My heart rate through the roof when jogging!

[Gem71]

I am 46 and new to running, half way through the couch to 5k app. My blood pressure is always in the low range, resting heart rate about 60. BUT whenever I jog, even really slowly like 4.2mph on a treadmill, my heart rate is constantly in peak, often around 182bpm. Is this normal?? Healthy?? Should I stop? My face is purple when I run and I sweat a lot but I do feel great afterwards. 

[WavyDavey]

Hi @Gem71,

Welcome!

First, I would make sure the readings on the tracker are accurate for you. You can do this by taking your heart rate the old-fashioned way with a stopwatch and a finger. Do this while in peak, and compare the two.

If the reading on the tracker is much higher, than you'll need to adjust the placement and tightness of the band. Usually a little higher and tighter does the trick, but you'll have to experiment some.

If the reading on the tracker matches what you're getting by hand, then I'd say you're maybe pushing it a little much (the face turning purple was a clue). I would alternate running with walking, switching between the two. The walking period should allow your heart to get back down into the cardio zone.

When starting HIIT training, I experienced periods of over half an hour of pure peak zone. I also wanted to puke much of the time. But after a few weeks, that went away, and my heart rate settled. Now, my problem is, how to get the heart rate back into the peak zone! Best of luck.

[shipo]

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@Gem71 wrote:

I am 46 and new to running, half way through the couch to 5k app. My blood pressure is always in the low range, resting heart rate about 60. BUT whenever I jog, even really slowly like 4.2mph on a treadmill, my heart rate is constantly in peak, often around 182bpm. Is this normal?? Healthy?? Should I stop? My face is purple when I run and I sweat a lot but I do feel great afterwards. 

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Hey Gem,

First off, congratulations on getting into a C25K program.  Regarding your questions, I would say slow way down, if your face is purple then you're going too fast.  That said, sweating in and of itself, especially indoors on a treadmill, isn't at all unusual, heck, I run outside and one day last year while climbing up a long hill a car passed me from the other direction and the sweat spraying off of one of my arms happened to splash his windshield.  A few minutes later that same car passed me from the rear, the driver rolled his window down and said (in a mock stern voice but with a smile on his face), "Hey, I had to turn my wipers on because of you!"

Over the last ten or so years I have coached numerous runners through the C25K program and the following comments has kind of become my standard mantra (I've set the points most applicable to your situation in BOLD😞

• Breathing; if you're running along and can maintain a conversation in short sentences, you're running at a good training pace.  If you're breathing so hard you're gasping for air, slow way down, you're going to fast, and finally, if you feel you're in imminent danger of collapsing, stop running NOW!
• With the above point in mind, there really is no such a thing as too slow for a beginning runner.
• Nose over toes; many beginning runners have a tendency to over stride, keeping your nose over your toes will still allow a natural "heal touch" first, but transition the main weight contact to the mid-foot area.
• Run on dirt or grass wherever and whenever possible. In addition to the cushioning benefits of running on grass and dirt, there are other benefits, chief among them are a different series of stresses for every step (as opposed to having step after step after step being of a very similar nature and series of stresses), and improvement of ankle flexibility under load.
• When the C25K program says "run", that means "run barely faster than a fast walk"; many folks interpret the "run" directive to mean, "run as fast as you can".
• Repeat weeks as necessary; it is not at all unusual for someone to work up to say, week 4, and then realize they just aren't there yet. When this happens, no worries, repeat week 3 as necessary until you feel ready for week 4.
• Once you've reached the end of the C25K program and can run non-stop for the full 3.1 miles, start extending your training runs at the same pace (or slower), and keep extending the runs until you can run for roughly 1 hour non-stop. Once to that threshold, you can gradually start speeding things up, however, see my LSD comments below.
• Long Slow Distance (LSD); I am an advocate of strict LSD for beginning runners; nothing, and I do mean NOTHING improves speed over a 5K distance for a beginning runner better than lots of LSD.
• Once a runner can run roughly 6 miles at a 10:00 per mile pace (i.e. 1 hour), the best way to start introducing the body to the rigors of faster speeds is to start dialing up the pace for say the last quarter of a mile; then the last half mile, then mile, then two miles. That said, once you're ready for dialing up the pace for the last two miles, you're long since ready for extending the distance as well; try 8 slow miles some days and 6 miles with a fast finish on others.

