Heart Zones e-Newsletter

Welcome to the october 2005 edition of The Heart Zones e-Newsletter copyright: Heart Zones : Your source of heart rate training information
	Which Elicits a Higher Heart Rate: Bungee Jumping or Sky Diving? New Sport, New Way: Parkour Which Diet is Ranked the Best for Long Term Results? PR (Personal Record) for Heart Zones Second Time Half Marathoner AND ... Never Before Shown in the USA: The Heart Rate Intensity Gauges New Way to Measure Fitness – Metabolic Assessments using a Metabolic Cart Question from Subscriber: How Do I Stay In Zone 3? This One is a Beauty: The Timex Trail Runner
	1. Which Elicits a Higher Heart Rate: Bungee Jumping or Sky Diving? One of the best ways to use a heart rate monitor is to test your physiology’s response to different conditions and situations. Recently, I asked the following question: “Which would raise my heart rate more - skydiving or bungee jumping?” Three years ago, I bungee jumped in New Zealand while wearing my monitor. My heart rate peaked at 145 bpm. A few weeks ago, equipped with a Timex Fitness heart rate monitor ($48.76 at the Heart Zones web store) and a Timex data recorder ($48.50) I was able to answer the question – definitively. It was my first skydiving experience and I went tandem with a master jumper. I was calm as the airplane climbed to 13,000 feet, and my heart rate stayed low: 70-80 bpm (see graph below at minute 22). Then the pilot announced that it was just 1 minute before my jump. My jump master was standing at the door cinched to me, I was looking down 13,000 feet to the ground, and I looked at my heart rate which responded to “fear” with an anticipatory heart rate of 100 bpm (see minute 23). As we jumped out of the airplane, we reached a speed of 120 mph - falling. My respiratory rate went sky high. Sure enough, the “fight or flight” response elicited a flight response of 161 bpm, 85% of my maximum heart rate. Which elicits a higher heart rate bungee jumping or sky diving? Sky diving. My sky diving heart rate is about 20 bpm higher than bungee jumping. Sally Edwards, Founder and head Heart, Heart Zones on September 10, 2005 (the sky dive was her 58th birthday present)
	2.New Sport, New Way: Parkour Urban athleticism has a new sort – Parkour. This is a new discipline for (primarily) fit males in their late teens and early 20s. To the devotees, known as traceurs, it is pure Zone 4-5 intensity as they conquer railings, ramps, fences and rooftops in obstacle course fashion. The goal is to connect several moves in fluid, unbroken string while running. While dangerous, it isn’t reckless or random. Every obstacle is carefully assessed, each move execute with precision. It is a new way to look at a lamppost or bus shelter and see possibilities. Like martial arts, it is a discipline. It’s not enough to pull off a move- traceurs try to do it with grace, originality, and style. There’s even a British documentary – “Jump London” - and a Parkour video game available for the PlayStation. Parkour now has groups in Germany, Australia, and Croatia as its growing popularity becomes a global phenomenon.
	3.Which Diet is Ranked the Best for Long Term Results? The two top contenders for best weight loss diets, according to Consumer Magazine, are Slim-Fast and Weight Watchers. Though low-carbohydrate diets have seemingly been the most popular and sold the most diet books, the magazine selected Weight Watchers as the top diet narrowly beating Slim-Fast. Weight Watchers features support group meetings, weekly weigh-ins and a points system while Slim-Fast sells shakes that let you opt out of cooking. The ratings published in the June 2005 issue were based on pounds lost, nutritional value, how easy the diet is to follow, and drop-out rates after six months and year. The popular Atkins diet is ranked the worst of those tested because of poor marks on retention and nutrition. The magazine’s conclusions are based on a review of published clinical research on the diets plus nutrient and calorie analysis. According to Consumer Reports magazine, four other diet programs - internet-based eDiets, South Beach, Volumetrics, and Jenny Craig - were not ranked because there were not enough independent clinical studies to allow for comparisons.
	4. PR (Personal Record) for Heart Zones Second Time Half Marathoner “On July 4th I recommitted myself to increasing my level of fitness. My goal was to compete in a Labor Day half marathon. I say compete and not complete since I already had completed my first half marathon last November. The competition would be between me and the clock as I wanted to lower my time by over eight minutes to best the 2 hour mark. Nine weeks time to build mileage and increase speed since I hadn’t maintained a diligent training regimen. Was I dreaming or could it be pulled off? Only time and effort would tell. “I started by writing down a training plan. I have logged many workouts and counted many Heart Zones points since committing myself to fitness in June of 2003. I had never charted a plan for two months of training. This would be a first. Having charted a plan to gradually increase weekly points from 600 to 1,000, I submitted the chart to my coach. She said it was a good start but challenged me to accelerate the increase and get to the 1000 points threshold ‘This is a magic number - 1,000 - and I want you to discover what happens when you hit it!’ So I upped my time and increased my intensities and began my training. I started the first few weeks with longer runs at or around 75% of my maximum heart rate. I then worked into my schedule interval training where my heart rate would quickly rise into Zone 4 (shorter training time but more points). I varied terrain and did many more hills than I would experience on race day. Even though I had put in the time and trained diligently for two months this was, after all, only my second half marathon. I placed my faith in Heart Zones Training for the training and now for race day I decided to do the same. I wrote a race plan using heart rate not pace. I had spent plenty of training time at 80% or above, but could I keep it at that level for two whole hours? I had a DASH! monitor that showed distance, altitude, speed and heart rate but decided to use only heart rate to gauge my effort. The race started and I watched my heart rate level off in the first mile to about 80%. Throughout the next ten miles my pace gradually slowed from 8:14 to 9:30 per mile while my heart rate hovered around 85%. I was focusing on heart rate and feeling good about my overall time… then came the 11th mile. My heart rate remained at 85% but my pace had slowed to 10:11. I realized at this point that I was in danger of not meeting my goal of besting the two hour time clock. I reached down and turned my heart rate monitor to show pace in the display. I huffed and I puffed the last mile and a bit at 8:20 pace and around 90% heart rate and ended up with a personal best of 1 hour 59 minutes and 53 seconds. I thank my family for the time they have allowed me to train on my own, my friends by encouraging me to focus on fitness and train the Heart Zones Training way and my inner self who is still looking to improve and thrive both physically and emotionally. I am doing it and so can you. Dave Tronson, Seattle, Washington. Zoner since June 1, 2003.
