6.17.2006

Either I am more fit than I thought. . . .

Or the heart rate monitor on the dreadmill is a lieing POS.

ORN: 7.6-something miles, 60 minutes, 1.1 degree. It was either 7.61 or 7.62, but I didn't take stock until I was actually done running, and already doing the cooldown, I missed exactly how far I went. 1/100th of a mile doesn't both me - I did a reasonable workout, and am not going to beat myself up over not catching the little details.

I am, however, a little disappointed that I could not maintain my speed. See, I was hoping to spend most of the hour at a 7.8 mph pace. Unfortunately, this did not happen, because I was trying to hold an erratic conversation with another runner on the dreadmill beside me.

T. is a runner that I have seen in the Y from time to time, and I know that his daughter is often in the Y child watch program (as is my son). So, we're talked a bit when signing our kids in or out, greetings in the locker room, friendly empty phrases in the gym. Anyway, today we wound up having more of a real conversation - he was going slower than I was, but he was doing a 10 mile run, so he was working just as hard.

The reason, by the way, that I say the monitor on the 'mill is lieing to me is because I hopped off for a second and took a reading. (I took several readings later, but someone nearby was wearing a monitor which intereferes; though not all do, some will cause nearby 'mills to show those readings, instead of reading true. Anyway, back to the anecdote.) According to the 'mill, my heart rate was 197. T. looks over at me, cause I start laughing, and he says "You don't look like someone with a HR of 197." I figure, since he's a doc, he's know if I look like I am going to keel over, and besides, I have been talking and running easily up to this point. So, either I am fit enough to run at almost 100% of my max HR (by the 220 - age/2 formula) for something like 30 minutes, or it lies. I'd love option 1, but Occam's Razor indicates option 2.

So, right now, I can't maintain 7.8, for most of an hour, while trying to talk. I could hold it fairly easily at 7.5, which is an improvement over earlier this year. It's about time to start training in earnest for my next marathon in the fall, as well as the half- and full marathons which also occur during the fall running season. No more slacking for me. . . .

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh most treadmills are lying SOS...just like scales!

12:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

great job on the run. you sure are speedy.

4:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Slacker...you? ...hardly!

9:18 PM  

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