I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
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- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
I don't understand a word you just said! I think you are taking it too seriously?
heart rate for newbies
- Thread starter eagles633
- Start date
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I think you should judge your ride distances and rest times based purely on how you feel, not on what the Garmin might suggest - but a day's ride that was a bit of hard work followed by a couple of days rest might be about right.
I'd completely ignore "training" videos, certainly at this stage, as they seem to be more aimed at competitive speedy folk rather than complete beginners just out on their first ride.
As for "zone 2 = fat burn", that's really a completely arbitrary naming. It's really just energy usage, and the device has no idea whether you're burning carbs, fat or whatever - that depends a lot on your food intake and your glycogen levels. Just think of higher zones as burning more energy, and remember that in zone 3 you'll be burning more than in zone 2, etc.
The "it's just something to play with and enjoy with the cycling" approach is exactly the right one, in my opinion.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I think the max HR is set to default whereas your actual max HR like a lot of folk is higher and you are not overdoing. Regardless just being out there and enjoying will burn more fat if thats your aim than trying to stay to a specific zone, then stressing out and going home too early or not going out.
OP
OP
eagles633
Active Member
oh i see. i went up a steep hill and was nearly lights out knackerd. had to stop. my heart beat hit 180 so that's probably my max heart rate. now iv'e got to suss out how to change the settings. tx
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
At the risk of data overload so soon, wear the hrm but don't be fretting about it.
Bazzer
Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
- Location
- On the edge of reality
Just listen to your body.
If it feels like when you are climbing your lungs are coming out of your chest, then its probably time for a stop and breather until you get fitter. Its not a walk of shame. It may stilll happen when you are fitter, but hopefully past experience will then come into play and you will have more of an idea how hard to push yourself when you get that feeling, (If that is what you want to do).
The same as rest days after riding. As you get fitter and ride for longer, your recovery period after shorter rides will fall away. But in the meantime, if you have sore muscles the day or two after a ride, see how it feels going for a short ride. Might be a relief, or it could be that your legs have no power, so need a bit longer; at least to begin with.
As you spend longer on the bike, play around with the recovery period and your rides. You might find for example, that you can ride 100k one day and on the following day 50k is your limit, without wiping your legs out. But if you have a rest day after the 100k, then you are good for 80k.
There are plenty of training programmes on the interweb and whilst these may suit people, they are only a guide.
If it feels like when you are climbing your lungs are coming out of your chest, then its probably time for a stop and breather until you get fitter. Its not a walk of shame. It may stilll happen when you are fitter, but hopefully past experience will then come into play and you will have more of an idea how hard to push yourself when you get that feeling, (If that is what you want to do).
The same as rest days after riding. As you get fitter and ride for longer, your recovery period after shorter rides will fall away. But in the meantime, if you have sore muscles the day or two after a ride, see how it feels going for a short ride. Might be a relief, or it could be that your legs have no power, so need a bit longer; at least to begin with.
As you spend longer on the bike, play around with the recovery period and your rides. You might find for example, that you can ride 100k one day and on the following day 50k is your limit, without wiping your legs out. But if you have a rest day after the 100k, then you are good for 80k.
There are plenty of training programmes on the interweb and whilst these may suit people, they are only a guide.
crazyjoe101
New Member
- Location
- London
To begin with I would forget HR, calories and any other metrics other than distance and average speed. Judge your effort based on what your legs, lungs and heart feel like and allow your body to recover in between rides, if you feel fatigued or exhausted when you start a ride then take it very easy and don't make any efforts as you are not yet recovered from your last ride.
To use heart rate in your training you'll need to perform a threshold test when you have built up a base of fitness and your body is somewhat conditioned to cycling, then once you know your threshold heart rate you can begin to use it as a useful piece of information, before then it is only an inaccurate guessing game. The British Cycling insight zone on their website is a great place to learn about training even if you are not intending to follow their plans or full lists of activities there is lots of useful information there especially with regard to how you should use readings such as heart rate.
Short: Just ride and have fun for now, ignore whatever the Garmin says and listen to your body. Later, start to incorporate training from metrics if you with to.
To use heart rate in your training you'll need to perform a threshold test when you have built up a base of fitness and your body is somewhat conditioned to cycling, then once you know your threshold heart rate you can begin to use it as a useful piece of information, before then it is only an inaccurate guessing game. The British Cycling insight zone on their website is a great place to learn about training even if you are not intending to follow their plans or full lists of activities there is lots of useful information there especially with regard to how you should use readings such as heart rate.
