—Why do you run? Each of us has a different reason. The motives range from fitness to fatness. Health to weight loss and points between like vanity. Face it; until they get that emaciated death camp look, runners look good. For me, solitude is important. That’s why I usually run by myself.
—Solitude is followed closely by concern for my heart. In my time I have attended too many congestive heart failure patients. I would rather die with my running shoes on my feet. And, in spite of 40 years of running, I have had two heart attacks. So for me cardiac fitness is serious motivation.
—Whatever gets us on the road, the answer for many runners is LSD, Long Slow Distance. Long runs with your pulse in the training range, aerobic, are best for your heart and for weight loss.
—Training range is a pulse between 70 and 85% of maximum. Maximum heart rate is best determined by a stress test, but the rule of thumb is 220 minus your age. So if your age is 45 your maximum heart rate is 175. Best cardiac training would happen at between 125 and 150 beats per minute.
—Keeping the pulse in the perfect training range for a long time builds the heart’s stamina, strength and probably increases collateral circulation in the heart, increasing blood flow to the muscle. And in LSD running your body learns to burn fat instead of readily available carbs. That’s what you want!
—Trouble is, sometimes it’s hard to stay in that range. It’s natural to want to run faster, to be better, to go farther. And I have always suggested that we should run the way we feel. If you feel good running faster, go for it!
—Fortunately, the more fit you become with LSD, the faster and farther you will be able to run while staying in the training range. Patience, patience! Win, win!