BigGear

I did 3 miles CTS test. Found out that the speed(time) is about the same as in previous year, but average heart rate went up 10 beats, from 163 to 173.

If LT heart rates goes up and that much, is it good or bad? What does it mean?

Thanks!

chinarider

Too many unknowns to comment. Do you feel like you're in as good shape as prior year, or was that at end of season while this is at beginning.? You need to compare apples to apples.

Dan

kandnhome

Agreed that there are too many unknowns to explain a change in heart rate, but sometimes otherwise unexplained increases in heart rate indicate overtraining. Resting heart rate is also usually elevated if overtraining is the culprit.

Have you felt weak, sick, and generally crappy lately? If so, it might be overtraining.

But that's just a wild guess.

Carbonfiberboy 

HR going up is not overtraining, which results in the opposite.

Possible that when you did the LT test last time, you were overreaching then, but aren't now.

Odd thing is that your time has not improved. Revisit training program?

BigGear

These are the numbers:

Last year:
Average time: 9:30
Average HR: 163
Wind: 8mph N

This year:
Average time: 09:30
Average HR: 173
Wind: 16 mph N

I am feeling stronger this year, but this LT HR puzzles me.

On one hand as I understand it is good if LT HR increases, you can do more work at the higher HR rate, but on another hand the speed should increase too, correct?

How does generaly LT HR relate to speed? I would like to understand this better..

kandnhome

https://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/o.../aa062499a.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtraining

https://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/Overtraining.html

https://www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/...bfact0897.html

Increased resting heart rate is definitely a symptom of overtraining. As is underperformance for a given exertion level (as higher heart rate at same output could indiciate).

ChezJfrey

Um, wind?

roadbuzz

How about the days prior to the field test? I find that my HR will be higher after a couple of really easy days, or days off the bike.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, increased RHR is a symptom of overtraining, but this person hasn't done nearly enough bad stuff to get overtrained. Overreached, possibly, but not certainly. Overreaching or overtraining results in a lower HR for the same power output. I've done it enough times that I should know. That's the first thing you notice. You go out to your trainer and you're doing 25 in zone 2. Or you start up Vomit Hill and can't raise a HR over 155. Perceived exertion level can be independent of HR.

His LTHR seems to be up over last year. That's really quite odd. We can't know anything about his power output because he did it outdoors. Wind, etc. I always do these tests on my rollers so I get consistent results. He's absolutely right. A higher LTHR should result in higher power output. In this case it didn't seem to. So my guess is that his training load right before his test last year was higher than his training load immediately before his test this year. Either that or he had a headwind or forgot to pump his tires this year.

So BigGear, what's your resting HR been doing? My guess is you don't take it. If you don't you should. Here's the protocol: get up, pee, get dressed (or not), get comfortable back in bed or on the sofa. Either hold your watch and HRM where you can comfortably see them or look at a clock and the HRM. Watch your HR for 5 minutes by the clock, while you think of peaceful things, never bicycling. The lowest stable number at the end of the 5 minutes is your MRHR (morning resting heart rate). Record it. If it goes up by 5-6 beats over normal, take the day off.

Fonk

+1 Looks like wind was the factor to me. The wind speed was twice as much this time around. If you were truly giving it your all both times, it looks like you're in better shape this time because of the increased LT HR. Your effort was actually stronger this time, it's just that the winded sucked the speed gain out of it. If the wind speed had been the same, you would have been faster this time around. That's what I get out of these numbers, anyway...