I was happy to get back to 7Km last week, and then did 5Km twice, one was Parkrun, plus a 2Km at niko-niko pace in my barefoot shoes.
The niko-niko pace for me should be a heart rate of 103bpm (138-age/2), but I just cannot run that slow! Niko-niko is Japanese for 'Smile'. 😃
So today I got out my old phone, downloaded a metronome app, and set it at 150, and started off to run a couple of Km with that as my step rate, to see what my heart rate settled at. I did not use the barefoot shoes - too scary. The answer is 125bpm, so that's too fast. Cut step rate to 140 per minute, and ran another couple of Km, (boy this is slow!) and that gets me to 110bpm heart rate. That will have to do, I can't run any slower. I probably just have a little heart.
So then I just ran, up hill, down dale.... until I got home. This is the actual route that killed me off last September, so I am pleased to say I don't feel like I even ran a step, muscle-wise, despite the ascent and descent. But the 'happies' are there, so it must be okay. 9 Minutes per Km, yawn!!!!
A grey old day, not actually raining, but trying hard.
Happy running.
Written by
theoldfellow
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I'm sort of thinking that the ratio of body size to heart-chamber size probably has more variation in the general population than in elite runners. My 55 years of couch and computer chair from age 16 probably didn't develop the normal-size 175Cm-tall male heart. But I have noticed, since my post, that I feel much less tired today than last week after the 7Km.
Definitely - one size does not fit all. That's why I'm always dubious about maximum heart rate figures and the suchlike. Interesting, but flawed to my mind!
I can see you are well and truly back. Great news that it felt good and you are not so tired. I’ve never done my heart rate. I guess it just beats away thankfully 😊
I started to look into why I got so tired after a certain distance/time. And then it occurred to me to check my heart-rate on my Garmin watch. It was clear that I tired very fast after my heart rate went over 160. So then I looked at when and why. Climbing hills, yep, but also after a certain distance it just gets higher at my regular pace, and then I lose the will to go on. So it's clear if I want to run 10Km or further, I have to learn to run at a pace that keeps it low. That is harder than expected!
Hopefully as I get used to a longer run, the heart will develop, just like the legs have.
I was looking at a popular YouTube video about Niko Niko yesterday, and I noticed that most of the people in it were not actually running, but were doing a sort of bouncy walk. I had a little try and it felt nicely vigorous, but didn't seem to raise my pulse all that much. Have you tried this kind of thing? I imagine that it would help to try it for a while and see if your average HR starts to fall - and maybe try intervals of running and walking to keep the HR low. Apologies if you are already doing this! I'm interested in trying aerobic running for myself later in the year, as I also would like to try and bring my exercising heart rate down.
The key element of running is that both feet get of the ground together. I think that is what you are observing in the video - running but with a very short pace length (shorter than the feet!) - if not, then I agree they aren't running at all. I have tried it with my barefoot shoes, but it's impossible in my Brookes, as the heel clips the ground.
I think for me the key to longer distances is all about controlling the heart-rate to the point at which the body can keep the heart fuelled. And then developing that ability more.
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Early 3K to beat the heat! ☀️🏃♀️
My longest continuous run 
Another hot slow one
Confessions of a slow runner
