LT field test results- need guidance

If your test was accrate it would appear that you're doing most of your training at too hard of an effort. How do your training paces compare to your race paces?

5k race pace for me is about 8:30min/mile....lately have been training in the 9:30 (short) to 11:00 on longer runs.

What paces were you running when you generated that 16+ hours in Z4 and Z5?

Edited by the bear 2009-10-13 8:57 AM

9-9:30

Edited by the bear 2009-10-13 9:13 AM

I'd have to agree that the test was flawed in some regard, especially when you see that seemingly appropriate training paces result in a lot of time spent in Z4 and Z5 as determined by that test..

It looks like LT is approx 90% of your max (170/190)  although elite guys and pro's are higher most of us mere mortals are below that % wise.

Training below 170BPM should still give you plenty of options.

I just did the LT test and came out with 160, I was happy with that, simple reference for run/bike when I'm trying to concentrate on the road.

Edited by alex jb 2009-10-13 9:19 AM

I would go with them for now and retest in a month.

If your pace was that close to your 5k PR then you probably did the test right.

HR could have been off for any  number of reasons...temp, time of the day, caffeine, etc.  So, use the zones for now and retest in a month...

^^^^^Thanks, it was close so I'll use it.
The cumulative time is skewed because that's the total time since I've been using the HR monitor on runs. Yes, it was an old PR (6 months), but it was close (only 4 secs faster).
I've probably been pushing a little too hard on my longer training runs (which is why I did the test to see where I need to be) thanks for all the advice and input.

Yes

I actually did my first LT test this morning and ended up with 171.  I was setting up my new Timex and realized that the zones that it outputs for whatever input HR(It asks for MHR but I plug in LT) start at 50% and increase my 10% until zone5.  As Follows:

Zone1 86-102
Zone2 103-119
Zone3 120-136
Zone4 137-153
Zone5 154-171

With these zones, my heart rate never goes above 100% of LT.

These are the zones from the BT calculator:
1 - Recovery 113 - 145
2 - Extensive Endurance 146 - 155
3 - Intensive Endurance 156 - 163
4 - Sub-Threshold 164 - 170
5a - SuperThreshold 171 - 174
5b - Anaerobic Endurance 176 - 180
5c - Power 181 - 189

1 66%-85%
2 85%-90%
3 90%-95%
4 95%-99%
5 100%-102%
102%-105%
105%-111%

I understand what the results of the LT test mean.  And my MHR for my test was 189 but why are the percentages of LT so high from the BT calculator.  Which zones should I train under?  The zones determined with my Timex seem considerably lower than the BT zones.  If I use the zones on my Timex based on my MHR during my LT test rather than my AVHR from my LT test, then my zones are higher.  What numbers should I train with?

Your test is designed to determine your LTHR, not your MHR. Even your maximum heart rate reached during the test is probably not your MHR. If you plug any number derived during the test into your watch where it asks for MHR, the resulting zones are liable to be incorrect. GIGO.

x2 - the Timex zones are simply based off %'s of MHR not based on your fitness (like the LTHR) so I would not use the Timex zones.

When I was using HR zones and my Timex, I programmed my custom zone to zone 4 numbers and would used the alerts to guide my effort (before I was confident in my ability to just go out and run in zone 4).  You could do this for whatever target zone you wanted for a given workout.

Shane

My Timex is just giving percentages of whatever number I input.  It just happens to ask for MHR because that's what it was setup to do.

I am thinking about just using the manual zone for anything about 100% of my LT

keep in mind, i'm no expert.  your timex is finding your zones based on your Max HR, which is different than calculating them based on LT.  My understanding is that your LT zones are more accurate.  You should be able to program in your LT zones to your timex somehow, i would think.

Also from my uderstanding,  you are to do most of your training in Z2 based on your LT, so that would be in the Extensive Endurance Zone.

That's about all i have so far.  Others will be able to provide much more and probably better information.

My Timex will give me 5 zones each including 10% of whatever HR value I plug in regardless of if the number I plug in is my LT or my MHR.  I am just wondering what zones I should be using.  I would like to use my Timex to keep track of my zones during workouts since I just payed a nice chunk of change for it.  I would just like to know if the more specific BT zones will be better.

OK, you need to stop over analyzing it.  A vast majority of your runs should be in the 146-155 range, the Z2 of the LT calc.  Forget what the HRM says the ranges are.

In my cheapo Polar HRM I can manually input a zone to use and I only used the LT Z2 range because I used the HRM the most on my endurance runs.

Use these zones not the Timex ones.  The Timex ones (as you point out) are just 10% blocks based on a HR you enter while these are based (more or less) on the training response due to the physiological stress training places on the body.

Shane

I couldn't agree more. My run LT avg was 134, max 145 using the 20 minute TT. I tried using Joe Friels "Going Long" to calculate my zones but his zones didn't go low enough. I googled the subject and came up with this link-  http://www.sheerbalance.com/fitness-section/exercise-basics/exercise-intensity-target-heart-rate/  My zones still need tweaking but it's not too far off.

Good luck

X whatever on lots of the comments above.

My advice:  trust the numbers then retest in maybe 6 weeks.  Assuming that you followed the protocol (10 minutes WU, 30 minutes all out, LTHR is avg over last 20 minutes) -- and it looks like you did -- then you didn't go too hard during the relevant portion of the test (last 20 minutes), so if anything the number is too low (but there's no reason to think it is), and training lower than prescribed is not a disaster.

And since you're new to HR training, I'll add that you need to start learning how other factors (temperature, hydration, nutrition, sleep, stress, training load, etc.) affect your HR, which can be done only by careful long-term observation.  Don't be a slave to the numbers.  Learn how to interpret them.  Good luck!