Hello all,
I have just started again after quitting smoking for about the 4th time, can manage 5k ok although i dont feel it ever gets any easier! I just wondered if anyone has any opinions on heart rate; my stats on Fitbit tell me that on about 80% of my run its in peak at about 170 bpm, now I know this as I can feel it lol but should I be aiming to get it down? It takes me approx 6.16 mins to do 1k and i dont really want to go slower 🙈
Thanks
Why wouldn't you want to go any slower?Your best development will come by running around 80% of your runs at a conversational pace .
As far as your heart rate is concerned , this FAQ from the C25K forum may help .
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Thank you
Congrats on quitting smoking! Although you don’t want to slow down, this will make your runs feel more comfortable in the long run. I’ve found that my HR has gradually dropped by going slower - it just takes a bit of time. 😊
Hi Tracytrace , for me the point isn't your heart rate, it's that you say "now I know this as I can feel it." So you're clearly not running at an easy conversational pace.
As explained in the link provided by Instructor57 , there's no point in consistently running at a pace that leaves your heart racing and you breathless. You need to slow down.
Hi yes I know what you’re saying but I could hold a conversation just maybe with a bit of heavy breathing lol , I will slow down and see how I go 😊
I know I'm being super-boring, but in my book heavy breathing isn't easy conversational pace! 😜
Just noticed, too, that you say you've just restarted after quitting smoking again - congratulations on that - and can manage 5k OK. Do you mean that you're coming back after a break of several weeks from running, or just that you've not been running distances above 5k for a while? If it's the former, then it'd probably be a good idea to return to an earlier stage of C25K and build your fitness back up gradually, even though you've run 10k before.
I do get how frustrating that can be, as I'm currently unable to run after faceplanting eleven days ago, but I'm having to learn not to rush everything. 🤔
Happy running!
I stopped running altogether then did a couple of 3 or 4k’s , my problem is im all or nothing 😊🙈
Slow down and you will end up faster and fitter.
Running slower is a skill that takes practice.
Keep the same cadence (step rate) but shorten your stride. It will feel very odd to start with.
As it got warmer last week, I decided to limit my pace on runs, keeping it at least 1 minute per km slower than I'd normally go. I found it difficult to do.
The result, however, was surprising in that my heart rate during the run was a good 20-30bpm lower than usual.
Thank you , im only 5ft 1 so my stride is short but I will def try this
I felt like I was measuring the road in foot lengths when I was jogging like this.
Please bear in mind that wrist based HR monitors vary wildy and it could be far from accurate.
FitBit are specifically not one of the best. If you're interested in training by HR think about getting a HR chest strap. Otherwise use the numbers as a very rough guide only. When I last researched them Polar are most accurate, followed by Garmin, then Apple.
If you can converse, even with a bit of puffing here and there, you're doing great. Another way to keep from going too fast is to sing along to your tunes as you go. If you can sing (with the odd puff) you're spot on. 👍🏻
Just to add to this that wrist based heart rate monitors are prone to a phenomenon known as "cadence lock" where they pick up your step rate rather than your heart rate.
Heart rate question. 
Stopping to reduce heart rate
High heart rate whilst running
Jogging but my heart rate is high
Heart rate
