Maximum Heart Rate

I picked up another book at the library yesterday. Pulsträna by Jonas Gustrin. Finally I'm starting to really understand some important features of the cardiovascular system and muscular metabolism. I would recommend this book for everyone who wants to get more value out of a heart rate monitor. Sorry, it's in Swedish.

I made a maximum heart rate test on one of my runs. After a a shortish run I ascended a couple of hills at half speed. Then ran on a track inclining slightly upwards, slowly accelerating (for around 5-8 minutes) until I was going at full throttle for the last 200 meters or so. As suspected my mhr was higher than what an age based formula would indicate. Nine beats higher. That makes a real difference in setting heart reate target zones. Improved quality of training this means.

Someone might have noticed that I haven't been following my training schedule. I'm not its slave. I'm its master. I'm trying to get it to understand, and obey. It will succumb to my will! No, seriously, I've simply been paying attention to my body trying not to get hurt and trying not to let the running dictate the rest of my life. I didn't plan to go 16 km, it just felt so damn good to do while I was at it.

The training calendar pictures are so small anyway it's almost impossible to read the planned distance digits. In case somebody, some day, will try to copy this schedule - which I don't recommend and take no responsibilty for - I'll add the the training actually done to the calendar pictures in a bigger and brighter font. It will make it easier to get an idea of what it takes to make it, or maybe what it takes to fail on day five.

There are no guarantees for success. Advice from wiser lurkers has been sparse. Yoda told me I need to change my mind rather than my body - go figure. The more I've studied the subject of running the more impossible it seems to pull off this challenge. Give up? Never. It's too much fun - and I think I've lost some weight already. Might be wishfull thinking. I don't own a scale.

Well, at least I know my real heart rate zones - higher quality training.

Brainbuilding

I went to the library yesterday and picked up some books about running. If a project this ambitious is going to be a success I better put some effort into research and planning. I got some new gear at the same time :) More about gear later.

First of all. As a beginner I need to learn as much as possible about training. To know how to train well. To know how fitness improvement can be maximized. To know how to stay motivated. To know how to stay healthy and avoid (further) injury. And a bunch of other things known by experienced runners and avidly shared through litterature.

Here is my reading list (I wasn't very picky - pretty much took everything they had on the shelf):

1. Lentävä lähtö, kuntojuoksijan käsikirja, by Jari Hemmilä.

2. Tavoitteena maraton, by Harri Hänninen, Raiko Häyrinen and Matias Möttölä.

3. Marathon Runner's Handbook, by Bruce Fordyce with Marielle Rennsen.

4. Be Your Best at Marathon Running, by Tim Rogers.

5. Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall.

Hehhe.. the academic approach. Can't help myself. I like to be thorough, and theese books will teach me tons. After I've read enough the next step will be to tailor a plan. That is a training schedule for 19 months. A schedule that should increase my fitness level and running experience enough to be able to finnish the Apline Run Challenge. Sounds ambitious? I hope so. There will be at least one full Trail Marathon in mountain terrain in that schedule. And a lot more..

Oh, and i did go out today. 70 minutes of fast paced walking at 68% average of mhr. The program I follow until I get my own made is simply one my F11 spat out. I asked it for maximized fitness after the built in test told me my fitness is moderate for my age. So that's where I start from, broken arm and moderate fitness :)

Back to reading.

Challenged to run!

First, a summary of events until today:

26th of March. I was challenged by a friend to participate in a crazy Alpine Run covering 270 km of distance and 15 km of altitude. Hmm.. in 2012? Sounds impossible. What a moron..

28th of March. I decided to take on the challenge. Why not? Life is for living. I went for my first run in a veeeery long time. Last summer my right ankle got badly sprained, which gave me a good excuse to be lazy for months on months. It felt good to ecxercise, no trouble from the old injury. I jogged 6,2 km in 42 minutes.

30th of March. Upping the antes. Went for a 8 km run and finished in 53 minutes. Game on :)

2nd of April. I bought a bicycle, last years Merida CC3, to get some cardio and cross training from commuting to work. Went for a 17 km test ride with the bike. Smooth and nice, but the saddle is a pain in the ass. Mental note: got to get a pair of those padded cycling pants.

3rd of April. Went for a 7 km run early in the morning. I just couldn't wait to get out training! After a couple of kilometers my shins were killing me. Real pain. I decided to slow down not to risk injury. Fast walked my way back home. Got a total of 4,5 km. I had a burning sensation in my shins for a while afterwards, good thing I didn't try to force trough.

4th of April. 18 km bike ride, commuting to work 2 x 9 km. Rainy with a temperature of +5 c. Felt really good. Energetic at work.

5th of April. 18 km bike ride. Went for a 8 km run immediately afterwards. Not a good idea according to my calves. They were complaining pretty much right away from the start, so I decided to shorten the run. Got 6,5 km of jogging, and really sore claves.

7th of April. 18 km bike ride. Or that's what I had planned. On my way home from work something happened. While traversing the street and looking out for traffic my front wheel jammed in the streetcar rails. Whee.. *crash*. Shock. PAIN. Cursing. I couldn't believe I had faceplanted with my new bike. Well, I did. My left arm wouldn't co-opearate and I had no battery in my cell so I walked the remaining 4 km. Later the doctor told me the radial head in my arm is broken. Splendid. What about my plans? Time to give up? Never. I still have my legs to work with.

10th of April. Went for an 8 km walk with my arm in a sling. The fracture is very painful and I have almost no motion in the arm. Walking is a great way to get distracted from the pain. I get some low range cardio and some endorphines for the pain. Also it fatigues the body and makes me sleep better. Sleeping is very difficult because of the pain.

11th of April. 13 km walk.

12th of April. Had a second opinion about the arm from an orthopedic surgeon. Turns out it is fractured in three different places, all around the elbow. The doctor prohibited me from working before 2nd of May. Because of sleep deprivation and side effects (dizziness and nausea) from painkillers affecting the nervous system. Obviously I'm very slow with the computer also, only having one functioning arm.

In the afternoon I went for an 8 km walk equipped with my new Polar F11 heart rate monitor. Kept an average pace of 68 % of maximum heart rate.

13th of April. 8 km speedwalk at 76 % of mhr.