Exercise (mostly running) and stress reduction versus relatively high RHR

[shipo]

I happened to be browsing through my Resting Heart Rate chart history (I've been wearing a Fitbit Surge for about a year now) from earlier this year and noticed a stark contrast to today's chart.

A little history:

In October of 2015 a nagging (non running related) abdominal strain (or tear, depending upon which doctor I talk to), caused me to ramp back my running mileage significantly; by the first week of December I had to quit running all together and didn't start back until the very end of January.  Back in October my RHR ranged between 48 and 45, and as I ramped back my running it climbed fairly steadily until the month of January 2016.

Regarding the above January graph (where Today = 31-Jan-2016), my mother had an extremely debilitating and serious stroke mid-month, so not only was I not running, I had a mountain of stress land squarely on my shoulders.

Following some physical therapy I gradually started running again in February, and while the stress from my mother's condition was still very significant, I was hoping I could at least partially offset it by using exercise as an outlet.

Regarding the above February graph (where Today = 29-Feb-2016), it seems running very moderate distances at first (3-4 miles three times per week) had about a week of latency before my RHR started dropping.  Needless to say, I was pleased with my progress.

Fast forward to today's numbers, March and April saw me ramping my mileage back up, and while a far cry from the pre-injury mileage I've been averaging over the last few years, it has definitely paid off in restoring my RHR to previous levels.

Regarding the above April-May graph (where Today = 04-May-2016), the stress of my mother's condition and still on my mind on a regular basis, that said, it has become far less acute.

Long story short, exercise in general, and running in particular, seems to be a pretty darn good way to offset mountains of stress and keep the body on a relatively even rhythm.

[Lily-Mari]

ive thought of stuff like that before and now since you have evidence it seems like this should be something that doctors recommend to help with stress.

[shipo]

Thanks.  🙂

That said, while I believe there is some substance to the whole exercise as a method of stress reduction factoid, I don't believe my empirical evidence, study quantity of one individual, will hold much weight in the scientific community.  Fortunately I believe there are many much more scientifically founded studies which prove the point much better than I ever can.

That said, again, hopefully my experience can serve to mentor others living through stressful situations.

[brerbill]

Shipo, you might be interested in the Low Heart Rate Training described in this link from RunningAhead.com:

https://www.runningahead.com/groups/LOWHRTR/Forum/Post/0c6c27641de248d29f8d94e6b6862afc#focus

[shipo]

Thanks for the link; interesting stuff.

Funny thing, I both train in what I call "modified LSD mode" as well as coach a number of runners from my company running club and a local running club using the same methodology.  Classic LSD (Long Slow Distance) is just that, lots and lots of long slow miles.  My "modification" calls for performing long slow runs, say ten miles in my case, and then amping up the pace for say the final three or four miles.

Prior to my abdominal injury last year I was running a bit over 200 miles per month, most runs were initiated at a ten to eleven minute pace and, sustained for well over half the run, and then a gradually quickened pace ending with the last mile down in the low eight minute range.  Using this methology for training I was able to log a 5K time of 21:55 on a very hot day, and finish a half marathon on a hot and humid day in 1:42, not too shabby for a somewhat overweight 58 year old.

Funny thing about that article; if I read it correctly, it says this type of training is for lower twenty somethings and younger, and mid-fifties and older runners.  Personally I think that is incorrect; I started coaching one of my running team members in his mid thirties, and he was able to improve his 5K times from the high eighteen minute range down into the low seventeen minute range in just six months; at the same time, his 10 mile time (on a particularly hilly course the club sponsors a race on every year) dropped from 1:12 to 1:03 between the 2014 and 2015 races.  I coach many other runners in their thirties and forties who've had similar improvements in their times.

[brerbill]

Your observation that there should be no age discrepancy when it comes to benefitting from LHR/LSD training is probably right. (For anyone interested, the Low HR program I linked to in my last post can be googled under "Phil Maffetone").