[Gem71]

Thank you both that's incredibly helpful. 

I honestly don't think I can run any slower I would be walking! I only jog at 4.2mph so I guess it's more walking intervals in between the jogging. I'm shocked I'm so unfit I cycle and lift weights and I enjoy walking so im not sedentary but I'll go back a few weeks on the C25K and walk more. 

Out of interest, if im 'pushing too hard' what happens? Why do I need to slow down? Is it dangerous?

[shipo]

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@Gem71 wrote:

Thank you both that's incredibly helpful. 

I honestly don't think I can run any slower I would be walking! I only jog at 4.2mph so I guess it's more walking intervals in between the jogging. I'm shocked I'm so unfit I cycle and lift weights and I enjoy walking so im not sedentary but I'll go back a few weeks on the C25K and walk more. 

Out of interest, if im 'pushing too hard' what happens? Why do I need to slow down? Is it dangerous?

---

A few comments in no particular order:

• Your first goal when participating in a C25K program is to increase the amount of time you can run without walking, regardless of speed.
• If running at 4.2 mph (which works out to a pace of about 14:20 per mile) is so fast you start to turn purple, then your respiratory and circulatory systems are unable to keep up.
• The best way to develop the body's infrastructure is to keep your pace extremely slow so you can extend the amount of time running.
• If you run beyond your capabilities, then yes, it can be dangerous.  The thing is, by running to absolute exhaustion, your stride will get sloppy and will often lead to injury.  If you keep pushing your extreme limits, you may collapse and injure yourself in that manner.  Then there is the extreme case of pushing so hard you could incur a stroke or heart attack.
• The good news is your cardio/pulmonary and muscular systems develop relatively quickly, however, that does not in any way mean you should immediately switch to full-speed mode.  Why?  Because your joints, connective tissue, and skeletal systems take a LOT longer to develop; pushing too fast too quickly (something I call TFFFS as in Too Fast, too Far, too Frequently, too Soon), will dramatically increase your risk of injury which will often manifest as shin splints, ankle, foot, knee, hip, and/or back issues.
• Remember Rome wasn't built in a day and runners aren't either.

[shipo]

---

@Gem71 wrote:

Thank you both that's incredibly helpful. 

I honestly don't think I can run any slower I would be walking! I only jog at 4.2mph so I guess it's more walking intervals in between the jogging. I'm shocked I'm so unfit I cycle and lift weights and I enjoy walking so im not sedentary but I'll go back a few weeks on the C25K and walk more. 

Out of interest, if im 'pushing too hard' what happens? Why do I need to slow down? Is it dangerous?

---

A few comments in no particular order:

• Your first goal when participating in a C25K program is to increase the amount of time you can run without walking, regardless of speed.
• If running at 4.2 mph (which works out to a pace of about 14:20 per mile) is so fast you start to turn purple, then your respiratory and circulatory systems are unable to keep up.
• The best way to develop the body's infrastructure is to keep your pace extremely slow so you can extend the amount of time running.
• If you run beyond your capabilities, then yes, it can be dangerous.  The thing is, by running to absolute exhaustion, your stride will get sloppy and will often lead to injury.  If you keep pushing your extreme limits, you may collapse and injure yourself in that manner.  Then there is the extreme case of pushing so hard you could incur a stroke or heart attack.
• The good news is your cardio/pulmonary and muscular systems develop relatively quickly, however, that does not in any way mean you should immediately switch to full-speed mode.  Why?  Because your joints, connective tissue, and skeletal systems take a LOT longer to develop; pushing too fast too quickly (something I call TFFFS as in Too Fast, too Far, too Frequently, too Soon), will dramatically increase your risk of injury which will often manifest as shin splints, ankle, foot, knee, hip, and/or back issues.
• Remember Rome wasn't built in a day and runners aren't either.

[MarciM]

@Gem71The question really is are you pushing hard or are you overtraining. 

Pushing hard: This might mean you are running fast intervals, hill repeats, or for many miles in a long run (you on the treadmill). The goal is to stress the body just beyond your fitness level to gradually increase the stress loads on your body and ensure recovery. 

