Originally Posted by
ChiangMai noon
what's that...about 12 km? that's way faster than i can manage
I used the running test tables below to judge the speed I should be running, together with a heart rate monitor to make sure I don't overdo things. In fact the monitor is the reason for me slowing down most of the time.
Running Test
A lot of the guys at work are using the Runtastic app to log their runs and times. It has been a good way to keep them motivated. I am sticking to the cross-trainer for now because I have a weak knee that used to collapse quite dramatically when playing football (caused me to give up in my early forties).
I learnt a couple of things about my body when using the heart monitor that I never really understood before.
Firstly, it always took me 20 lengths of the pool to warm up and I always lost the first set in tennis, squash etc. Now I find out my heart rate goes up quickly to start with and then slows right down again after around 15 minutes. So that's why we were always made to run round the rugby pitch before a game.
Secondly, my speciality was change of pace on the field or a fast sprint immediately after a stop in the game. When I check the monitor after I stop/start, my heart rate jumps way high at the stop point expecting a quick power cycle very soon and stays there if I exert a lot of power or slows down dramatically if I resume slowly.
Not sure if this is the same for everyone or something that developed due to use, but a couple of things I wish I'd known 30-40 years ago...