I did HM 3 weeks ago following a 12 week training block, and since then I’ve had 2 weeks of base training (2 or 3 workouts thrown in but nothing crazy) and then I tapered into starting the Tour. Heart rate/power relationship has been as expected, barring some funky things with my Wahoo Tickr not responding properly. This was fixed with an update last week. I did Primers on Friday, before Stage 1 yesterday and Stage 2 today. On all three occasions my HR is well above expected during any efforts, like 10+bpm. As an idea I spent 46 mins in HR zone 5 during stage 1. My recovery sections seem broadly ok, may be touch higher than normal. The legs feel ok but the targets are a little reduced for the tour (focussed option)
Have I really lost that much fitness in the 3 taper weeks? I feel well so presume it’s not illness, I’m well fuelled and hydrated, and used to a fair training load. The only thing is I have a lot of stress with work at present - could this alone explain it?? Could it be the update to the Tickr has altered the readings? I see the update did include “improved heart rate algorithm”.
Any help or support would be appreciated as it’s off putting seeing my HR so high for an effort, I keep expecting the legs to give way any minute!
I know that feeling with high Heart Rate. I can’t offer any advice as have no idea but if it’s worrying you, you could get it checked out?
Work stress could be a factor. Also lack of sleep? I know stress affects my heart rate that way. I have other issues that affect it as well, so can be hard to tease out the cause sometimes.
Hope everything settles back down for you soon! Just wanted to send some support, as I know it must be worrying.
Thank you. I’m not overly worried, in that my resting heart rate is ok and I feel well. Thinking about it, I can’t have lost that much fitness in 3 weeks even if I had done nothing, so I’m presuming it’s stress and/or the Tickr update. Either way, the stress will pass (a good tour will help with that too!) and i can always do another HM/FF to get the LTHR updated if the software has changed things.
Sir Neal mentioned during his stage 1 ride today that elevated heart rate for the first few rides when coming off taper was a common response. It was quite early on in the video.
I often notice my HR is higher than I would normally expect when I am really fresh (and conversely lower when I am overdue a rest). Saying that, my HR also seems to get affected by the weather and illness as well, so when my HR is different to what I would normally expect I then try and reflect why, and did it correspond to my general RPE. When well rested it is almost a surprise to see the HR is high, because the effort feels easier in comparison.
No idea regarding an explanation why, just my own reflection.
I feel well so presume it’s not illness, I’m well fuelled and hydrated, and used to a fair training load. The only thing is I have a lot of stress with work at present - could this alone explain it?? Could it be the update to the Tickr has altered the readings? I see the update did include “improved heart rate algorithm”.
