read the optical ones are just as accurate.

The main differences are when you’re doing Interval training as they don’t adjust as quick as chest straps.
 
The optical ones are fine for sleeping and sat at. Desk, they are complete junk while actually running. I have the scosche Rhythm+ which is supposedly the best optical you can buy, plus a Garmin 935 which is supposed to be the best watched based optical. Both are hilariously wrong.
Typical problem is cadence lock, so will just report 180 even on a recovery run. The 935 is worse because it locks on to cadence but doesn't seem to trust so knocks of some values ,will report 165 or some such for long stretches when it should be around 145. This is made really obvious running up and down hills, the 935 will reporr165-180 when running easy downhill when my true HR is about 135 because the added impact forces make it locks on cadence. Yet when I go up a hill it will get the true HR at 155-165 when im working harder.
And the lag is so high it never properly records intervals.


Stay well away of optical heart rate for training. It's great for checking testing heart rate though. Chest strap is much better. Not without flaws but these are much rarer and more obvious.
 
I have done a couple of runs so far this week, but think its a day off today, my hips been quite sore....cant really describe it, but it almost feels like its loose when running. I think it only occurs because I did some longer runs last week, bodies just tired.
 
D.P. said:
Stay well away of optical heart rate for training. It's great for checking testing heart rate though. Chest strap is much better. Not without flaws but these are much rarer and more obvious.
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One thing I have seen with a chest strap was a sudden halving of HR. This is normally an indicator that the pads are too dry or that the battery is on its last legs.
 
Also do people put their running numbers on in front of a mirror or is it just practice. Everyone elses always looks straight and central and mine always look like this!

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Put the shirt on the bed to do it. I have 2 race shirts I always use so I can locate the pin holes from last time.
You can also buy waist bands that hold gels and has clips for the bib.
 
Ah, taking the top off to attach it makes a lot more sense!

I only get the number on race day so i'm usually already wearing the top and no one wants to see me topless before a run!
 
Back to watches now.

I don't know what to get so I am asking you lot for extra advice.

I am looking at the following ones

Forerunner 630
Forerunner 735xt
Vivoactive 3

I don't know if I need everything the 935 offers but given that I am looking for used ones, if the price was right then I would give it a shot :-)

What does everyone use and what good/bad points would influence my choice
 
I bought the Vivoactive 3 when it first came out. It was good but the software seemed very buggy and i didn't feel it was worth £300.

I notice it's dropped in price quite a bit since then and the software bugs may now be ironed out.

I did like it though, just decided i preferred my Apple Watch for every day use.

I originally had the original Vivoactive and was a big fan of that. The battery on it was superb and the 3 is quite close to that.

Can't comment on the others though.

EDIT - Through Vitality i may be able to get you discounts if you want to give me a shout :)
 
That's cool. I just wish I knew which one to get. 645 out of reach for now. 630 looks good but needs hr strap. 735 looks perhaps the one at the mo. Or the vivoactive3... Arghh
 
Ian_Eb said:
That's cool. I just wish I knew which one to get. 645 out of reach for now. 630 looks good but needs hr strap. 735 looks perhaps the one at the mo. Or the vivoactive3... Arghh
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You will want an HR strap anyway. I would actually take it as a bonus if a watches doesn't have built in HR.
 
Thinking that I will get vivoactive and keep the hr strap from the 610.

The 735 and 630 are both 2015/2016 devices and the other is 2017 so that may be part of it.
 
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