I'm a lot older and slower than you (69 and 5K 28:24 @ 100+ mi/mo), and the few months I tried LHR I saw signifiant progress. Can't recall why I stopped - maybe I got lazy and didn't want to follow a structured program. Anyway, I'd be interested in a link or very brief description of any LSD 5K-1/2Marathon plan if it's available, or a similar one you may be able to recommend. I run every day anywhere from 3-10 miles, with a RHR of 43. The best shape I've been in lately was last year when I ran the middle mile of a tempo run at about 8:30, but I'd really like to pull off an under 27 minute 5K by the time I reach 70 in a few months!

And, just to say that I didn't completely hijack your thread (sorry!), running and other exercise is indeed a fantastic stress reducer. My doctors (GP and a cardiologist) agree wholeheartedly with this. Plus, exercise always makes me feel better. I have never really regretted going to the gym, or going for a walk or run.

[shipo]

Looks like you're in amazing shape; I should introduce you to the 70 year old lady I met at a 5-miler a couple of years ago; she logged a 38 minute run on a pretty warm July morning.  Needless to say she won her age group.  🙂

As for the training program I use for myself and for those I coach, I developed it by reading the Wikipedia page on LSD (the running kind, not the Timothy Leary kind) and everything else I could on that type of training along with the criticisms.  In the end, I decided there should be no hard and fast program for at least the first six or so months of training beyond miles, miles, and more miles, and always slow miles.  Every time I (or a runnier I was coaching) felt good enough to run their basic daily run faster, I would extend the distance of the run keeping the pace roughly the same throughout those early months (even still the pace would creep up a few seconds per mile every week); that said, if they were feeling crappy/slow/tired/sore, I would have me or them go the distance but at a much slower pace.  After the six month mark I would stop extending the week day runs in length (capping them in the 6 to 10 mile range depending upon the runner), and then calling for a slow first half pace and then a gradually increasing pace throughout the second half of the run with the last mile or two as near tempo/race pace as can be sustained.

Regarding the distances; even though the distance for the base run length remained pretty much the same for any given week (example: Monday-Friday, 10 miles, 12-16 on Saturday and Sunday, assuming no races), I would change up the courses, almost always on the trail networks around my area; some days were on former rail beds with only rail-grade inclines and declines, and other days on the backwoods trails which are quite hilly, the worst (or best depending upon your perspective) course I have has 1,800' of climbing in just 6 miles.  As for road work, I'm old(ish) and so are a number of the runners I work with, so I try and limit running on pavement to no more than one day per week, two days if the second day is a race.

What many folks object to when I describe my plan is the lack of speed work such as repeat quarters or repeat miles or ladder drills.  Personally, until any given runner is up in the elite of their age group, I believe such workouts have a far higher potential to injur the runner than it has to make them faster.  In my case, I rarely cross the line behind someone my age or older (looking forward to next year when I enter the 60+ age groups), so while I certainly don't consider myself elite, my race results suggest I'm getting there.  Even still, I almost completely avoid speed drills of any sort other than burning through the last few miles of one of my typical long workouts.

The above said, this year may be a bit different.  Even though I managed to lose about 70 pounds back in 2013, and even though I'm logging some pretty fast miles when I race, I am still officially obese (per the stupid BMI charts).  This year, in preparation for racing as a 60 year old, I am going to do everything I can to lose another 20 to 30 pounds (some say for every 10 pounds of weight lost, per mile times will improve by about 20 seconds); my goal is to break 20 minutes in a 5K and to run a half-marathon under 1:30.  Can I do it?  Don't know; I still need to shake off the effects of the torn abdominal muscle tear.  🙂

[brerbill]

I really appreciate that thoughtful response! Good info to keep me busy this summer, for sure. I've reached  40 mpw before, but have never  sustained  it, so I'll concentrate on LSD for awhile.

You didn't say specifcally, but after a more solid base is established, I'm assuming that I could gradually increase the paces of one or two long runs a week - from starting slowly up to tempo/race pace as you described - and all other runs at LSD. And not incorporating "speed work" per se. 

BTW, out of desperation from not being able to run due to various injuries about 5 year ago, I learned I could avoid injury by running barefoot part of the time, so I do this a few times a week - usually a 10 miler & a couple of shorter runs. Plus wearing minimal style shoes. It took several months of 'practice' before I became comfortable with this, but no injuries since then. Whatever works, I guess. 

Good luck with your goals!