UAN:190 Article type:ADD PIC OF GRAPHS-->The ultimate accessories in the world of heart rate monitoring are the models that can download their data onto a personal computer. They vary between companies, but most models store the data in the watch

Whenever you get a new piece of electrical equipment, the temptation is to rip off the packaging and get stuck in straight away, so the following advice may sound boring. Nevertheless, when you unpack your heart rate monitor (or HRM for short

this with some speed, you need to turn to interval training.In an ideal world, you'd be able to use your HRM for every kind of training, but it's less than perfect for short intervals. Imagine running 8 x 1-minute reps with three-minute recoveries. Unfortunately

UAN: 178 Article type:-->It’s a common scenario. “I trained harder for this one than I ever have before,” says the disbelieving runner, head bowed after a disappointing race. The reason? Quite simply, your body will let you train harder than

GETTY IMAGESMonitoring your heart rate during training sessions has two main uses: observation and control. Observation is the more straightforward of the two, and you can do it whether your heart rate monitor (HRM) is an entry-level unit

train harder than is beneficial, and when you're recovering from a break, it's even more important to stay within your limits. Here, an HRM comes into its own, and though there are differences between injury and illness, the same principles apply.If you

that you can't just transfer what you've learnt from ordinary training onto the race course. If you've worn your HRM in races before, one of the first things you'll have noticed is that, unlike in training, your heart rate rises extremely quickly once

the activity regularly. If you're only cross-training occasionally, use heart rates 10-15bpm below your usual levels as a starting guide and adapt them as necessary. If, however, it's going to be a more regular feature on your schedule, you should start to use

point, press the store button on your HRM (or tell your partner your rate)Speed increase should be about 2-3 seconds per 200m (or 0.5km/h on a treadmill)Keep going until you can’t increase your paceJog gently afterwards to cool down graduallyPlot your

to recover after each session. Typically, you would record the time it takes your heart rate to drop to 120, or 100 if your training heart rates are usually much below 150. As you get fitter, your recovery time will drop, though naturally it depends