Heart Rate - How hard can you push yourself in a race?

[Skubarra]

My question to those monitoring their heart rates during races - what average of max heart rate % do you push yourself to (over the length of the race, not just that monster climb) and at what point would your avg heart rate reading start to worry you (in the absence of any obvious discomfort).

 

I used to average about 87% to 89% of my max heart rate for your standard 100km road race or 80km mtb marathon. However I badly hurt a heart muscle in a race during October and is now slowly making my very long comeback. Now I would just like to get a feeling what others consider to be a "normal" average during races (although I get that it would vary a lot between people), got a feeling I might have pushed myself to hard up until my injury.

[Frosty]

After determining my LTHR after doing a 30 minute Lactate Threshold field test, I was able to setup my training zones, which I also use during a race. A little more focused training, but I'm note sure it made to omuch difference overall.

 

My LTHR max is 172 bpm, so I could (technically) sustain an entire race at 172 bpm for the entire ride. That's zone 3 on my Garmin and as long as I stay in this zone (161-172) then I'm okay. That's in theory, but I tend to race on feeling and how the bunch is riding. Sometime a little HTFU is required and the HR spikes at about 184-189.

 

Zone 4 (173 - 175) is above threshold, which is still sustainable when required.

 

Zone 5 (176 - 182) is my aerobic/anaerobic zone, with zone >6 my HTFU zone.

[Cheese]

I do not really look at heart Rate when racing unless I am pulling the bunch,  then I will check not to go more than 90% of MHR.

 

However for the rest of the race I do not look at heart rate , and will only check it afterwards, did a race the past weekend at 92% of Max . Last Half hour @95%. Normal races I do with Vets I will average in same rate as you mention 85%-90%

 

Must Admit I was dead tired for a while and Did not think about Damaging heartmuscles.

[Odinson]

I like to keep myself in that zone where you feel that you're poo-poo valve is about to go "pop". Great for pacing during a race.

[Guest Smimby]

How did you damage a heart muscle in a race? That should be impossible as your body will slow you down before doing damage

[Wannabe]

I must be a freak.

Turning 50 next year, and I regularly push my max HR into or close to 190bpm, with no side effects or discomfort.

With the recent Burger STCT, I averaged 172 with a max of 187. (2:47 riding time)

With the DC my average was 163, max 189 over the 8:25 we took to complete the race.

[Ozzie NL]

Reckon I am also in the freak category.

 

I regularly ride races with an average of 165 and can push the max to 195 (but not for very long).

 

Have learnt to ensure I do not ride in my red zone of 180+ for more than 5 - 10 min continuously

[MTBc]

I must be a freak.

Turning 50 next year, and I regularly push my max HR into or close to 190bpm, with no side effects or discomfort.

With the recent Burger STCT, I averaged 172 with a max of 187. (2:47 riding time)

With the DC my average was 163, max 189 over the 8:25 we took to complete the race.

 

163 average over 8 hours, yoh! FREAK

 

I'll average 140 - 150 on a 4 hour ride, the longer the ride the lower the average. Max is usually 181 / 182. A 2 -3 hour ride will average over 160 if i'm pushing.

 

I remember reading an article when I was a kid that all animals have more or less the same life span if measured in number of heart beats, and on long solo rides, this little bit of info pops into my head. If it's not a race, I stay under 80% except for an occasional climb.

[Falco]

I must be a freak. Turning 50 next year, and I regularly push my max HR into or close to 190bpm

 

Don't worry, that is perfectly normal for a well trained person.

 

I'm 53 next month, push max 188 doing intervals, and averaged 153 for a sub 3 in the 94.7.

 

I have no problem going into the 180's on climbs and sprints, and can average mid 150's for hours, no problem. 

[SwissVan]

I must be a freak.

Turning 50 next year, and I regularly push my max HR into or close to 190bpm, with no side effects or discomfort.

With the recent Burger STCT, I averaged 172 with a max of 187. (2:47 riding time)

With the DC my average was 163, max 189 over the 8:25 we took to complete the race.

 

Nope not a freak, just got a shorter than normal stroke so your piston has to travel faster

 

I just turned 50, have not raced flat out for years and recently (since i got involved with the cycleops online racing crowd) I've seen 178 while still being not close to a max effort. +/-15 yrs ago was the last time i did a proper max hr test and i scored 187.

Average race HR was usualy about 164 (XC +/- 90 - 180 min duration)

[SwissVan]

Reckon I am also in the freak category.

 

I regularly ride races with an average of 165 and can push the max to 195 (but not for very long).

 

Have learnt to ensure I do not ride in my red zone of 180+ for more than 5 - 10 min continuously

 

Slacker.....

[jcza]

I must be a freak.

Turning 50 next year, and I regularly push my max HR into or close to 190bpm, with no side effects or discomfort.

With the recent Burger STCT, I averaged 172 with a max of 187. (2:47 riding time)

With the DC my average was 163, max 189 over the 8:25 we took to complete the race.

 

Sounds about right, I'm the same age and my numbers are similar other than my ave which is lower but times are faster. Maybe you should lower the HR to go faster?

[Rider3000]

It all depends... there still people that argue heart rate doesn't give you what you want to know, i also in the past found very different reading in races etc. since im on power i think its a huge difference ... i also have asthma so my heart rate jumps on similar efforts especially if i have dairy. That said they probably argue power is not the way to go... maybe something new.

 

What i can say is don't worry about your heart to much unless your old... train right and do your uphill intervals to increase power!!

[EmptyB]

The variables are obviously huge between people but having done the tests properly I know my max HR at this stage is 177 bpm. I'm 42 years old.

 

At the end of an event (MTB between 60km and 75km) I'm sitting in and around 80% of max.

 

I always only check it at the end of a ride. Sometimes during training i'll keep an eye on it during the ride. Indoor training I watch it because then I'm following a programme in the different zones.

[Skubarra]

How did you damage a heart muscle in a race? That should be impossible as your body will slow you down before doing damage

 

Smimby tbh I don't know, still trying to figure out. I felt strong right until the end of the race and rode one of my best times ever.

 

Only obvious culprit could be the slight cold I had in the week leading up to the race (nothing in the chest and no symptoms on the day of the race) which might have affected/weakened my heart more than I realised. It's the most obvious cause but I'm not 100% convinced, was my second time in the front bunch of a road race, maybe my heart could just not handle me trying to keep up with the young guns   .

 

My max heart rate is 199 and I've often been doing about 175 avg over 3-4 hours which seems a bit high compared to what the others have been posting here.

[Long Wheel Base]

I believe heart rate in a race is irrelevant. Often the bunch pace determines your heart rate. Chris Froome got criticized in this years tour for being all about the numbers and apparently rode only according to his figures on his SRM. Contador would attack and Chris just watched his read out. IMHO that's not racing. Training yes but a race is as hard as you can when needed.