Short: Just ride and have fun for now, ignore whatever the Garmin says and listen to your body. Later, start to incorporate training from metrics if you with to.
OP
OP
eagles633
Active Member
some great advice tx. whilst i have no muscle soreness today i am feeling pretty run down. whilst i want to go out again today i think it's wise i take a rest.
I agree just going by feel on whether or not to ride is sound advice.
it looks like garmin and the recovery time they give has some science about it. found a thread on their site. seems they are on the right track.
https://forums.garmin.com/forum/into-sports/cycling/edge-1000-aa/131104-how-does-recovery-work
I agree just going by feel on whether or not to ride is sound advice.
it looks like garmin and the recovery time they give has some science about it. found a thread on their site. seems they are on the right track.
https://forums.garmin.com/forum/into-sports/cycling/edge-1000-aa/131104-how-does-recovery-work
One thing you could check, because you should quickly see an improvement and seeing improvements will keep you motivated, is how fast your heart rate recovers after exercise. Note your heart rate before starting your ride and when you finish see how long it takes for it to go back down to about the same rate. As your heart gets fitter you should see this happen faster. You will also probably notice a lowering of your resting heart rate if you check for it. Mbe check one a week.
Other than that, weight loss, muscle gain and trousers that are suddenly too big for you will be other motivators, they certainly helped me!
As others have said, for now I wouldn't worry about what your HR is on the bike and go by feel. Build slow and do rest.
I actually bought a HRM about a year after starting cycling and set my Max to 220-Age. I also set a max heart rate warning on the Garmin and went for a ride - in a flappy polyester T-Shirt that caused static electricity to build up and alarms to go off. I s*** myself as my heart rate was displaying as 270BPM and wouldn't go down and I was thinking I was going to have a coronary!
Our bodies seem to be quite good at actually stopping us causing harm to our heart, which I am now glad of when I do 10 mile time trials where my HR stays at a steady rate just in the red for 30m.
Enjoy the bike!
Other than that, weight loss, muscle gain and trousers that are suddenly too big for you will be other motivators, they certainly helped me!
As others have said, for now I wouldn't worry about what your HR is on the bike and go by feel. Build slow and do rest.
I actually bought a HRM about a year after starting cycling and set my Max to 220-Age. I also set a max heart rate warning on the Garmin and went for a ride - in a flappy polyester T-Shirt that caused static electricity to build up and alarms to go off. I s*** myself as my heart rate was displaying as 270BPM and wouldn't go down and I was thinking I was going to have a coronary!
Our bodies seem to be quite good at actually stopping us causing harm to our heart, which I am now glad of when I do 10 mile time trials where my HR stays at a steady rate just in the red for 30m.
Enjoy the bike!
buzzy-beans
Über Member
- Location
- Woolsthorpe By Colsterworth
don't mean to come across to serious. just playing with my new toys
Throw the bloody things away and listen to your body instead!!
vickster
Legendary Member
Get into the habit of warming up slowly at the start of your ride and warming down towards the end. Also, get into the habit of stretching after you ride, quads but especially calves, hamstrings and glutes
Ignore the nonsense calorie numbers spat out by devices too
As you are just setting out on the journey to fitness, the folks telling you to ignore heart monitors are right. Listen to your body. The important thing is to build up the time on your bike slowly without putting too much strain on your body. That means keeping your effort at a level where you could carry on a conversation if you had a companion with you. If you are having to stop, then you've been working too hard. Relax and enjoy it. Get into a routine that makes it easy to stay with the program longer term.
Obviously, there will be times where you hit a hill and you have to work at it and may have to stop, but otherwise keep the effort level low until you have built up a fitness base. There are no shortcuts - it's a long-term project. Stick with it and after three or four months you'll find things getting easier and you'll be able to start pushing yourself a bit harder.
Obviously, there will be times where you hit a hill and you have to work at it and may have to stop, but otherwise keep the effort level low until you have built up a fitness base. There are no shortcuts - it's a long-term project. Stick with it and after three or four months you'll find things getting easier and you'll be able to start pushing yourself a bit harder.
OP
OP
eagles633
Active Member
I think my problem is i'm in a hilly area. soon get used to it though as you say.
I posted the heart rate stats just to see if it was normal to be so near flat out for the majority of the ride.
like everybody has said i need to take it easy at first.
when your new you just want to get out there though.
although i am knackered today. how people manage 50 miles staggers me.
tx for taking time to post. it's all good stuff.
