Heart Rate during Mt. Whitney Hiking Day 1 in 2016
Meaning of Average Heart Rate
When I set the maximum heart rate during hiking, I use "average heart rate" during my training as a reference data. I think it is useful information to understand a relationship between my heart rate and the strength of exercise. However, we probably need to be careful to use "average heart rate".
The first plot shows my heart rate data during Mt. Whitney Hiking Day 1 this year. The average heart rate is 144 (bpm) and the maximum heart rate is 160 (bpm). During the hiking, my heart rate stayed relatively higher something around 150 (bpm). However, the average heart rate is lower because this average heart rate includes resting period. Since resting period, my heart rate is getting lower and the average value is lower. This is a matter of course be considered well. Therefore, when we use an average data, we need to be careful.
Some of example heart rate during training
Example 1: Heart Rate Data during LSD (Long Slow Distance)
The first example is my heart rate data during LSD (Long Slow Distance) for 3 hours. This case, the average heart rate is very close to my actual heart rate during the training. I did not stop and kept running during the training. This case this average value could be used to show the strength of the training. There is some offsetting from the average, but I would say it is close enough. The average is 153 (bpm) and the maximum is 177 (bpm).
Example 2: Heart Rate Data during build-up Training
The second example is my heart rate data during 10km build-up. The average heart rate is also 153 (bpm) and the maximum is 179 (bpm) . Just looking at the average and the maximum, the both cases are similar. However, the strength and the exercise type are different. This is not really far off from the average. I tried to increase the heart rate as even as possible. The offsetting from the average in the beginning and the end is bigger, but it is still reasonably close enough. Therefore, I could consider I might continue to do the exercise with 153 (bpm).
Example 3: Heart Rate Data during an interval training
The last example is my heart rate data during an interval training. The average heart rate is 155 (bpm) and the maximum is 181(bpm). Since my heart rate is much higher during high intensity part, but the heart rate is much lower during the low intensity (rest) period. But the average heart rate is still a similar as the other examples. This type of training, the average heart rate value is meaning less. Because the average value is just between the high intensity and low intensity heart rate value. The average value might not be a good information to set the maximum heart rate value during the hiking. Since this average value does not really indicate a strength of the training. The strength in the high intensity and the low intensity has a huge gap.
What is the best way to look into the training data?
To assess a heart rate during the training is probably better to use something similar as the example 1. Because it is a good data a person continue to the exercise with the heart rate. If we can maintain the heart rate something similar as the training of Example 1, people could continue hiking.
Although the average data of the interval training is not probably very useful, the data of the interval training has a value. Since actual hiking is something like interval, the slope of a trail is not constant and it means the strength during hiking is changed like interval. Also, when people take a rest, the average heart rate value is getting lower like the first data. It is a good data to consider such situations.
The other thing, if you look at the interval heart rate data carefully, the heart rate during low intensity part is increasing. If I continue to do a similar iteration, I won't be able to continue because the high intensity part strength could be too high. In this example, if the my heart rate is some thing like 175~180 (bpm), I won't be continue with the same low intensity duration. I might need longer low intensity duration or resting. Or I might need to limit the high intensity strength.
Important thing
Data in different conditions might help to understand how people's heart rate react to an exercise. The important thing is we cannot look at the data just the average and the maximum heart rate blindly. People needs to understand what each value means and what the data profile / distribution look like. Then we can understand how each persons body react in his / her heart rate range.
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