I don't go the entire distance at 165 bpm. It is just the last 1/2 mile or less that I typically get up to this point. I don't increase my pace, it's just that's where my heartrate ends up.

I am 37 years old, 6' 7", and weigh 250 lbs. So, I'm moving a lot of runner down the road. My resting heart rate is typically in the high 40's to low 50's. Most of my miles are done around 12 minutes give or take, so it's tough to go much slower without breaking into a walk.

If my max heart rate on a run were only 145 I would be walking most of the way.

I'm pretty confident my max heart rate is 185. I have gone to a track on a few different times and done laps as hard as I could until I couldn't stand it anymore or feel like I could possibly injure myself and 185 is where I end up.

What do you guys think?

http://This message has been edited by TCO (edited May-07-2007).

In regards to my current run/walk ratio, I am currently doing run 4:30/walk 1 minute. Also, I am only doing 2 mile runs right now. I had about 8 weeks where I either didn't run due to my coaching schedule or couldn't run due to illness on a regular basis.

My average heart rate on my last run was 157. When I went over 165 I kept the same ratio. For some reason my heart rate ramped up a lot quicker than normal yesterday but it was the best I've felt in months on a run so I went with it. One of the big reasons I run is to feel good. Was it the best thing in terms of training to keep going like that? Probably not, but sometimes ya gotta say, "What the 'heck'?"

My plan is to keep doing 2 mile runs until I can do a 2 mile run without going over 165(I'm going to guess 4 weeks or so. Once I get momentum in my training I get big cardio gains pretty quick up to a point.). Then I'll start rotating in 3 mile walk/runs in with my 2 milers, and then keep building from there.

I coach junior varsity girls basketball.

In 2005, I ran the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini Marathon. The biggest mistake I made in the race was I set a goal to do a run/walk ratio of 7 to 1 for all of the training runs over 5 miles and for the race. I felt terrible for several runs and I bonked at about the 11 mile mark on the day of the race. From that point on my run/walk ratio kept shrinking until I was down to run a minute walk a minute when I crossed the finish line. My heart rate at the finish line was 181 (my max is 185) and I thought I was going to pass out. Looking back, I'm shocked I didn't. The warmest training run I went on was probably 60 degrees. The day of the race was sunny and 75 by the time the race was over.

I want to do a half marathon in the spring of 2008. A group of teachers want to run the Nashville Mini next year. I want to get to where I can go 10 miles by this fall and then start focusing on the half marathon next winter.

Since then I have run a local 8 K each year. I don't really like doing 5K's because no matter how much I train I still end up being almost dead last among runners. People that run 5 miles per year can blow my doors off at that distance. However, in the 8K I can pass people as the race goes on and I can tell that my training pays off.

I have a reason I don't want to move on to other distances before being able to run 2 miles without going over 165. In the past I have tried to mix in other distances before I was ready to move up. I ended up being miserable on those runs and ended up having a lot of set backs.

I have a goal race in a year. I want to add distance and run/walk ratios as my body is ready for it. This may be my last big race. I'm a big guy and I have had foot, knee, and hip issues. I don't know how wise it is for me to continue with long distance running long term. I may have to switch to cycling.

It's more of a foot issue than a knee issue. The joint in the ball of my right foot has some pan issues. I think I have some arthritis starting in it. It doesn't hurt when I run but after I run it gets sore. When I have flare ups with it, I start having knee and hip pain. When it's really bad it goes up into my shoulder and elbow.