HRM target zones in enduros vs team size

[tjb]

Hi all,

I just got myself a heart rate monitor and I'm discovering that I'm probably running too close to my threshold and I'm thinking about what target zones one should use for enduros.

Given that in 8 hours, 12 hour events etc, team size can vary say from 2 to 6, do people adjust their target zones depending upon the work load they will face ? For instance, how would you change your target zones between riding an 8 hour solo or in a team of 2 ? Or is the idea that if you are riding within an appropriate zone you will be able to sustain provided you stay adequately fueled ?

Taking it all the way out to a team of 6 in a 24, would people be runnning near their lactate threshold for say an hour lap because they figure that with 5 hours off the bike they will recover sufficiently ?

It would be great if users with good HRM experience can relate what they have discovered ...

Thanks,

tjb

[FR Drew]

One thing I'll say is that people's metabolism's work very differently.

A buddy and I have gone in the last couple of 24 hour Mont races in the ACT and a few years back he got an HRM.

Even if he absoutely murders himself on hills till he's a corpse (like dangerous heart rate territory) the highest he's ever gone is around 175 bpm.

He plans to cruise on around 145 bpm if he's doing 3 man teams, if he cracks 150 except on the bad hills he's pushing too hard to be able to keep it up.

Now me on the other hand, I've pegged 179 on a mild slope putting in a bit of effort but nothing outstanding riding home from work. Hitting up the firetower climb the year before last and while training riding skid row (not used in last years race) I've pegged 184. If I tootle around doing 150 or less, I'm putting in stuff all effort and while I could keep it up for ages, I'd hardly be giving my team my best. I'd be aiming for say 155 - 160 and trying to stay clear of 170 on the climbs if I wanted any endurance.

The target that works for him (145) is substantially different to the target that works for me (157) and if I put in a charge at a particular point to clear a crest or pass and peak at 181, that's a level that would put him in hospital.

Hearts are like online advice... "your mileage may vary"

Sorry I can't be more helpful than that.

Best guess is to get out there with the monitor while you go on long rides (of the 4 hours sort of time) and keep track of where you're rate is sitting. You'll soon get an idea of where you can comfortably sit and where you should stay out of.

If you have a monitor with alarms for high and low threshold, set one at:
"I'm being a slack arse and could push more"
and one at
"I can do this for 15 mins but at the expense of my endurance and should try to stay below here".

Go for a substantial ride XC, find a big mountain with firetrail roads and go climb it. Try to stay above your slackarse limit and only venture into the endurance burning area if the slope demands it of you.

If you find that after a 4 hour ride like that (make sure you're eating and drinking like you should) you could still go take on anything, set your slackarse limit a bit higher. If you're brning out, drop your upper limit. As you get fitter you can raise both a little but it shouldn't take you long to figure out where your endurance zone is.

hope this helped,

Drew

[Grover]

Basically HRM training/racing works on 5 zones:- rest, E1, E2, E3 and E4 (threshold).

These zones are calculated as a percentage of your MAXIMUM HEART RATE (if you haven't had this tested a rough estimate is 220 - your age). So me being 18 have an estimated MHR of 202.

The rest zone is 50-65% of MHR
E1 - 65-75%
E2 - 75-85%
E3 - 85-92%
E4 - 92-100%

I have never done an enduro race solo so don't know the exact strategies but I would plan to stay in E1 everywhere except for the climbs where I'd do whatever it takes to get up them. Once you get used to your body and what it can handle you can change your strategie. Some of the top 24hr racers, Tinker Jaurez etc, will do the first 2 hours at normal race pace, have a 20 minute rest and then hit the next 21+ hours at a slower pace. They are able to recover really well in 20 minutes and find that if they do 2 hours at E3 pace they get a lap or two up on the rest of the field.

In regards to standard XC races (olympic format = 2hrs racetime) riders aim to stay in E3, sometimes popping into E4 on climbs. For a 6 man team doing a 24 hour race I'd be suggesting the same sort of zones as your ride time works out to 4 hours (usually split over two days).

For long road training rides most people will sit in E1 & E2, popping into E3 for tough climbs or strength efforts.

Hope that gives you a basis.

Cya, John.

[Dave@]

I have never done an enduro race solo so don't know the exact strategies
but I would plan to stay in E1 everywhere except for the climbs where I'd do whatever it takes to get up them.

More or less, except as far as possible you really don't want to go above 75-80% MHR (ie, E1). I've soloed a 24 and a few 12s, and in the 24 I think I went over my ~80% alarm twice - once on the first lap, once on the last lap when I decided to have a bit of fun. For anything you can't granny gear, you need to walk, unless it's really short and has a good recovery afterward.

For 12s you can have a bit more fun, but the basic idea is to stay completely aerobic, since anaerobic exercise causes more fatigue.