Running in peak heart rate zone

[B3RRRT]

Hello

I'm 29 y/o female at about average fitness (RHR varies between 64 and 71 throughout the month), easily walk 1 to 1.5hrs every day and can run 5km (but with some difficulty) when I do run my heart rate is always in the ''peak zone' and averages around 180, but does get as high as 194.

I'm unsure if having my HR as high as 194 is ok, what are other people's experiences with this? I feel ok when I run and afterwards, so it doesn't feel like a big issue, and I am assuming as I run more it will get lower. Is that a correct assumption?

Thanks

[Dominique]

Have you recently started to become more active, after being mostly sedentary for a longer time? If so, your assumption is correct: as you run more and become fitter, your HR at the same intensity level should come down. In addition to RHR, you may want to monitor your Cardio Fitness Score (it should go up as you get fitter). Make a mental note of what it is now, as Fitbit does not store historical values.

[Heybales]

@B3RRRT 

It also depends on what your HR zones actually are.

Fitbit is bulding off the default 220-age as a HRmax top-end.

Which is also for women especially easy to be more than 10 bpm wrong than within a small range - it's huge bell curve for average.

So your HRmax may be higher than calculated, which has nothing to do with health, but genetics - a fast Honda heart, or slow diesel heart. Both are improved from training, the HRmax doesn't increase, your ability to go faster.

If higher than calc'd - it means your HR at that pace really isn't in the Peak zone, but lower - and just fine.

If you could talk short sentences here and there - it was aerobic zone no matter what Fitbit or any zone estimation says.

If you could only say a word or two and then be out of breath - then you may have been at bottom of Peak zone.

You can adjust the HRmax value when you start to get a better idea as you get fitter.

Just don't limit yourself by the Zone readings if they don't seem correct - you could be slowing your progress below the rate it could be improved.

My HRmax is tested at 192, by that age formula it would be 170.

That means my normal comfortable run at 145-155 would appear in a graph as in Peak zone.

If I tried to keep my runs at say 80% of calculated around 136 - I'd be jogging very slow. Pretty worthless workout for my available time and fitness level. That would be good recovery run level though.

ETA - fixed math responding way later than I should have. Thank you Colin!

[emili]

the more fit you become, the lower your HR will be when you run. I am 48 and my RHR is about 52. When I run I am consistently in the 150s. It will spike to 170(something) on occasion but comes back down to the 150s. if you feel dizzy or can't catch your breath after you stop or your HR doesn't come down within a minute of stopping, you may want to go get checked out. if you feel OK and your HR comes down- in my completely unmedical opinion, you are OK.