Overtraining: this happens over time, when you continue to push even though our bodies are telling us we're fully cooked. Overtraining starts out as a flame, and if we continue to push through our fatigue, it turns into a forest fire that can only be put out with rest and recovery.

Common symptoms of overtraining include the inability to finish a workout, poor energy levels, insomnia, aches and pains, sickness or elevated resting heart rate on several consecutive mornings. This is halt your progress.

To avoid overtraining, you must progress from your current fitness level, balance hard workouts with active recovery and rest, listen to how your body responds to training. Every one is different, so use your training plan as a guideline and adjust for your fitness level. Age and weight are also a factor, the heavier we are the harder our body have to work and as we age our recovery time slows down. I'm in my 50s and it now takes me a couple of days to recover from a 1/2 marathon. The key is to active recover and rest.

Your body will tell you if you're overdoing it, you just have to listen.

[shipo]

---

@Gem71 wrote:

I am 46 and new to running, half way through the couch to 5k app. My blood pressure is always in the low range, resting heart rate about 60. BUT whenever I jog, even really slowly like 4.2mph on a treadmill, my heart rate is constantly in peak, often around 182bpm. Is this normal?? Healthy?? Should I stop? My face is purple when I run and I sweat a lot but I do feel great afterwards. 

---

A few comments in no particular order:

• Your first goal when participating in a C25K program is to increase the amount of time you can run without walking, regardless of speed.
• If running at 4.2 mph (which works out to a pace of about 14:20 per mile) is so fast you start to turn purple, then your respiratory and circulatory systems are unable to keep up.
• The best way to develop the body's infrastructure is to keep your pace extremely slow so you can extend the amount of time running.
• If you run beyond your capabilities, then yes, it can be dangerous.  The thing is, by running to absolute exhaustion, your stride will get sloppy and will often lead to injury.  If you keep pushing your extreme limits, you may collapse and injure yourself in that manner.  Then there is the extreme case of pushing so hard you could incur a stroke or heart attack.
• The good news is your cardio/pulmonary and muscular systems develop relatively quickly, however, that does not in any way mean you should immediately switch to full-speed mode.  Why?  Because your joints, connective tissue, and skeletal systems take a LOT longer to develop; pushing too fast too quickly (something I call TFFFS as in Too Fast, too Far, too Frequently, too Soon), will dramatically increase your risk of injury which will often manifest as shin splints, ankle, foot, knee, hip, and/or back issues.
• Remember Rome wasn't built in a day and runners aren't either.

[shipo]

---

@MarciM wrote:

 Age and weight are also a factor, the heavier we are the harder our body have to work and as we age our recovery time slows down. I'm in my 50s and it now takes me a couple of days to recover from a 1/2 marathon. The key is to active recover and rest.

---

Thanks, I got a good chuckle from the above bolded snippet from your post; back in my 20s it took me a couple of days to recover from a long race, I'm now in my 60s and still need a couple of days to recover.  🙂

[shipo]

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@Gem71 wrote:

Thank you both that's incredibly helpful. 

I honestly don't think I can run any slower I would be walking! I only jog at 4.2mph so I guess it's more walking intervals in between the jogging. I'm shocked I'm so unfit I cycle and lift weights and I enjoy walking so im not sedentary but I'll go back a few weeks on the C25K and walk more. 

Out of interest, if im 'pushing too hard' what happens? Why do I need to slow down? Is it dangerous?

---

Okay, I'm going to try this again; this is like the fifth time I've tried to respond to the above post and it keeps getting deleted.  Annoying...

A few comments in no particular order:

• Your first goal when participating in a C25K program is to increase the amount of time you can run without walking, regardless of speed.
• If running at 4.2 mph (which works out to a pace of about 14:20 per mile) is so fast you start to turn purple, then your respiratory and circulatory systems are unable to keep up.
• The best way to develop the body's infrastructure is to keep your pace extremely slow so you can extend the amount of time running.
• If you run beyond your capabilities, then yes, it can be dangerous.  The thing is, by running to absolute exhaustion, your stride will get sloppy and will often lead to injury.  If you keep pushing your extreme limits, you may collapse and injure yourself in that manner.  Then there is the extreme case of pushing so hard you could incur a stroke or heart attack.
• The good news is your cardio/pulmonary and muscular systems develop relatively quickly, however, that does not in any way mean you should immediately switch to full-speed mode.  Why?  Because your joints, connective tissue, and skeletal systems take a LOT longer to develop; pushing too fast too quickly (something I call TFFFS as in Too Fast, too Far, too Frequently, too Soon), will dramatically increase your risk of injury which will often manifest as shin splints, ankle, foot, knee, hip, and/or back issues.
• Remember Rome wasn't built in a day and runners aren't either.

