There's recovery runs and there's recovering runs. Still trying to shake a now seven-day old virus, so any running is slow and frustrating.
Time: 58:38
Distance: 5.9 miles
Effort: Easy
Body: Poor
Weather: Sunny & cool
Out the door mid-day for a run in the relative warmth at 7,600 feet. Was glad to be moving again, after five days off, but still had to force the run given the lingering effects of this nasty-ass virus that's been dragging me down.
Without the beach and 70 degree temps to lure me out the door, once I returned to Colorado from Florida I succumbed to the illness and spent the long weekend taking it easy and napping.
Since trail conditions were terrible today (all ice...all the time) and I was feeling crappy, I decided to strap on the heart rate monitor and run the standard Meadow View Loop at Elk Meadow at a HR under 145. I couldn't believe how hard it was to keep the HR that low.
Now, I know I'm sick and have been off running for five days, but I was dumbfounded at how much I had to focus to keep the HR low. The smallest of hills would send the HR shooting up. On the gentle downhills, I could cruise easily (relatively speaking given how crappy I felt) at about a 6:45 pace with the HR in the high 130s, but as soon as the trail turned even slightly up...so did the HR. Could my aerobic fitness be that poor?
I'll have to try this again when I finally kick this viral crud.
I wouldn't read too much into that HR spiking like that when your body is in a funk...it definitely has an effect. You'll be back to normal I bet once the sickness is cleared out.
ReplyDeleteThe heart rate is the illness. My heart pounds like crazy when I'm sick (just climbing stairs for example). Not sure why, but it does.
ReplyDeleteAnd for me just the cold weather can kick it up 10 bpm. Probably the body trying to warm itself.
HR means nothing here. I was sick in Oct/Nov and my HR would be, at times, 20-30 bpm higher at rest and I could hardly walk up a hill. I couldn't run, but I continued to get out for some hikes. I doubt you've lost any aerobic fitness, but if you have it will come back immediately once you've kicked the virus.
ReplyDeleteDude, unfortunately know how you feel, keep taking care of yourself! Lots o' sleep!
ReplyDelete...and leave the HR monitor at home!
ReplyDeleteI think you are out of shape and should take six weeks off.
ReplyDeleteSorry, that was best Brownie imitation.
Even not sick, you might find that the HR goes way up on the hills.
GZ - Wait...your HR is supposed to increase with the grade? I thought it was the other way around. No wonder!
ReplyDeleteSorry - I did not state that well. I find the entire keep it under 150 on the hills approach nearly impossible.
ReplyDelete