how does your HR during a race compare to your measured LT HR ??

my average HR during a cyclocross race (45mins) is quite a bit higher than my lab-measured LT heart rate.

but during a training session, i have trouble keeping at my LT for an extended period.

just wondering what other numbers you all have?

That's typical and that's why HR is a relatively poor measure of exercise intensity compared to measuring power output. There is also the issue of how LT was defined and measured in your lab test which adds another variable to the equation of trying to correlate LT to HR to race pace (however defined) intensity.

If I'm doing, say, 3 x 15-minute intervals at LT, I usually can never get the first interval at LT. If I do, I'm suffering. When doing the 3rd interval, I can hit LT in a matter of seconds and keep it there with a perceived effort that is way less than during the 1st or 2nd.

well, i had the LT test done in a lab....although i dont think it is as accurate as one would originally think. ie, blood samples are only every 5mins....and HR data was every 30secs...unfortunately, my HR seemed to bounce a bit around that LT area.

also, i did Friels method and came up with similar number. i dont think im too far off. maybe a few clicks low.

just wondering how i can keep up my HR 10 beats above my LT for an extended period...
is it perhaps that i am "recovering" quickly but not long enough to lower my average HR?? ie, down hills, etc...

im sure the excitement of a race adds some to the mix.

so, i guess time for a power tap, eh???
:)

You know, people trained for years and had lotsa success training w/o a Power and/or a PowerTap. Reading this forum and others, you'd think that's the ONLY way to train. Indeed, it is perhaps the BEST way to train, but don't be fooled into thinking that doing intervals using your HR as the only indicator is a waste of time. HR as the only training indicator has worked for a lot of folks for a real long time...

You know, people trained for years and had lotsa success training w/o a Power and/or a PowerTap. Reading this forum and others, you'd think that's the ONLY way to train. Indeed, it is perhaps the BEST way to train, but don't be fooled into thinking that doing intervals using your HR as the only indicator is a waste of time. HR as the only training indicator has worked for a lot of folks for a real long time...

agree.... and there are still and handful of professional cyclists that dont even bother with a HR monitor.

a powertap would be nice, but probably not in my 2005 budget :)

"but during a training session, i have trouble keeping at my LT for an extended period."

When you're in a race (and have lots of people around you), you don't notice that it hurts so much. While training, it's easy to let the pain slow you down,
This is the same reason that some very fast riders, can't do time trials. Their brains just won't allow them to ignore the agony of the first few minutes.( and the next 55 minutes)

You know, people trained for years and had lotsa success training w/o a Power and/or a PowerTap. Reading this forum and others, you'd think that's the ONLY way to train. Indeed, it is perhaps the BEST way to train, but don't be fooled into thinking that doing intervals using your HR as the only indicator is a waste of time. HR as the only training indicator has worked for a lot of folks for a real long time...

Alternatively, people trained for a much, much longer time without HR monitors just using perceived exertion, and it worked just fine...

In fact, I don't think there is much advantage in using a HR monitor over perceived exertion to "measure" exercise intensity.

"but during a training session, i have trouble keeping at my LT for an extended period."

When you're in a race (and have lots of people around you), you don't notice that it hurts so much. While training, it's easy to let the pain slow you down,
This is the same reason that some very fast riders, can't do time trials. Their brains just won't allow them to ignore the agony of the first few minutes.( and the next 55 minutes)

I don't know about that? Perhaps, but there is an adrenaline response to racing that most people get that probably accounts for most of the elevation in HR. Anyone with a powertap could confirm your theory, if you put out the same power at lower HRs in training vs racing that would suggest it's adrenaline during racing raising HR.

just wondering how i can keep up my HR 10 beats above my LT for an extended period...
is it perhaps that i am "recovering" quickly but not long enough to lower my average HR?? ie, down hills, etc...


While your HR stays elevated, you lose power over the event. Believe me, you aren't recovering in any measureable way when you get that breather going down a short hill. Also, I would put some credance into the adrenaline elevated HR in 'cross races. At the line, my HR is definitely elevated just standing around. Once the race starts, I stay pretty pegged except for certain hill sections.

Looking at my 'cross lap times, I see that my first lap is clearly faster than any other lap. I am able to maintain fairly consistent lap times for subsequent laps (10-20 seconds slower than the first lap). That tells me that I'm putting out less power but am able to sustain some semblance of pace.

so how does this affect how im training..... meaning, if im training my threshold at 174, but im racing at 185, is my threshold training being effective???