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60 plus - still stormin' (and/or struggling)

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TomahawkMike Oct 2019 4:29pm, 5 Oct 2019 2,335 posts	Quote Pin TomahawkMike I ran my fastest of the year today as a result of not looking at my Garmin. It was flat but even so I shaved off 33 seconds form another flat parkrun I ran earlier in the year. Gobsmacked.
Sharkie Oct 2019 6:12pm, 8 Oct 2019 15,251 posts	Quote Pin Sharkie That's excellent Mike! Question for my fellow over 60s. Do you have any idea what your max and resting HRs are? I've got a new toy and have started wondering about these things!
LazyDaisy Oct 2019 6:41pm, 8 Oct 2019 27,995 posts	Quote Pin LazyDaisy Resting HR is somewhere in the mid 50s I think, though I haven't looked at it properly for a long long while, Sharkie. I've never done a proper max HR test. At the last parkrun I did, which was working fairly hard but not eyeballs out, Garmin says my HR max'd at 168. That's pretty typical for me but I've no idea if that's good or I should be booking a wake
GlennR Oct 2019 6:49pm, 8 Oct 2019 45,470 posts	Quote Pin GlennR No such thing as good or bad, they are what they are. I’ve been HR training for years, so always have a pretty good idea of my numbers. Minimum is 48, that’s the one that will decrease as you train. My max is about 170, although I’ve not tested it for a while. There’s nothing you can do to increase it, although increased fitness might it easier to hit.
Flatlander Oct 2019 6:53pm, 8 Oct 2019 1,506 posts	Quote Pin Flatlander Last year my RHR used to be 48bpm, this year it is 52bpm. Last year my MHR used to be 185bpm, it now appears to be about 177bpm.
jennywren Oct 2019 7:39pm, 8 Oct 2019 15,329 posts	Quote Pin jennywren 47 and 175. No idea if that’s good or bad.
jennywren Oct 2019 7:40pm, 8 Oct 2019 15,330 posts	Quote Pin jennywren Oh just saw Glenn’s comment above. Well that’s what it is anyway.
Sharkie Oct 2019 7:55pm, 8 Oct 2019 15,252 posts	Quote Pin Sharkie Thanks all - I was interested to see what I might be expected to hit at max. The current highest I've seen (on sprint hills) was 165 but I was by no means eyeballs out. LD is just a year younger than I am, Jenny a bit older so they're good clues. My RHR always 'was' 42 or lower but seems to be around 50 at the moment. I think my max was around 200 or higher in my early 50s. Years since I had a heart rate monitor - used to be that really uncomfortable, always malfunctioning belt round the chest with a Garmin. This one is via my swanky fitbit watch. Fun!
TomahawkMike Oct 2019 8:14pm, 8 Oct 2019 2,345 posts	Quote Pin TomahawkMike I have set my max heart rate on my Garmin to alert me if it goes over 129 during runs. This was based on the fact that at 60years old the average heart rate (calculations vary..) might be 220-age. (although my garmin connect software has set it at 161 for some reason, perhaps as I am past 60). It seems my research suggested running at around 75%-80% Max Heart Rate during training (all my running is considered training). Its not an exact science but I tend to run in Zone 2 when taking a run relatively easy, then move up Zone 3 as per table below, then I start ignoring the garmin beeps and go up to Zone 4 if I feel in the mood. I started paying attention to this after a bout of myocarditis (and unable to run for 5 months). That got me a tad concerned that it may have been a mixture of virus combined with exertion (it was shortly after a half marathon). In theory that's all past and gone but you get nervous. My resting HR is in the 50s. Zone 1: 55 percent to 65 percent: This is a very comfortable effort used for warmup and cooldown. Zone 2: 65 percent to 75 percent: Used for the bulk of training, this relaxed effort allows you to hold a conversation. Zone 3: 75 percent to 85 percent: This is a comfortably hard effort during which you can only say short, broken sentences. Zone 4: 85 percent to 95 percent: Often a 5K pace, this is a very hard effort that’s sustainable, but only lets you speak a few words at a time.
Flatlander Oct 2019 8:28pm, 8 Oct 2019 1,507 posts	Quote Pin Flatlander The MHR 220-age calculation has been long discredited since it was based on the wrong population group. To find one's real MHR, one needs to perform a proper MHR test, which can take several forms, such as a flat out 5k race (the MHR will be the highest reading at the end) or a laboratory test involving increasing loading and speed. Optical wrist HR sensors, such as those used by Fitbit, are alright if one just wants a rough idea of one's HR, but they have too many variables to be very accurate. For accuracy, one really needs a HR chest strap which acts like one's own personal ECG. HR straps can also have variables but these are fewer. This HR thread has had several discussions fetcheveryone.com/viewtopic.php?id=3882