Your time was 00:40:00.

[theoldfellow]

Your PB at Keswick parkrun remains 00:30:11. Your best time this year remains 00:39:24.

Whoopee! A Personal Worst (PW) already, and not a week gone by...

As you may know I am trying a new strategy to improve my endurance by concentrating on Aerobic running at a Heart Rate of 120. I was much more successful today, and achieved a PW on my second attempt. I also seem to have lost 3 pounds since Wednesday, careless, I know.

My wife's response when I got home? "You're late!", yes, that was the plan!

Seriously, the PB has stuck at 30 minutes for a year, so I am trying this to see if I can get better later. The Keswick course is dead flat, so it's ideal for HR running. I think I'll keep at it until Easter and then they won't know what hit 'em.

Hope you are having as much fun as me!

Love, TOF.

❤🙏👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Congratulations to you TOF for your PW, that is a new one for you, you seem very happy with that time and result, it makes my time of 35.15 at 5K yesterday not look so bad when I had to stop because of a wilting leg on my 10K attempt after the 4K point. 😊 🏃🏾 Have fun and enjoy the rest of the day 😊

[theoldfellow in reply to AlMorr]

I am not really interested in the time, Alan. I wanted to run the 5Km without my HR going over 120. When I run normally (30 minute pace) it peaks at 160-170, and averages about 140 - this isn't good for going any further than 5Km.

I told you you were quick! 👏

And I did have fun!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to theoldfellow]

👍

[Katnap Graduate10]

Excellent! Do you do 120 bpm runs in the middle of the week?

🎉🐱 New Year's Katnap 🐱🎉

[theoldfellow in reply to Katnap]

I did a 110 bpm walk for an hour yesterday. I think it was harder than today, but very hilly. And New Year's Parkrun was also a aerobic attempt, but I didn't quite get that one right. The plan is for all my runs to be aerobic until Easter.

[Katnap Graduate10 in reply to theoldfellow]

Awesome commitment! It seems difficult to start with but I think you've found what works for you. Good luck!

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10]

Great discipline TOF. At age 67 I average 140 to 144 on my long runs. PB sub 30 minute 5ks get me into 150 plus territory. I am not sure that I can do a lot to change that. My max seems to be around 160 on steep hills. I have resigned myself to "if I feel ok, I am ok" mode, but I do my long runs at a careful pace. It will be really interesting to see how your approach pays off in a future Park Run PB. Happy New Year and strong running 👍

[Tasha99 Graduate10]

You know you want to do whinlatter

[theoldfellow in reply to Tasha99]

Yes, but not yet.

[Tasha99 Graduate10 in reply to theoldfellow]

🤣

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

You have my greatest respect theoldfellow. I ran the reindeer run 5k with Oldgirlruns before Christmas in 52 minutes and my average HR was still 131 bpm. Maybe I need this more than you do!

Or maybe fighting the gale and rain had something to do with it.

🌬🦌🦌

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10]

Great PW TOF! 👏👏👏 I don’t have a heart rate issue (I sometimes wonder if it’s too low), then again I never run fast. Today I ran PR in my Garmin time of 35:17 and my average HR was 116! 😅

[theoldfellow in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Looks fine to me. It all depends on age, if Dr Phil is to be believed. I never see 116 if I'm running at sub 40 minute pace.

[Trawa Graduate10]

So interesting! Can you tell me more about it. I got garmin recently and only learning these measures. My last 5K run was showing average heart rate of 181😬 with peaks above 190bpm.

Does it mean I'm pushing myself too hard? My resting heart rate is around 60 but dropping to below 50 when not moving at all or sleeping.

[theoldfellow in reply to Trawa]

I have started following Dr Phil Maffetone, an American physician who has advised since the 1960's to run your winter training at aerobic speeds. He defines that as 180 - age +/- some fiddle factors. If you google his name you'll find it.

It's sort of controversial as most people say 220-age to find your maximum aerobic heart rate.

Your numbers sound better than mine. Mine are: 45-50 on waking, 60-90 pottering about, 110 for a brisk walk, and for a 30 minute 5Km I top out at 160-177. But I'm 70 next month.

I don't think you are pushing too hard, but you, like me, might (big emphasis!) benefit from doing some aerobic training at 180-age.

I'm not totally sure I trust the Garmin (or any other) wrist Heart Rate monitor, I am thinking of investing in a chest strap. Some of the numbers I get look a bit 'fishy'.

[JaoJao Graduate10]

All the best with your plan

[Trawa Graduate10]

Thanks theoldfellow! 220-age would be just over 180 for me so it puts things into perspective. I'll leave looking more into bpm when I get more into running. I'm still at 5-6K distance only so need to build resilience and strenght first to extend distance and then start looking into getting faster.

[Sandie1961 Graduate10]

I don’t have a way of measuring heart rate (yet!) but I do know I tend to start too fast and presumably increase my HR in the process usually resulting in km 4 invariably being my slowest. In the back of my mind is also that even a 30 min parkrun is an average of 6 mins/km so the later ones would have to be quite a lot faster if I start slower, which I can’t do! Once or twice I’ve managed negative splits, but it feels so slow at the start 😕

[JonathanP Graduate10]

You have great self-control TOF!😀

[lexi6 Graduate10]

My PW was 52 minutes, but I was and am still so proud. Intrigued by the HR running, keep having fun. 👍

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to lexi6]

When I got my metronome app I experimented with various cadence/steps per minute, it can be set from 1 to 300 beats per minute, for runs I set a minimum of 155 and a maximum of 180, the week before I got it I went a walk on a 5K route, I was walking quite smartly and completed the WALK in 48 minutes.

The following week when I got the metronome I set it at 155 beats/steps /cadence a minute and for the first time using it I RAN that same 5K in 52 minutes.

When I set it at 180 I ran that same course in 31.33, that is just 78 seconds slower than my PB at a parkrun when I did not have that app with me.

[ktsok]

That’s great, well done. I tried this a few times but whether it’s because my HR runs naturally high when I exercise or whether it’s a result of chronic unfitness (!) I can’t even maintain a slow jog on a flat road within the maff formula. I shall watch this space with interest!