Why Every Runner Should use a Heart Rate Monitor!

Training within specific heart rate zones can boost your running performance by up to 20%? That's right, using a heart rate monitor can help you run smarter, not just harder and this is Why every runner should use a heart rate monitor.

In this video, I’m going to show you the benefits of monitoring your heart rate during your running and then show you some of the better heart rate monitors to look at.

As a runner, you know how important it is to optimize your training. 

We’re always looking for ways to improve our performance, increase our endurance, and reach our personal bests. 

One of the most effective tools to help you do just that is by using a heart rate monitor.

With a heart rate monitor, you can get real-time feedback on your effort levels, helping you train smarter and more efficiently. 

No more guessing whether you're pushing yourself too hard or not hard enough. You'll have the data right at your fingertips to make informed decisions about your training.

By using a heart rate monitor, you'll be able to tailor your workouts to your individual needs, making every run count and ensuring you're not wasting your time or energy.

When it comes to getting started with heart rate monitoring, you'll need a few basic things. 

First, you'll need a heart rate monitor itself, which can be a chest strap, an arm strap or a wrist-based monitor.

Personally, I love the arm strap heart rate monitor as it provides around a 90-95% accuracy level on the feedback. You'll also need a compatible device, such as a smartphone or a GPS watch, to track your data during runs.

Next, you'll need to set up your heart rate monitor and connect it to your device.

First, make sure you're wearing your heart rate monitor correctly. If you're using a chest strap, it should be snug against your chest, just below your nipples. A personal training hack I use to get a better reading from the chest strap is to just wet the 2 sensor pads before you wear it as this will simulate the sweat and moisture that the strap will get as you train. It has been my experience that when I do this, my heart rate data does not bounce around while I am warming up. 

 If you are using a arm strap, make sure the monitor is on the outside of your tricept where most of the muscle is as this is where the monitor will get the best reading from.

 If you're using a wrist-based monitor, make sure it's not too loose or too tight. You want to ensure a comfortable fit that allows for accurate readings. 

Now that we've got our heart rate monitor set up and connected, let's talk about how to use it during a run. As you start your run, make sure you're in the correct heart rate zone for your desired intensity. If you're looking to do an easy recovery run, you'll want to be in a lower zone, whereas if you're doing a high-intensity interval workout, you'll want to be in a higher zone.

As you run, keep an eye on your heart rate data and adjust your pacing accordingly. If you find yourself getting too tired or too winded, back off the pace and bring your heart rate back down. Remember, the goal is to train smarter, not harder and you achieve this by ensuring that you are staying in the desired heart rate zone for that workout.

Using a heart rate monitor isn't just about tracking your heart rate during runs, though. It's also about interpreting the data to improve your training. One of the most important things to understand is how to find your optimal training zones.

By understanding the different heart rate zones, you can better structure your workouts to get the most out of your training.

In most running watches there are 5 Heart Rate Zones:

Zone 1 is Warm Up which is basically 40 – 60% of your Maximum Heart Rate

Zone 2 is Easy Running and in 60 – 70% of your Maximum Heart Rate and it is here where I personally believe and coach all of my athletes that they to do 50 – 60% of their running.

Zone 3 is Aerobic or as I like to call it Base Building Zone, this is around 70 – 80% of your maximum heart rate. Personally, I run this zone for all of my training up to 85% and if you want to see why I do this, feel free to to type HEART RATE in the comments section and I will send you the link for my full detailed breakdown of each heart rate zone and the benefits on what you will get from training in these zones, you will also see on that video how to better structure your weekly training plans based on your heart rate data. So don’t forget to type HEART RATE in the comments for the link.

Zone 4 is the Threshold Zone and this is usually 80 – 90% of your maximum heart rate and it is here where most people struggle to understand and find it most difficult to get right in there training which causes them to either give up on it or just keep doing it wrong and hope for the best. 

Zone 5 is the zone that goes by many names, Anerobic or Maximum or VO2 Max or s most people refer to it as The Pain Cave Zone. Now if you are a beginner, I would encourage you to stay away from this zone for a while as it is the Zone that can cause many injuries from fatigue or incorrect warm ups.

Now keep in mind that as you start using your heart rate monitor, you might encounter a few issues. One common problem is inaccurate readings, which can usually be fixed by adjusting the fit of your heart rate monitor or making sure it's properly paired with your device.

By monitoring your heart rate, you'll be able to optimize your training, reduce your risk of injury, and reach your personal bests.