FR235 heart rate questions?????

Are you thinking it's inaccurately measuring your HR or that it misclassifies it? If the former, that may be a problem intrinsic to the 235. The wrist based HRMs are iffy. You can wear an ant+ strap with it, I believe. If it's the latter, you should be able to manually adjust your zones. User settings on the app has a place to configure HR zones. Be sure to use an actual MHR or close approximation; don't rely on an age based formula. Those are worthless for this purpose.

Are you thinking it's inaccurately measuring your HR or that it misclassifies it? If the former, that may be a problem intrinsic to the 235. The wrist based HRMs are iffy. You can wear an ant+ strap with it, I believe. If it's the latter, you should be able to manually adjust your zones. User settings on the app has a place to configure HR zones. Be sure to use an actual MHR or close approximation; don't rely on an age based formula. Those are worthless for this purpose.

I set up the watch and on connect and changed my max heart rate as advised. Took my age away. It then did its adjustment automatically with the other fields. I did my first run wearing it yesterday which was 10 miles. I usually pace at around 8.50 to 9.15 min miles for a ten miler. This I class as my steady pace. My heart rate zone throughout the run was at the top of threshold and into max most of the way even when I backed off and slowed right down to 9.45 pace! I was still in the threshold bracket. So I went slower just to test the zones and I never once went into aerobic or easy. So what is all this telling me and how do I manage it? Beginning to wish I'd never got the heart monitor version and only got it so I could start to vary my pace.

Still not sure if you think it's the measurement or the classification that's off. Is the watch just telling you zones and not numbers? If you're just getting zones and you used an age based formula to determine what MHR to input, that could be your problem. Age based MHR formulas at best represent averages only, but can be way off for any particular individual. You need to determine your accurate MHR. If you're putting garbage into the watch, that explains why you're getting garbage out.

It's beyond the scope of this forum, but a google search will lead you to numerous sources to determine or at least reasonably estimate your MHR and threshold. Use those numbers in your settings.

Dan

Still not sure if you think it's the measurement or the classification that's off. Is the watch just telling you zones and not numbers? If you're just getting zones and you used an age based formula to determine what MHR to input, that could be your problem. Age based MHR formulas at best represent averages only, but can be way off for any particular individual. You need to determine your accurate MHR. If you're putting garbage into the watch, that explains why you're getting garbage out.

It's beyond the scope of this forum, but a google search will lead you to numerous sources to determine or at least reasonably estimate your MHR and threshold. Use those numbers in your settings.

Dan

Cheers Dan.

I'm working with my numbers based on my age. I'm 45 so I'm supposed to be 175 max. When I run at an easy pace my watch shows me in the threshold zone. Only when I'm at an almost walking pace am at at aerobic. So what this is telling me is that I can't run at my normal pace of around 8.30 ish cos the needle will pop out of my watch. Also that my easy aerobic run workout will in actual fact be a walk. Neither are any use and so I need to alter the figures somehow. I have done a bit of research on all of this but it's all a bit scientific. I'm no closer to my answer really apart from manually getting my mhr. How am I best to ascertain my max heart rate? Following an interval session?
Cheers.

Cheers Dan.

I'm working with my numbers based on my age. I'm 45 so I'm supposed to be 175 max. When I run at an easy pace my watch shows me in the threshold zone. Only when I'm at an almost walking pace am at at aerobic. So what this is telling me is that I can't run at my normal pace of around 8.30 ish cos the needle will pop out of my watch. Also that my easy aerobic run workout will in actual fact be a walk. Neither are any use and so I need to alter the figures somehow. I have done a bit of research on all of this but it's all a bit scientific. I'm no closer to my answer really apart from manually getting my mhr. How am I best to ascertain my max heart rate? Following an interval session?
Cheers.

As I said, you can't go by age. When I was about your age I had my MHR tested in an exercise physiology lab at 207. If I had used 175 as my max I would have had the same problem you're having. You may well be an outlier as I am. The best way to get your real MHR is with a max test. You can do this yourself; warm up and progressively go harder until your HR levels off. It helps to run up an incline. You really have to push to get MHR; it will hurt. Figure you'll still be a little short of max. While many would advise against doing this, realize that thousands do the functional equivalent of this every week in road races. If you're not comfortable doing this, you can seek out a physiology lab at a local university. Don't ask your dr to do it with a stress test. Most drs know nothing about this and will be afraid to bring you above your age based number. Obviously, be careful with this if you have a heart condition or other risk factors. As an alternative, there are various protocols to determine threshold hr and extrapolate from that to get MHR. Some internet searching will disclose several methods. But as I said, 220- age or a similar formula is basically garbage for this purpose. Garbage in, garbage out.

As I said, you can't go by age. When I was about your age I had my MHR tested in an exercise physiology lab at 207. If I had used 175 as my max I would have had the same problem you're having. You may well be an outlier as I am. The best way to get your real MHR is with a max test. You can do this yourself; warm up and progressively go harder until your HR levels off. It helps to run up an incline. You really have to push to get MHR; it will hurt. Figure you'll still be a little short of max. While many would advise against doing this, realize that thousands do the functional equivalent of this every week in road races. If you're not comfortable doing this, you can seek out a physiology lab at a local university. Don't ask your dr to do it with a stress test. Most drs know nothing about this and will be afraid to bring you above your age based number. As an alternative, there are various protocols to determine threshold hr and extrapolate from that to get MHR. Some internet searching will disclose several methods. But as I said, 220- age or a similar formula is basically garbage for this purpose. Garbage in, garbage out.

I'm doing an interval session later so ill give it a go later. So I take it that the maximum number that I achieve in bpm will potentially be my max he? I will repeat to double check next week.
Cheers for your advice.