<p>Frustrating low hr day mile pace was slower and I’ve almost been at this for 3 weeks. Don’t know if I’m impatient ? I think i was at this point 2 1/12 years ago when I bailed. Going to give it more time , but it is tough putting in this extra time/ miles and regressing.</p>
<p>I think it can take some time. Have you tried the MAF test that they recommend? (I’ve never done one) I think you do it on a track (i.e. flat) and see how your HR compares to past MAF tests (which, of course, you probably don’t have). It has you warm up first. Also, remember that things like being slightly dehydrated can affect your HR and lead to a different pace.</p>
<p>Ohio, according to this guy, you should not give up yet:</p>
<p>“First, make sure you have given it enough time. You may see no results for even 8 or 12 weeks for the first time, depending on your running history. Next, make sure you are following all of the rules, including staying under MAF for everything you are doing, including swimming, biking, etc. Those with exceptionally poor aerobic conditioning may have to use an even lower heart rate. Last, but not least, make sure you are getting some downhill running in where you have to speed up to keep your heart rate up at MAF and sustain it for more than a few seconds. This will help you maintain leg turnover and improve running economy. You’re unlikely to see much improvement if you always run the same pace.”</p>
<p><a href=“RunningAHEAD - Topic: Low heart rate training FAQ”>RunningAHEAD - User Groups;
<p>I’m on injured reserve. A couple of days after my hiking last week, I woke up with left side lower back spasm and left side hip pain. Nothing terrible, but I try to be extremely cautious with that stuff, so no workouts for me. I figure the last thing I need to do is lift weights. Seems to be better today so I went for a little walk around the neighborhood and few minutes of warmup pedalling on the Airdyne. </p>
<p>Day to day.</p>
<p>A question about rest days, for a just-starting-out exerciser. Do you experts think it is better to schedule rest days or to plan to exercise every day? </p>
<p>Rest days or at least days when you do something easy and relaxing, like going for a walk.</p>
<p>^^ Yes, definitely schedule one or 2 rest days per week which can include “active recovery” as IDad suggests.</p>
<p>Thanks idad and MNK - it does seem to be common wisdom to schedule a rest day or two a week. I am wondering why that is, exactly. Is it physiological or psychological? Obviously someone who is training for a marathon would not run 26 miles every day, but what about someone who is running (or attempting to run) two miles a day? And of course exercising through injury or illness probably isn’t a good idea, but those would seem more like taking a sick day rather than choosing to take a day off for rest.</p>
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<p>Both. Most importantly, it’s physical. The body needs recovery time after hard exercise. Especially the middle-age body. You will eventually wear down and get less out of your exercise. If you really want to exercise day after day, one approach is to alternate and do completely different kinds of exercise so you aren’t working the same muscles day after day.For example, to a point, I can get away with alternating weight lifting and riding the Airdyne exercise bike. The weight lifting muscles are recovering on the Airdyne day and vice versa. However, I still will reach a point of feeling run down with no rest days.</p>
<p>But, psychologically as well. You can be all gung-ho and exercise every day for a while – maybe a few months. But, it starts to take it’s toll and becomes an impediment to sustainability. I have an iron-clad rule of at least one day completely off from exercise a week and, ideally, two.</p>
<p>Good morning. Hope you’re feeling better, idad.</p>
<p>Mathilda, while this doesn’t precisely apply to your question (eg running) its interesting to consider the rest theory in weight training. Where weight resistance in particular is concerned, is the “micro-tearing” of the muscles you actually cause by the exercise. The micro tearing and inflammation is what causes the muscle to “build” or technically, heal itself. It needs time to heal, however, to actually “build” the muscle. It also needs time to recharge the glycogen stores. Ergo, the rest is as important as the effort in terms of the outcome where weight training is concerned.</p>
<p>Think of it like baking bread. Youre mixing the ingredients when you work out, but ya gotta let it rise, then bake, before you have functional bread ;)</p>
<p>When you hear of conditioned people working out (on weights) daily, they’re generally working different sets of muscles each day with 2-3 days between groups. </p>
<p>This doesn’t apply as much to low impact activities like walking, and cardio activities have a different cycle of repetition and rest or recommended intensities but glycogen recovery is still part of the picture.</p>
<p>Of course, going the other direction (like me at times) is also a problem…gained strength in a muscle set begins to wane if you lapse by more than 96 hours in a weight training program 
That’s why weekend warriors often hurt themselves, or why long-weekend-indulgers don’t make the kind of progress they could in terms of muscle definition/tone.</p>
<p>Speaking of which, gotta catch a plane now for a week of nonsense in Cali ;)</p>
<p>KMC, enjoy that Cali trip! Was on the phone w/D1 who was calling me on the beach in Coronado with her toes in the warm sand and water while I was home in Ohio with cold, damp, pounding rain outside. Hope you have good weather whatever part you are visiting!! </p>
<p>Mathilda, I too think it depends on lots of things - what type of “training” are you doing? Are you starting from scratch after doing no exercise for years? Tell us a little more detail.</p>
