Train by heart rate or pace?

Introduction

Should you train for pace or heart rate? This is a very common question asked by runners, both male and female, about which of these metrics to focus on. In this article, we will discuss when to train for heart rate (heart rate) and when to train for pace. Understanding the basic principles of when it is appropriate to train for one metric or the other is key to maximizing the effect of training to achieve your athletic goals.

Periodization of goals

Typically, running training starts with building basic endurance. In practice, these are training sessions where we run at a slow pace and for longer distances/time. In running parlance, this period is called engine building. During this part of the training, it makes more sense to train according to heart rate. Specifically, at a very low frequency (zone 1 - 2). A good practical guideline during these training sessions is to exert such an effort that we are able to talk to a training partner without getting too out of breath. During this period of training, you build basic endurance for the entire upcoming season, which you will be able to draw on in specific training, when you focus on speed. The key in this phase of preparation is consistency and the ability to not get carried away by the feeling "I can run faster".

As you get closer to the races of your running season, it makes more sense to break down the raw strength you gained during the period described above into speed. At this stage of your preparation, it makes more sense to include training sessions that focus on running pace and, in particular, the ability to maintain a set average pace to achieve your athletic goal.

Specific objectives

Typically, about 6-8 weeks before a race, you should start a training block where you drill a specific pace that will help you achieve a realistic time for the distance you want to run. By hitting a specific running pace during this training window, you are conditioning your mind and body - you are getting a realistic picture of what it means to run at a certain pace. Your body, muscles and will "remember" the specificity of this pace.

Another example of when you should be primarily guided by pace is if you are training on a track. Training with specific pace segments is key. Especially with shorter distance runs, typically with interval training with short segments, the heart rate response is too slow to effectively control the intensity of the training.

Focusing solely on heart rate may not be enough to determine the right race pace. A time lag in the heart's response can mean a too-fast, so-called burnt start. Tracking your pace will allow you to choose the right intensity from the opening meters.

Temperature

Another factor that should inform us about the method of preparation (training according to pace or heart rate) is temperature. The ideal temperature for the functioning of our body during sports performance is 12 - 16 degrees Celsius. However, our preparation or the race itself is often at temperatures outside this ideal temperature window. In extreme conditions, it is much more appropriate to train according to heart rate - that is, to follow the specific physiological response of our body and not some idealized goal such as running pace. In hot weather, training according to heart rate will typically be slower, but if we respect the physiological limits of our body, the real load on the body will be the same.

Fatigue

Pace can be understood as a physical quantity describing speed, the unit of which is minutes per kilometer. Heart rate, on the other hand, is a physiological response, which necessarily means high influence by complex processes in the body that cause fatigue. This is related to training load, biorhythm, stress level or diet. In practice, we often encounter the situation where an athlete monitors his heart rate and, believing that he is staying in the correct training zone, is physiologically already outside it. If the athlete is tired and the heart rate response is weak, then in order to achieve the desired heart rate, the athlete is pushing the saw too hard (the pace is too high). On the contrary, when the body is excited (for example, by using stimulants), the heart rate may be overestimated and its strict monitoring would mean an unnecessarily slow speed of movement. In both cases, it is therefore appropriate to use pace as the primary metric.

The surface we walk on

The surface we run on is another indicator that informs us about training according to pace or heart rate. When running on snow, ice, unpaved or rocky terrain, the body has to expend much more energy than when running on an ideal paved surface. Therefore, on more demanding terrain, it makes more sense to train according to heart rate, as heart rate is a more accurate physiological indicator of the effort at a given moment that the body has to exert to move.

Conclusion

Pace and heart rate training have their place and purpose in achieving athletic goals. With heart rate training, we focus on the right physiological changes (for example, running in the aerobic or anaerobic zone). With pace training, on the other hand, we prepare the mind and body for a specific target time. However, we should not forget about external factors such as temperature, altitude and the surface on which we run. Trying to achieve a specific pace while running in adverse conditions is often a mental and physical stress that stems from a lack of respect for reality. It should also be added that the choice does not have to be black or white, i.e. heart rate or pace. The best way seems to be to combine both described metrics and consciously grasp the mutual nonlinearities. Advanced athletes monitor even more independent metrics, which they then pair with their subjective feeling, which is ultimately decisive for determining the right intensity of the activity.