[shipo]

---

@Gem71 wrote:

Thank you both that's incredibly helpful. 

I honestly don't think I can run any slower I would be walking! I only jog at 4.2mph so I guess it's more walking intervals in between the jogging. I'm shocked I'm so unfit I cycle and lift weights and I enjoy walking so im not sedentary but I'll go back a few weeks on the C25K and walk more. 

Out of interest, if im 'pushing too hard' what happens? Why do I need to slow down? Is it dangerous?

---

I have tried responding to this post like six times now and my post keeps getting deleted.  Very annoying.  I'm going to try one more time in a separate post with no quote.

[shipo]

A few comments in no particular order:

• Your first goal when participating in a C25K program is to increase the amount of time you can run without walking, regardless of speed.
• If running at 4.2 mph (which works out to a pace of about 14:20 per mile) is so fast you start to turn purple, then your respiratory and circulatory systems are unable to keep up.
• The best way to develop the body's infrastructure is to keep your pace extremely slow so you can extend the amount of time running.
• If you run beyond your capabilities, then yes, it can be dangerous.  The thing is, by running to absolute exhaustion, your stride will get sloppy and will often lead to injury.  If you keep pushing your extreme limits, you may collapse and injure yourself in that manner.  Then there is the extreme case of pushing so hard you could incur a stroke or heart attack.
• The good news is your cardio/pulmonary and muscular systems develop relatively quickly, however, that does not in any way mean you should immediately switch to full-speed mode.  Why?  Because your joints, connective tissue, and skeletal systems take a LOT longer to develop; pushing too fast too quickly (something I call TFFFS as in Too Fast, too Far, too Frequently, too Soon), will dramatically increase your risk of injury which will often manifest as shin splints, ankle, foot, knee, hip, and/or back issues.
• Remember Rome wasn't built in a day and runners aren't either.

[shipo]

---

@shipo wrote:

---

@Gem71 wrote:

Thank you both that's incredibly helpful. 

I honestly don't think I can run any slower I would be walking! I only jog at 4.2mph so I guess it's more walking intervals in between the jogging. I'm shocked I'm so unfit I cycle and lift weights and I enjoy walking so im not sedentary but I'll go back a few weeks on the C25K and walk more. 

Out of interest, if im 'pushing too hard' what happens? Why do I need to slow down? Is it dangerous?

---

I have tried responding to this post like six times now and my post keeps getting deleted.  Very annoying.  I'm going to try one more time in a separate post with no quote.

---

I'll try it without formatting...

A few comments in no particular order:

Your first goal when participating in a C25K program is to increase the amount of time you can run without walking, regardless of speed.

If running at 4.2 mph (which works out to a pace of about 14:20 per mile) is so fast you start to turn purple, then your respiratory and circulatory systems are unable to keep up.

The best way to develop the body's infrastructure is to keep your pace extremely slow so you can extend the amount of time running.

If you run beyond your capabilities, then yes, it can be dangerous. The thing is, by running to absolute exhaustion, your stride will get sloppy and will often lead to injury. If you keep pushing your extreme limits, you may collapse and injure yourself in that manner. Then there is the extreme case of pushing so hard you could incur a stroke or heart attack.

The good news is your cardio/pulmonary and muscular systems develop relatively quickly, however, that does not in any way mean you should immediately switch to full-speed mode. Why? Because your joints, connective tissue, and skeletal systems take a LOT longer to develop; pushing too fast too quickly (something I call TFFFS as in Too Fast, too Far, too Frequently, too Soon), will dramatically increase your risk of injury which will often manifest as shin splints, ankle, foot, knee, hip, and/or back issues.

Remember Rome wasn't built in a day and runners aren't either.

[Gem71]

Thank you!! Lots of brilliant advice I will follow it all! X