Just did 7.8 miles with the club and checked out my Max Heart Rate goin mad for it with our D group, the fastest bunch, at 7.11 min miles. It is 193bpm according to my Garmin Edge with a HR chest strap, and 194bpm says the Tom Tom watch that shines what looks like a laser into your wrist to clock your beats per minute (review will be in Trail Running mag next issue on sale 4 Sept). Either way, I was working very very hard, but I still think I could have pushed a little bit harder if Rory Coleman (my exciting new coach) had been there giving encouragement, so can I call my MHR 195bmp? The maths is slightly easier that way! Working out my new HR zones, my 90% effort is now about 175bpm, 85% is 165bpm and 75% is 155bpm. Gosh, haven’t I become dull?

Dull, and also now veeeeery confused. I can run at 165bmp really really easily for ages and ages, it definitely doesn’t seem like an 85% effort. And tonight I maintained about 180bpm with a pained-face-pulling hard effort toward the end, like a threshold, race-paced run. The 75% effort of 155bmp would feel just about like walking!

Does this mean I have to run slower? Or have I not pushed my MHR properly to begin with to work all these levels out? Surely it can’t be much more than 195bmp or I’d be a human hamster! I asked about 10 people at the club and no one really knew for sure. Time to email Rory…I’ll let you know what he says…