<p>I started running exactly 2 years ago this month - never had run in my life. Was a active person in terms of staying busy and on my feet all day and not being a couch potato, but didn’t do a lot of organized fitness. Mostly walking, gardening, cutting the grass - that kind of thing.</p>
<p>I started the C25K program, completed it after about 3 months and remained very religious to running 3-4 times a week - one day on, one day off - for a long time, probably a year and a half. I think this was important to my stamina, my mental state (not getting sick of running or not feeling married to do it everyday), and was more do-able to me. My goal was a fitness plan that I could STICK with for the long haul - not a temporary thing to do till I lost “X” pounds. </p>
<p>I still stick to that “every other day” for running mentality for the most part. Occasionally I’ll run two days in a row. Often I will do other fitness activities on the non-running days as time allows - biking, walking, kayaking. In the winter when I use the fitness facility I’ll combine some running on an indoor track (maybe a mile) with rowing machine time and finish up with another mile or so on the treadmill. The variety HELPS.</p>
<p>I’ll admit that some days it feels REALLY nice to know that that is my day “off” of exercise. A well deserved break. </p>
<p>KMC- where in California? I’m heading to SF on Thursday-Sunday, then back the following Tues-Thurs for sort of a business “tour” through northern/central Calif. </p>
<p>3 miles of not-very-successful low heart rate running this am. I think I was a little dehydrated from hot yoga last night. My HR seemed high to start, and I just didn’t have the patience to keep it under 135. Averaged 140.</p>
<p>I’m keeping quiet on the rest days topic since I’m not good about that. I had a streak of 960 days of straight running. Some were very short, easy days, but probably too many were not. It ended with a stress fracture, although even the doctors don’t blame it on the streak. I really don’t feel OK if I don’t do some sort of physical activity every day. It’s a mental and a physical thing with me. Running a mile can be an easy day for me. I’m trying not to streak right now, and I don’t want to get locked back into that. Right now running works well for me as my broken ribs continue to heal. I have an appt this afternoon with the bone guru doctor, and I will see what she says about it all.</p>
<p>But MOWC, you are also a trained athlete of decades. Not that that makes it right, but it is the exception rather than the rule here probably. So daily training may be more “ok” for someone in your league. 
If Mathilda is just starting out after little to no exercise routine, her program should look much different. Which is why it would be helpful to know her history/current situation!</p>
<p>I completely agree. I think rest days are important for everyone, and it’s a fault of mine that I’m not better about them. Part of it is that I try for weekly mileage goals, and since I’m older and slower, it’s hard to do “enough” (by my stupid standards) in 5 or 6 days a week. When I was faster, I could do an 8 mile run before work on Tuesday morning which really gave me some breathing space on other days. Now- that isn’t happening. I took more rest days when I was running harder and faster a few decades ago than I do now. Again- with me a lot of it is mental. It’s my drug!</p>
<p>I know many people here are somewhat/a lot fashion-conscious, and spend significant money on stylish workout clothes. If you look good, you feel good!</p>
<p>That said, take a look at this train wreck:</p>
<p><a href=“These Are the Most Awkward Cycling Uniforms Ever | Mashable”>These Are the Most Awkward Cycling Uniforms Ever | Mashable;
<p>WTH!?! What genius came up with this? Had to be a man… ;)</p>
<p>:-B </p>
<p>Ongoing cold and cough and then conjunctivitis meant a rest day for me yesterday. Still at vacation home so I ended up in the ER to get a prescription for the conjunctivitis --which cleared up my eye overnight. I felt so much better today that I went to the gym and did a workout–weights, KB, lunges, squats, etc. for 45 minutes. I walked to the local coffee house (about a mile) where I met my D.</p>
<p>Oh, God! Notrichenough- that is hilarious (in a truly awful way)! </p>
<p>Hmmm. I wonder if they make a hiking outfit? :)</p>
<p>An article I read about those cycling outfits said they were designed by one of the women on the team, and the nude portion is actually gold colored.</p>
<p>I think they are hideous!</p>
<p>Coming to the end of the second week of having a bike (haven’t ridden since childhood). The first week I started out going only 2 miles per trip, and then began adding on over time. Today I decided to leave the comfort zone of my little gated neighborhood (2 miles to ride the whole thing). I looked online for some good trails and found one not too far from my house. Loaded up my bike and went out into the real world.</p>
<p>OMG, that was one of the scarier things I’ve done. The trail was absolutely beautiful, but very secluded, and I kept rounding bends to see small groups of men or a few times, solo men just hanging around. I felt very vulnerable, and in my obviously amateur clothes (t-shirt and running shorts), I’m sure it was clear that I’m a beginner and probably not in good shape.</p>
<p>Somehow I got lost and ended up off the trail and in very busy city traffic not bike friendly at all (don’t ask). I finally worked my way back to the trail, thank goodness. When I got back to my car (parked at a city park), I saw that the car next to mine had its front window bashed in. I got the hell out of there.</p>
<p>On the good side, I had so much adrenalin working that I barely even noticed that I had gone 9 miles round trip. </p>
<p>I’m never going to do that again without a companion!</p>