[riley0003]

Hi everyone,<br>
I've been thinking a lot about why I got injured (calf tear) despite my constant warmups and cooldowns, and my very slow-to-increase distances. I was wondering if my heartrate has anything to do with it. I'm slow; I know that; usually do a mile in 10:00 - 10:30. But in doing that, my heartrate is usually up around 160, with a peak of about 170-180. By the time I get 1/2 mile under my belt, my heartrate is around 150-160. So obviously, it peaks very quickly and stays high during the whole run. Whole run meaning usually 3 miles.<br><br>
Any suggestions about whether it would benefit me to run even slower (practically waddling) to get my heart rate down? I'm anticipating being able to return to very slow, short runs within the next month. In them meantime, while my calf heals, I'm doing lots of upper body work.<br><br>
Thanks for your comments,<br>
Susan

 

[millbot]

Hey Susan, it's true that you should be doing most of your running at an easy pace, or about 70% of max HR. Too much hard running can indeed be a risk factor for injuries.<br><br>
Running at an easy pace can be humbling at first, but it won't stay that way. I was in the habit of running too hard until I started using a HRM. I found I had to slow down to 11:00-11:30/mi to get my HR down to 70%. With mileage and patience, my easy pace has improved to 9:00-9:30/mi. But when you run easy, it's best to focus on how it feels and ignore your pace.<br><br>
Also worth considering in the injury prevention department are strength training, stretching, and massage.

 

[TheProFromDover]

riley,<br><br>
I do not think HR has much to do with injury. Like you my HR goes over 150 if I read the newspaper. I've had serious calf injuries twice, once in a fast 5k, once in a routine, easy run, at 45 minutes. Both took some time to get over. PT. ART (really painful massage). And months of time.<br><br>
HR is mostly for learning about yourself. My recent marathon was pretty uneventful re HR, but still informative. In several key miles I noticed my HR dropping and for no reason other than I was getting tired. So a good thermometer.<br><br>
It's fun to watch and learn. Some people can get real obsessed with it though.<br>
CRaig

 

[tomwhite]

...riley//..........before I forget again........<br><br>
I knew a runner who had trouble with pulled muscles,<br><br>
he would get in the shower, under the hot water to warm the<br><br>
muscles up BEFORE he ran.........it actually works pretty well.......<br><br>
...............just a (non-heart rate) thought...........