Training at Low Intensity - help pls

Rich1978

I've started training for the Merida Marathons and focusing on low intensity rides to build base fitness for the next month or so

So on Saturday using a heart rate monitor and assuming a Max Heart Rate of 185 (I am 30 and reasonably fit so this seems to be best until I can do a max heart rate test) I tried to ride at 60-70% of max which is possible eventhough a bit slow until I hit the slightest hill at which point my heart rate goes up to 80-85% even if I drop to granny and take it really slowly.

Does this sound right or am I doing something wrong....or am I at lot less fit than I think :-)

Any advice welcome...

Cheers
Rich

cougie

Ok - your MHR really does need to be tested - without that you could be well off the mark in all your rides.

When you are doing base level rides - you really cant help but go out of the zone when you climb - but I dont think thats such a bad thing.

Get the MHR test done as soon as you can - then you know where your levels are.

Rich1978

Ok thanks - I'll book a spinning class which always seems to do the trick....did try hefting it up a longish hill but it hill ran out as I got to 178bpm and I was no where near vommiting!!!! ;-)

Rich1978

ok so I just tried to get max heart rate...started off with 15minute warm up on a bike in the gym then did 10mins of intervals....managed to get to 95% out of 190 so I guess thats not far off.

so whats the guide for training for long distance...I did a further 20mins of 75-80% and that felt good - is this the right zone to aim for ?

Would like to train my hill climbing too if any ones got any suggestions as I alway run out of power and have to revert to granny which is no problem spinning it out but I'd like to power up then faster.

Oh yeah and I'm limited to the gym 5 days a week as its in my office.

any suggestion welcome.