Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
Why should your legs give out way before your heart gets up to a training rate, aerobic base or not? After all, your legs have a base conditioning too, right? Not the same as cycling, but certainly they are well toned. I'm wondering whether you are mashing at very low cadence, which could be very tiring for a novice cyclist. If your cadence would be 90-100 rpm, your heart rate will be more elevated than for the same power output at 60 rpm, AND your legs would not be nearly as stressed at that power output. If you are pedaling more slowly than 90-100 rpm, give a higher cadence a try and see if it helps.
Originally Posted by
PepeM
The whole 'can't get my heart rate up' does sound weird. I don't care who you are, if you go hard enough your heart rate will go up.
Running:
My training pace for running is around 7:15/mile and around 165bpm. My marathon pace (6:00/mile) is around 180-185bpm. Short sprints (like 1/4 mile) I can get up to 200bpm.
Cycling
If I'm on a flat surface, no wind going like 18-20mph, my heart rate is around 130-140. Even an extended climb (Golden, CO's lookout mountain) I was hitting only 160. The only time I've gotten above 170 on the bike is with sprinting. If I try to say go harder up the mountain, my legs give out half way through.
Distance running uses your legs more as a spring -- sprinting and running up hills are what generate power for running. So while my legs are strong and toned for a marathon, a lot of power-intense riding puts me in the red well before I'm there aerobically.
That's why I'm looking at power meters. I figure that they would give a better picture of my training and ability and I can begin to structure my rides and workouts around it.