Nelson told me he recently calculated his max heart rate. Here’s my two cents worth on the subject:

As of June 2012; average of 5 different formulas I found on the web puts my max heart rate at 179. I may have to revise since I’ve had a birthday in the mean time!

One website recommends 80-87% of max as ideal training zone. Hal Higdon on Livestrong says 65-75% on long and recovery runs; intense workouts ok 90-95%.

Based on 179:

65% = 116 75% = 134 80% = 143 87% = 155 90% = 161 95% = 170 (peak)

Garmin’s recommendations based on 179:

Zone 1  50-60%  89-107 bpm

Zone 2  60-70%  107-125 bpm

Zone 3  70-80% 125-143 bpm (“optimal cardio”)

Zone 4  80-90% 143-161 bpm (“improved anaerobic, speed”)

Zone 5  90-100% 161-179 bpm

(1) April 20th – Olathe/Oz/Garmin (whatever they’re calling it now) Marathon.  I want to run this flat marathon for a PR – say 3:10 or so. Might have to revise this one – holding on for now. I haven’t been running as often as I’d like with the weather and a wee bit of nagging pain in my right foot (improving signficantly). However, I have been keeping the aerobic fitness up with the elliptical, so I may try to drop back into the training plan in February and see how multi-day running weeks work. I haven’t signed up yet, so committment level is sketchy.

(2) June 1st – Hospital Hill Half Marathon. I want to run this under the benchmark 1:30, which would be a PR. I’ve never put in a full training schedule specifically geared towards a time goal on a half. This is my third half. Signed up and committed.

(3) October 19th – Kansas City Marathon. Goal: pace Nelson to BQ. A PR would be a bonus – but anything under 3:15 will work! Signed up and committed.

(4) September – HOA Marathon. Loved this killer course. I’d like some revenge after last year’s heat. I didn’t really like getting passed by someone in my age group in the final 2 miles either. It’s a maybe – doubles (2 in 2 months) aren’t the easiest thing.

(5) Run some race truly barefoot. I’d like to get my callouses back up to performance level starting in the spring. The feet will have to be toughened up from their winter baby-soft state to do any distance greater than 5 miles on pavement. Maybe HHH?

I finally took my own advice and got the layering thing right on my Sunday am run. Temps in the mid 20s before dawn, 10+ mph wind (just barely +). It’s the kind of morning where you want to bust out the door with a parka on. After a few recent runs begun all cozy in a compression l/s tee and a l/s fleece which deteriorated into a sweat-fest about 15 minutes in, I finally bit the bullet and remembered to start cold, finish warm. Replacing the l/s fleece with a fleece vest did the trick. It was hard. If I had been solo I might have turned back for a windbreaker, but it was a run-buddy run and I didn’t want to be late!

This is an easy one for me this week. Skiing! Unfortunately I don’t get to indulge this one as often as I like. Since we don’t live in Colorado, and I don’t have a private jet, the last time we went was 2 years ago. I have come to the realization that I don’t go often enough that I will ever be an expert skier, but I enjoy running blues and greens. No blacks. I don’t need to find an orthopedic surgeon.