Home› General Training Discussions

Bike and Run Test HR

Brian PautschBrian Pautsch
in General Training Discussions

I probably should have asked this awhile ago, but am finally getting very serious with my OS training. When I did the Bike Test, my HR didn't go to high, even though I pushed very hard for the full 40 min. But on the Run Test, my HR did go High, as I expected.

Bike: Average HR 138 - Averaged 20-21 mph on road bike. I was never out of breath, but my legs were done at the end. 

Run: Average HR 160 - Held 8 mph pace (7:30/mile, 23:20 total). Pushed hard, but felt good at the end. Could have been under 23 min easily, but the instructions said to hold a fast, consistent pace...so I didn't touch the speed since it was good for me.

Do these numbers make sense, specifically the bike? I did get it to kick up to 155 on the bike a few times, but there's no way I could hold that speed. Does it mean my bike heart rate is good?

Thanks,

Brian

 

Comments

  • jburbattjburbatt
    On the bike I'd say it sounds like you did what you could if you're legs were done. With the run, if you could have easily knocked off 20 seconds I'm thinking you probably should go harder next time. Like you want to puke harder image You definitely want to hold a fast consistent pace, but then I start kicking it up as the test goes on with my fastest mile being at the end. If I don't want to fall over in exhaustion and nausea at the end of the run test then I know I didn't go hard enough. Pretty much the same for the bike test, though it's spread a lot farther out since its a 42 min test instead of 20 minute test.
  • jburbattjburbatt
    Oh and re: numbers being right, everyone is different with HR so it'll be hard to compare. You're going to have to gauge your RPE and determine if you could have gone harder. And remember that HR lags behind effort, so make sure you warm up sufficiently on the bike so that you're getting a good reading. I also found that after a few workouts, especially getting into the VO2 block with the 100%+ efforts, you'll be able to tell if your HR test was accurate enough.
  • Brian PautschBrian Pautsch
    Jennifer - Thanks for the reply. I was hoping you'd say everything you said...I just needed to hear it.
  • William JenksWilliam Jenks
    Brian-

    It's pretty universal that people have lower HR at threshold on teh bike and run, but the 138 vs 160 is a pretty big gap. It could easily be "just you". It could also be that you're just a stronger runner than biker, so you're more limited by your musculature on the bike than you are running. Also, since the bike test is somewhat longer, you will have a little lower HR because of that too. Nonetheless that is a bigger gap than I usually hear. Hopefully you'll find out that it means you have lots of room for improvement over teh winter!

    William
  • bkcomiskeybkcomiskey

     Brian:



    You are welcome to come over my pain cave and test on the computrainer any time you want.  I will encourage (yell at) you too.

  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    Brian, what WJ said. It's common for there to be a difference between bike and run HR's in tests, especially for athletes with a running background and new to cycling. Basically, they are yet strong enough cyclists to do enough work to get their running heart up to the same heart rate. That's my unscientific experience, anyway. Eventually the delta between bike and run HR's narrows, through yours right now is pretty big.

    Bottomline, it's one data point and doesn't really mean much. You'll see the numbers change in subsequent tests, be able to spot trends, etc.

  • Brian PautschBrian Pautsch
    WJ - I guess the important thing is that I have a baseline that I can compare to over the next few months.

    Brian - I might take you up on that offer. image

    Rich - Unfortunately, my running isn't my strength...I was never a runner. But still, my running appears to be stronger than my biking. Even though the heart rate was low, I was happy to average 20-21 mph. Note: This is on a road bike on a Tacx Flow trainer...I'm sure I'd be faster on a tri bike and I'm not certain on the accuracy of the trainer for good or for bad). Over the winter, I'll be investing in a new tri bike and power meter. My reading should become more accurate then. Bottom line: There's always room for improvement...and I have test results to compare to.

    Thanks, guys.
  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    Brian, sounds good. I recommend you completely disregard speed on that trainer. No idea if that is accurate or at least consistent from ride to ride.

  • William JenksWilliam Jenks
    @Brian - Just for laughs, I'll point out that I go about 18 mph at ~240 W on my trainer! The speed varies with the tire, tire pressure, how hard the tension is put on the trainer clamp, and the inherent response curve on the trainer. I have a fluid trainer, and after about 10 min it "warms up" and the response curve changes (it gets "harder").

    Back a couple years ago when I was doing these multiple hour winter group trainer rides, I would just have to ignore it when my friends (with whom I rode competitively in races) would say they'd gone "60 miles" and I'd gone under 50...

    Anyway, the only thing that really matters on the trainer is watts, as Rich says. The speed is probably "accurate" but it's meaningless, i.e., it has nothing to do with what you'd be doing outside. But more than that, unless you are totally neurotic about keeping everything identical from ride to ride on it, the speed/power correlation will not be very good on your trainer in anything but a qualitative sense. Stick with power and don't worry about the speed.
  • Brian PautschBrian Pautsch
    WJ - Thanks. That makes total sense. Now I just need to get the new bike and power meter!
  • mpaliosmpalios
    One other thing from a new guy with no power readings. It sounds like you are going straight on HR, Brian, as am I.

    On the bike, I have kind of figured out what gearing and cadence I need to be at to get my HR where it needs to be. I also know that if in Week 1 I am at XX gear with an average cadence of 88, and that CHANGES to Week 10 at gear XX with an average cadence of 92 (or gear XXXX, average cadence of 88), then progress is made. While I don't know power numbers, I know my capacity has increased. I also don't rely on HR much on the bike, just look at it. If I hit my cadence target, I hit my HR, you know?

    Also, my extremely inaccurate, unscientific readings of speed from the trainer to the road is ~2mph. If I'm hitting 20mph on the bike, that means I could be CLOSE TO 22mph on the road. That's just me. And I know it isn't important at all (speed on the trainer). But I still look at it!
  • William JenksWilliam Jenks

    Oy.  Had power on the brain for another reason.  Sorry about that!

     

     
Sign In or Register to comment.