If you’re a running enthusiast, race addict or extremely goal oriented in general, you probably keep your eye on your pace at all times. When I find myself coming back from illness or injury as much as I’m excited to be able to run again, the first week or so is usually met with a ton of frustration. Without fail, my pace is usually knocked slower by almost a minute. Depending on how long I’ve been benched, it usually will take at least a week or two to get back to my old pace. If it’s a recurring injury (like my runner’s knee) then I can never tell how long it will take me to be able to run 100% at full speed ahead. Every training run up until the 100% point feels remedial and I used to get pretty angry at myself for being so slow and getting ill/injured in the first place.

Recently, an ultra runner friend of mine had suggested low heart rate training after hearing me complain about my frustration with my pace. A few searches on eBay and about 40 bucks later I found myself constantly strapping my ribcage before a run with the device that allegedly is a great marker of how much effort you’re putting into your workout.

I learned to love running by heart rate zones because 1) it’s easier to increase mileage and 2) even if my pace is not exactly where I want it to by, if my heart rate is high enough (or in the right zone) I’m at least happy to know that I got a good run in and am really working towards my goal pace.

Once I started dedicating myself to HR I improved my mile time by 40 seconds and have made some significant strides with regards to how I approach my training.

For more info on target heart rate training: Wellness

There is also a cool document on the LA Marathon site on heart rate and other training methods.

Resources: Running Training Methods