Freaking Fitbit!

[linzijaine]

So I am now in week 6 and I’ve been doing well. Did W5R3 three times before starting week 6 and like others I’ve found the first run of W6 quite hard which is weird. Anyway I had a Fitbit for Xmas and now I’m freaking out about my heart rate 😂😂. I have never felt like I’m pushing myself too excess which is down to the beauty of the programme but my heart rate is high when I’m running on an incline -186 ... but average 170 for whole run. I’ve looked it up and that seems to be too high if I follow the calculator for max heart rate for my age.

Anyone else have this? Might just take the stupid thing off next time 😂😂

[SC1472 Graduate]

Just ignore the HR as it’s a bit hit and miss. The best thing is to just judge how you feel and what your breathing is like. The calculation about max HR is also quite arbitrary.

[Hidden]

According to mine I should be dead! Take your age from 220. That gives me a max HR of 150. I regularly go into the 160s on runs because much of my route is running up steep inclines. I use a Garmin Fenix 5s, which DC Rainmaker’s review makes as accurate as a chest strap, though not so quick to come down when resting after exertion.

Ive stopped worrying about it. i mentioned it to my GP, who seemed blissfully unconcerned. I think we are all different and these figures are just a guideline.

[linzijaine in reply to Hidden]

Hahaha they say you should ask your GP before you start any exercise regime so I did mention it as part of an appointment before I started CT5K and he basically said don’t worry can’t be too bad as it’s exercise 😂

[linzijaine]

Yes I think so ... could make one very paranoid though 😳

[swisstony4 Graduate]

I ignore my Fitbit heart rate when running , take it with a pinch of salt.

As long as your still breathing and not absolutely physically exhausted you should be good.

[linzijaine in reply to swisstony4]

Thanks yes I’m going to go with that ☺️

[Cornet-Carolyn Graduate]

I have no idea what it should be but mines about the same. I'm not going to worry 😉

[Irish-John Graduate]

They're moving away from HR measuring here. Instead there is a "percieved effort of exertion" scale being recommended to measure oneself against. I can't remember the name of it though.

[linzijaine in reply to Irish-John]

Oh okay.... that’s interesting.

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to linzijaine]

Too many individual variables for HR in avarage person - since they assign you a number on the scale.its called the Borg rating

[Hidden in reply to Irish-John]

Ooh, I wanna know my perceived measure of exertion!

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Mine was "I'm dying horribly" on day one, week one lol

[Hidden in reply to Irish-John]

My VO2 max is bad enough 😳 it only measures me on runs, and Im always running up and downhill. Whereas when I had a fitbit, it told me I had the VO2 max of a gambolling 20 year old.

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I'm a 10k graduate and I never will be able to "hold a conversation while running' - on the other hand, I haven't needed my Asthma inhaler in over a year

Swings and Roundabouts

[Hidden in reply to Irish-John]

Absolutely. Already, and Im only on week 8, my rattly chest (allergic to my dogs) is much better.

[linzijaine in reply to Irish-John]

Looked up the perceived effort of exertion. Seems pretty straight forward ... feel like your dying ... you’re working too hard! Think I’ll just follow that. Sure you’re body does know best 👍🏻

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to linzijaine]

Good luck