Originally Posted by
Creatre
Why does HR matter? What do you mean by fatigue high? Power is what's important. 1 week into a block my HR is trash. I still do the other 2-3 weeks before rest. I don't let my low HR get in my way.
Take this FWIW. HR matters.
I train and race using three parameters: Power, HR, and RPE. All three are valuable. Each one tells a piece of the story. The story can be told without all of them but it will not be complete. I have four data screens on my Garmin 800: Racing, Indoor Training, Recovery, and JRA. 3s average power and HR are on every one of them, for good reason.
I'll give you an example. I am returning to racing from major injury and a crappy start to the healthy part of my season. My RPE is off due to weeks off from racing. Power varies with training load and rest, but my max HR is my max HR. At the end of last night's race, I drilled it for half a lap to lead out the field. My RPE said I was going as fast as I could. Power was very good but it's a variable metric as it is affected by so many external conditions. 30 seconds after that effort my HR was within 3 points of my max HR (193bpm). That tells me I could not have gone much harder or longer.
HR is also a telltale indicator that I need rest. If I start a VO2Max interval series and my HR is pegged in the threshold range, then my body is telling me something. HR is supposed to be elastic. If the rubber band won't stretch, then you need rest.
Train however you choose. Use HR or don't use HR. I find it to be as valuable as RPE and power.