Switch back in early summer
in Mt. Whitney trail
This year, I did not go hiking to Mt. Whitney. I do not have much update. However, I found out some additional thoughts based on recent date for my running activities. Today, I just share what I found recently.
A good heart rate number for hiking?
As I mentioned before hear rate zone around zone 2 and zone 3 would be a good range for hiking based on my past hiking records. Depending on how we define the heart rate zone, a good range would be 60 ~ 80% of the heart range, which is really wide range In a reality below middle of zone 3 which is around 75% of the range would be a reasonable. In my case, the maximum heart rate is about 180 bpm and my resting heart rate is around 60 bpm. With those data, 75% of the range is is around 150 bpm. Based on the past experience, this is really reasonable value for me.
Recent Running training
Here is my recent update for my training, due to a large wild fire around Napa / Santa Rosa area, the air condition is getting really bad last a few weeks. Schools started no PE outside and I also did not run outside last a few weeks. I only did station bike indoor to maintain my fitness level.
Due to my age, which is over 50 years old, I realized the fitness level is easily getting worse if I do not do training a several days. This is obvious my past training records this year with stopping training due to injury and vacation.
This time I have not run outside for 2 weeks and then my estimated VO2max and lactate threshold by Germin running device was getting worst a little even if I was doing station bike a few times a week.
Muscle for running is different from station bike and load to my body for station bike is much lower than running. I found out that my heart rate is really easy to get high within a short period. The estimated lactate threshold is around 165 bpm by a Garmin device. However, I probably need to keep it below 155 bpm if I need to run more than 1 hour. In my case, there is no problem since I set my running pace based on the lactate threshold and 155 bpm is in zone 2 with lactate threshold heart rate. (155 bpm is zone 3 with reserved heart rate zone and zone 4 with a ration of maximum heart rate.
This weekend, the scheduled menu was 3 times of 55 minutes running with 5 minutes resting (walking) . I could not have enough time for 3 times and I just did 2.5 times with total time 2 hours 20 minutes. I maintained my heart rate between 140 and 155 bpm. The average speed was 8:45/km and the average heart rate was 149 bpm. This is very slow but this is what I can do now. This value including 5 minutes working in the activities. Therefore actual running speed and heart rate could be a little better. (I did not have a separate lap data this time)
A generic target
In my case, I already have a good target heart rate based on my past data. I have no problem to manage my pace with that number. On the other hand, it might be heard to define a generic guide line for other people since 150~155 bpm in my case is could be zone 2 ~ zone 4 depending how I define the heart rate zone.
The key point is where the lactate threshold heart late is in. If you have high end running device which can estimate a lactate threshold, then the number would be a good reference for the target. People just need to know how much lower they can set as a target. If people has less training, then it could be better to set 6~10% lower than the lactate threshold. If people are in a good shape, then it could be enough to set a few percent lower than the lactate threshold based on my past data.
If you do not have any idea where the lactate threshold is, this could apply based on the training activities. A rough guide line could be using zone 2 if people do not have much training and using zone 3 if people has a regular base aerobic training (at least more than 1 hour once a week).
Anyway, zone 2 could be a good range for "easy hiking" in general in my opinion. The definition of heart rate zone could be good using a ratio of the maximum heart rate (220 - age) I think. In any cases, important things is to collect more data during your training / hiking to understand your heart rate reaction during activities.
I published a Japanese version of book about the heart rate based pacing method for hiking. I am still working on an English edition. It will take some time to translate to English and it is not easy job for me.......
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