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Part 4: Bpm Test
Now I can finally tell you about the results of the bpm test that I did a couple of weeks ago. I got the results last Friday and I've been staring at them for a week or so now. The results were not the best possible, but they were not that surprising either because of all the health problems and the break from running that I´ve had.
So the idea of the test is to measure the bpm levels so that you are able to control your speed more easily and precisely. This is important to know so that you are able to focus on improving the correct level of resistance (basic resistance, speed resistance and maximum resistance). The test is carried out on a treadmill, but you can also do it on a track if you wish to. It consists of 5 to 8 runs of 4 minutes with the last one ending when you cannot run anymore, so after the last run there are no more breaks and the speed will increase every two minutes. After every 4 minutes run your bpm will be checked and a blood sample will be taken to measure the lactates, in other words the amount of oxygen debt.
You will need to reserve a bit more than an hour for the test so that you can cool down for a while before heading home with your legs feeling like spaghetti. It is also recommended that you take it easy with physical exercise the day before so that the results are more reliable. Also remember to drink enough water and fuel up on energy, but leave bigger meals to 2 or 3 hours before the test!
In my case, the test revealed that I have been focusing too much on speed resistance and maximum resistance before, meaning basically that I´ve been running too fast in my training and my basic resistance has suffered because of this. The results were not that surprising due to a long break from running and problems with my lungs and allergies. I´ve also had long conversations about the lack of basic resistance in general with my previous coach, too often we forget to focus on the basics! Of course the results can be affected by other factors, but in the end they are not far from the truth. My basic resistance is waaay to basic at this moment.
In the test my bpm was only low when jogging really slowly and in the future it is important to concentrate on training between 120-170 bpm levels with enough variation. I will add my test results at the end of the post. They will be my guideline for the following training sessions. I have been able to do some basic resistance runs with 143 bpm, but I have to say that I think I could walk faster if I need to run any slower than that. Well I guess I just have to listen some very relaxing and calm music while running so that I don´t get too excited!
Basic resistance (BR) Speed: 7:52 - 9:35 min/km
Heart rate: 120 - 148 bpm
Speed resistance (SR) Speed: 5:51 - 7:52 min/km
Heart rate: 148 - 172 bpm
Maximum resistance (MR) Speed: 4:33 - 5:51 min/km
Heart rate: 172 - 191 bpm
