Tip of the Month
Morning Heart Rate Test
The best time to find out your resting heart rate (RHR) is in the morning, after a good night’s sleep, and before you get out of bed. Take your pulse for a minute and make a note of the number in your training log. Do this for a week and average the numbers to establish a baseline.
Continue to take your RHR each morning. When you notice an elevated RHR you should be aware that having a hard training session that day (i.e. intervals, long distance running or biking) can easily push you over the edge. The result: sickness, prolonged fatigue, poor performance, and even injury.
Have an easy or short workout if your morning RHR is greater than 5% of your baseline. Take the day off of training if your morning RHR is greater than 10% above baseline.
