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Heart rate

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J2R
J2R
22 Apr
10:09am, 22 Apr 2025
5,997 posts
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J2R
I think running a flat out 5K would mean that tiredness would affect things later on and the central governor brain would not allow the highest HR. You'd get a more accurate figure, I would suggest, by running at 95% for most of it and then absolutely hammering the last 400 metres or so.
Chrisull
Chrisull
22 Apr
10:39am, 22 Apr 2025
22,871 posts
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Chrisull
Yeah - I can see that. Hard to differentiate between 95% and 100%. That describes my PB. I ran it at an expected pace thinking I'd be able to kick for the last 400m. I couldn't but then when I got overtaken by 2 at 200m to go, I suddenly found I could!
HappyG(rrr)
HappyG(rrr)
22 Apr
10:56am, 22 Apr 2025
52,462 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Yeah, was going to say same - you'd have to it as some kind of progressive. Even pacing wouldn't work. :-) As Dv says, an uphill few 100m to finish would be best too. A horror 5K, if you will! :-) G
Badger
Badger
22 Apr
2:45pm, 22 Apr 2025
17,850 posts
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Badger
The highest HRs I've ever seen have been doing sprint finishes at 10k rather than 5k - bit more time to get your core temperature going up and cardiac drift cutting in.

I am rolling my eyes at my watch after it decided to set my max HR to 5bpm lower than the value I hit at the finish line of a 5k in March & reset all my zones to match.
J2R
J2R
22 Apr
3:44pm, 22 Apr 2025
5,998 posts
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J2R
To reiterate a point I made a few posts back, I'm convinced that if you do it right, by being reasonably fresh (not completely shagged out) until late on you can do this without it being too miserable an experience. As I mentioned, the highest HR I've actually seen was in a parkrun where I ran briskly but within myself until accelerating for a couple of hundred metres then going up a hill. I felt OK at that point, not about to throw up or anything.
tipsku
tipsku
22 Apr
4:48pm, 22 Apr 2025
4,874 posts
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tipsku
I'm taking notes for my next attempt to determine my maximum HR.
Badger
Badger
22 Apr
6:27pm, 22 Apr 2025
17,851 posts
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Badger
Don't think anyone's disagreeing with you, J2R, just maybe some slightly different perspectives.

Two observations: the one and only time I've thrown up at the end of a race was my marathon PB, and I did not reach my max HR on that occasion.

And all the very highest genuine HR readings I've logged were indeed at the end of 10ks, which I think is consistent with your thinking - the slightly gentler pace leaves you good for an aggressive sprint finish still.
RooA
RooA
22 Apr
6:40pm, 22 Apr 2025
3,144 posts
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RooA
My highest HR was during an unexpected all out sprint (the woman I was overtaking in the kast 200m wasn't having it, she kicked in, I kicked in, she kicked again and I had to reach absolute max effort to fend her off to the line) at the end of a progressive 5K race. I was comfortably hard for the first mile, a bit more the second and the third mile I dug in to try and burn off the lady that I'd been running with and catch the one in front. I was close enough to the theoretical max I'd settled on to be happy to stick with my theoretical max as my measure. Like theoretical is 195 and I hit 193 I think. So I left my max in my calculations as 195. 🤷‍♀️

I don't think I'd have quite got it right up there without the unexpected competition (people usually fold when I come steaming past them 😆, I LOVED that she didn't and was FAST. She accused me of nearly killing her, I said "same"!)

It's not the kind of thing you can reliably engineer for a max heart rate measure though!
J2R
J2R
22 Apr
8:52pm, 22 Apr 2025
6,000 posts
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J2R
@RooA , that's the spirit! I can see exactly why this would lead to a very realistic approximation of your actual HRmax. I've done something similar, just adding 2-3 beats on to the highest I've seen and worked from that. It's certainly going to be close enough for working out training zones, as a beat or two either way probably makes next to no difference.
SPR
SPR
22 Apr
9:09pm, 22 Apr 2025
47,610 posts
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SPR
@J2R thought I posted this paragraph at the time but it was just saved. Agree with you to an extent but as you said, it's relative. It's not an easy run and the effort to do it could be used doing something else which is where the motivation comes in.

I may do something like this for a 3000 in a couple of weeks though as I want to race but I'm considering the impact on a race a few days later and the best way to approach it (3000 on Wednesday, 1500 on Sunday). We'll see what I decide to do.

About This Thread

Maintained by Elderberry
Everything you need to know about training with a heart rate monitor. Remember the motto "I can maintain a fast pace over the race distance because I am an Endurance God". Mind the trap door....

Gobi lurks here, but for his advice you must first speak his name. Ask and you shall receive.

A quote:

"The area between the top of the aerobic threshold and anaerobic threshold is somewhat of a no mans land of fitness. It is a mix of aerobic and anaerobic states. For the amount of effort the athlete puts forth, not a whole lot of fitness is produced. It does not train the aerobic or anaerobic energy system to a high degree. This area does have its place in training; it is just not in base season. Unfortunately this area is where I find a lot of athletes spending the majority of their seasons, which retards aerobic development. The athletes heart rate shoots up to this zone with little power or speed being produced when it gets there." Matt Russ, US International Coach
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