I got in the pool and made up my swim workout that I wimped out on yesterday! Granted it was like 70 and sunny so it wasn't that hard to motivate. 
Who Wants to Get Active--Belle : January 2008
Previous NextA lot of my runs so far were supposed to have been low intensity and in zone 1 but I am having a really hard time running in zone 1. I thought I calculated my lactate threshold to be around 174, so zone 1 would be under 147 HR. This past weekend I went on a 6-mile run and it took one hour. 10-minute miles is pretty slow but my heart rate was still high. For the first 30 minutes my HR was consistently between 154 and 165. The slightest hill made it go up into the 170s and 180s and in the last half hour I could not get it under 170. I was winded however as long as I was not running a hill (or recovering from a hill) I could still talk. My boyfriend's HR was around 150 the whole time.
My questions are:
1) Is it really possible to run in zone 1 and am I doing something wrong?
2) is it normal for women to have a higher HR than men?
3) am I too concerned with the numbers? 
Observing the drinking habits of Irish Midwesterners is a workout in-and-of itself. Luckily I did not try to keep their pace, but sought a happy median between meager exercise and relaxing island time. When 50 people from the same family/friend network are gathered together on an island you tend to slow down a little bit. Although only one of my workouts was probably in line with my program, I did stay (slightly) active in addition to all the drinking and lounging.
We arrived on Wednesday with just enough time for a night cap. Thursday we packed our bags and headed about 4 miles north on foot to Lacovia, where we stayed the rest of the time. We made it a point not to get in a car that first day on the Island which meant we also walked the mile to and from the rehearsal dinner. On our morning trek we made a friend:
Friday we woke up early (9:30) and ran (dragged our feet) on the beach. For some reason--the heat, humidity, alcohol???--we were sluggish and that mere 20 minutes seemed to last an eternity. Josh actually asked how long we had been running only 2 minutes in.
Saturday we went snorkeling, which doesn't require that much exertion but I was technically swimming and my heart rate did go up when we got to stingray city. 
Sunday was wedding day but we did manage to squeeze in a tennis match prior to pina coladas and wine.
Today was another travel day but I am looking forward to my swim workout tomorrow--sans snorkel mask and hangover.
Belle is a little active but she wants to get more active. Follow her through videos and blogs as she works with help from Active Expert Gale Bernhardt to prepare for the wildflower triathlon next May.
