Saturday run

 Another run and another 5K record. But lots going on and it's all getting a little obsessive already..

I discovered on Google Maps you can measure distances, so I was able to plan the route before going out trying to get it down to virtually 5K. Ended up doing 5.26K, so need to shave off 260 metres. Which'll be easy enough.

So today with my son in my ear telling me I'm going about this in the wrong way. I watched a video today about the principles of running 5K and they explained the slow at the start and save energy for a faster finish. So today I gave that a go.

It may have worked a little bit. I tried the slow start, but it didn't feel efficient, it felt like the same amount of exertion as a faster run, but I wasn't going anywhere. Not sure how long I sustained it for and for some reason my heart rate analysis didn't work, so I'm lacking that data. But it was a bit slower. 

Today the first KM was done at 6.22KM an hour and then I settled down to an average of 6.12KM which in comparison with the previous run was much faster. When I'm running I'm running at speeds that if sustained would be sub 20mins over 5K which even I admit would be crazy. In terms of heart rates, the fast sections reach highs of 142bpm which as far as I can make out is not the way I should be doing it as this doesn't build overall running fitness. 

The good news though? Is that despite the fact that my heart rate gets that high *Note the time above is 32'12" in less than 2 minutes my heart rate recovers to 122bpm in a minute and half. 

 

I checked this with Google Gemini and the answer back was...

A recovery of 20 beats (from 142 to 122) in 1.5 minutes is considered good; a drop of 18 beats or more in one minute is generally considered a sign of a healthy heart, and your rate is showing a good recovery rate, so it's unlikely to be bad. A slower recovery can sometimes indicate heart problems, so faster recovery is usually better. 

Why your heart rate recovery matters

• A quicker drop in your heart rate after exercise is a positive sign of good physical fitness and a healthy cardiovascular system. 
• If your heart rate takes a long time to return to its normal pace after exercise, it might be a sign of potential heart issues. 

What to consider

• Your target heart rate: 

  While not part of the recovery calculation, ensure your exercising heart rate is within a safe range for your age. For a 65-year-old, the estimated maximum heart rate is around 155 bpm, with a target zone of 78-132 bpm. Your maximum heart rate of 142 bpm was within the upper limits of this range. 
• Consistency: 

  While this one event is positive, consistency is more important. Regular exercise and proper recovery are key for maintaining heart health. 

So the bit high-lighted in orange is the bit my son is focused on, being able to run more consistently maintaining a less stressful heart rate. His argument is If I ran slower maintaining a BPM of around 122 I'd still beat my 5K record and wouldn't be putting my body and hearth through so much stress. 

Currently I'm trying to run every 3rd day allowing for 2 days of recovery and the good news is he's coming down to Essex on Tuesday and he's going to run with me and see if he can guide me through a 5K run at a far more suitable level. So we'll see how that goes on Tuesday. 

The other thing I've done is signed up for the Free trial of Strava for all the data and looking through it I've found this feature where you can set 'Splits'... sections of your circuit where other people's records of their times on specific sections of the run. The good news is that it's broken down in to age groups and I'm on there already at No.8! I reckon I can easily improve on my time!

My new 5K time is 

https://www.strava.com/activities/15955589700