This morning at the gym I decided to go all out and see if I could run a treadmill 5K at 7:30 per mile. This would be a 24:00 5K, which would easily beat my usual 26-29 minute 5K.
I started out with some good stretching, then ran the entire 5K at 7:30, finishing in 24:05 (I guess it took a few seconds to get up to 8.0 mph.) So yes, I can do it, even if it's a bit artificial with a treadmill.
Watching my heart rate monitor keep climbing was interesting, to say the least. Usually I try to keep my pace such that my heart rate stays between 145-150 on a LSD run (long slow distance), and between 160-170 on a sprint like a 5K. Not this time. My heart rate at 1 mile was 165, at 2 miles it was 188, at just under 3 miles I passed my prior max heart rate of 197, and at 3.2 miles my heart rate was steady at 201 bpm. That's about as all out as all out gets. I also experienced a pretty good side stitch as I overloaded my liver as it tried valiantly to remove all the lactic acid my legs were producing.
BTW, my previous max heart rate was set when I was hammering on my bike up the last mile to the top of Snoqualmie Pass, after a 30 mile ride from around milepost 22 on I90. That was on the first day of the 2002 Courage Classic, a 3-day benefit ride. The first day is over Snoqualmie Pass, the second day is over Blewitt Pass, and the third day is over Stevens Pass. My first multi-day ride and an incredible experience.
Wow! You said "I was born in Portland, Oregon in 1965."
The most common max HR Calculation is 220-age which would be 220-39 = 181.
Your heart must be unusual to be able to get to 201bpm at that age.
I am 40 and my heart tops out at 185 during sprints.
Maybe I am just not trying hard enough.
Posted by: Rick Ferrante | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 01:49 PM
Well, yes and no. My view on heart rate has changed over the past few years. What the max heart rate says to me now is "It's somewhat good it can get that high, but it's really bad that it has to work that hard in the first place." I didn't have enough aerobic base built up to really be capable of running that pace.
My 5K record now is 22:22 (http://brucemorgan.blogs.com/afc/2006/01/resolution_run_.html) with a finish-line heart rate of 193.
Posted by: Bruce | Monday, February 05, 2007 at 08:23 AM