	5. Never Before Shown in the USA: The Heart Rate Intensity Gauges At the upcoming Heart Zones Conference 2005 : There’s a New Way! Participants have an opportunity to test experience the latest in fitness and exercise training technologies. Check this one out. Activio (www.activio.se) is showing for the first time in the USA their new product: group exercise heart rate Intensity Gauge. This Swedish company has developed a group training system for indoor cycling classes. The heart rate information is wirelessly transferred from the chest strap to a central computer unit and presented in real-time on a screen that is situated next to the ride leader. The riders identify themselves and their maximum heart rate with an anonymous ID-number so that no one in the class knows their heart rate numbers. The system provides the riders feedback by showing them their data and zones. Activio’s Intensity Gauge heart rate system is a new and effective way to introduce people to the principles of Heart Zones Training quickly by displaying the essential three pieces of data, continuously and individually on their personal intensity meter. Attend the 4th Annual Heart Zones Conference by signing up today at www.heartzones.com. The three-day event which includes workouts, seminars, workshops, keynotes, awards parties, and certifications including continuing education units is $299.
	6. New Way to Measure Fitness – Metabolic Assessments using a Metabolic Cart There’s a new way to train and there’s an old way. Ushering out the old way is New Leaf, a Minneapolis-based company that has been manufacturing and using gas-analyzing equipment for the past 25 years. Their new metabolic cart is designed for athletes and health-conscious participants. Attending the Heart Zones Conference is Terry Kapsen, Sean Sutter and the New Leaf team (www.newleaffitness.com) to show you how to use metabolic assessments the new way. The reason to use the data from these tests is to assess your metabolic profile. When you know your metabolic information including your aerobic capacity, you can train knowing: Your training zones that are the most efficient and effective. Prove that your training program is working to get you fitter. If you should change your workouts to achieve different results. Join us in Denver, Colorado October 14-16th and measure your metabolic profile with New Leaf.
	7. Question from Subscriber: How Do I Stay In Zone 3? Cyndi’s Question: I did the tests for determining my running Max Heart Rate and came up with 188 - I use 190 bpm on the chart. The chart indicates that I should keep my HR between 130 and 148 during Zone 3. So, my problem: no matter what I do, except walking, I cannot run with my HR less that 158 bpm. I've been running for one year and though my endurance has improved and I can run three miles, my heart rate has not dropped. I'm running 10.5 to 11 minutes miles and am no speed-demon by any means. So basically, in order to keep my HR in this or a lower zone, I have to walk the majority of my run or just run in zone 4 all the time. I would appreciate any suggestions as I'm looking at my goals for next year and want to improve my running. I appreciate your time. Cyndi Sundby Sally’s Answer: There are a couple of answers but let me take a guess and suggest this one – I think you need to re-test your maximum heart rate. The best test and it is very strenuous is the “2 to 4 Minute Test”. The protocol (more details in the book “The Heart Zones GUIDEBOOK” available in the Heart Zones web store): Warm up adequately to 130 bpm and start the test by starting your chronograph (stop watch). Increase your speed gently such that your heart rate goes up 5 bpm every 15 seconds. Continue this sequence of “5 bpm every 15 seconds” until you reach fatigue. Use the peak heart rate, the highest one that you see, as your new maximum heart rate. Next, set your training heart zones at 10% of this, your new maximum heart rate number. Cyndi and other subscribers, please send us an email so we can share your results of this test in next month’s E-Newsletter! (send to staff@heartzones.com).
	8. This One is a Beauty: The Timex Trail Runner The Trail Runner, is a beauty – not “just a new heart rate monitor” but a cool tool packed with the ability to turn on and off the modes so you can see just what you want to use. In business, this is called “personalization” and Timex is the first to give it to you the way you want it. The Trail Runner ($130) offers more too. According to Paul Bernstein, Timex Product Development Manager, “This is Timex first product that allows you to track your time in zones using the Heart Zones Training methodology plus we give you three “C” or custom zones – put in your Threshold heart zones too”. You can even add some Body Link pieces like a data recorder (for downloading) and a 3-D GPS sensor (for vertical speed, latitude, longitude, and altitude displays) and for less than $300 you have the best DASH! monitor on the market today (Note: a DASH! Stands for Distance + Altitude + Speed + Heart Rate). Or, for just $130 you can have what we recommend as the easiest and best digital heart rate monitor on the market today. Period. www.heartzones.com/store
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