My racing heart!

The year was 1997, and it was the “Down Run”.  Only two runners were left in a field of over 14000 runners with less than ten kilometres to run. Taking turns to surge in a desperate bid for victory they emulated two boxers who were exchanging blows with only will power keeping them on their feet.  In the end there could be only one, and Nick Bester was the first to succumb to fatigue and could only watch as Charl Mattheus slowly but surely pulled away for his first official victory of the world’s greatest ultra marathon, in a time of 5h28min.

During a post-race interview Bester expressed his disbelief at the fact that his finely tuned body let him down when it counted the most. As he pounded down Field’s Hill in pursuit of Mattheus, and cautious not to make any mistakes, he glanced at his heart rate monitor frequently to ensure that he was within the suitable range.  As overwhelming pre-race favourite, he was in pristine condition, and proved it by running 3min per kilometre down the hill, and that after 60 km of hard racing! However, not taking into account the effects of the continuous hard running on his muscular system, the accumulative fatigue was just too great in the end and he had to be satisfied with second position.
 

With only a few days remaining before the big day this year, there is very little you can do at this late stage to enhance the prospects of your race.  In fact, other than getting enough rest, doing some final mental preparation and staying healthy, the only other thing you can do is wait for the day to arrive.  Of course there is the risk of making some fundamental mistakes, like walking around the Expo for too many hours, or trying some fine local curry cuisine, or perhaps a short run on the soft sand on the beach.  In fact, complying with the unwritten rule of “nothing new before a big race”, you will be absolutely fine and on your way to the results you deserve.
 

Why then is it so difficult, even after a near perfect phase of preparation, that you seldom get close to the predictions based on your pre-race results?  It must be remembered that until you cross the finish line, no result is a definite.  Just as you can only achieve the start of the event after completing your preparation, so you have to achieve the finish line and overcome all that comes your way during the race. 

One of the biggest risks in marathon and ultra marathon racing is an error in pace judgement.  By going out too fast will cost you dearly during the second half.  In fact, most of us can run the first half well, but it is the second half that really counts.  For every minute you run too fast during the first half, you can lose between 5 and 10 minutes during the second half!

Where does that leave you with your heart rate monitor?  It is important to remember the elementary function of your heart rate monitor, i.e. to monitor exertion levels. Once you are satisfied that you know what your personal training parameters are, then you are able to train at a variety of intensities that will help you to develop a number of different energy systems.  Irrespective of the distance of your race, by depleting the less efficient energy stores early on during your race, it is very difficult to “change gears” to the larger energy stores without a significant reduction in running pace.  The result is usually disastrous, as your body needs time to either refuel or get rid of unwanted by products due to the fast pace. 

Treating your heart as a biological speedometer, by now you will know how your body responds to a variety of different speeds and distances.  You will also know that it fluctuates greatly as you run over different terrain, attempt different gradients during your runs, and it will be different to the norm on race day. 

For the majority of the field the suggested racing heart rate is in the region of 70-75% of maximum heart rate.

Even if you are feeling great, you need to pay heed to your built-in speedometer.  Having said that, take a page from the Kenyan book of running and listen to your body, as well as to your head.  There will be factors that affect your heart rate in a different manner to that which you may be accustomed to by now:

• Altitude – at a sea level increased levels of oxygen will reduce heart stress;


• Clothing – wearing more clothing during training compared to racing may have an effect on heart rate;


• Nutritional habits and the affect it has on the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood plays a role, so stick to foods lower in saturated fats, and high in natural, unprocessed nutrients;


• Fitness levels – an increase in fitness levels, due to the tapering process, has a beneficial effect on your heart rate as you will run faster with less effort (lower heart rate);


• Temperature – increases in heat cause a re-routing of blood away from the exercising muscles to the skin for cooling;


• Hydration – varying degrees of hydration and dehydration are associated with changes in blood volume, which in turn will affect heart rate levels.
  By paying attention to these and other factors, including a sensible pace chart, you will be able to use and understand your heart rate monitor more effectively and be able to let your legs do the talking this time!