The real benefit to using a heart rate watch is that you can get instantaneous, objective information on your level of exertion.  Often, the heart rate watch will provide you with a more accurate level of your exertion that you could guess on your own.  Obviously, you should pay attention to the clues your body is sending you, but many people overestimate how hard they are working.  Using a heart rate watch will help you to understand the level of your workout.

You will need to gauge your maximum heart rate.  Runner's World uses the following formula as their best to predict your maximum heart rate.  Maximum Heart Rate = 205 (-0.5 x your current age).  You can also measure your maximum heart rate by testing yourself.  To do that you will need to be hydrated, rested and warmed up before beginning.  Then you should run all out for three minutes and jog back to your starting place.  Do this twice more, running faster and harder the second time, and all out on your third lap.  You should check your heart rate on your third lap.  This is your maximum heart rate.

If you are a beginner, you will benefit dramatically from using a heart rate monitor.  Beginning runners should aim to work within 60 to 75 percent of their maximum heart rate for most of their workout.  A heart rate monitor will help you to understand how hard you are working and will help you to work hard enough to actually achieve your goals.

If you have been running for over a year, or have been doing other cardiovascular exercise, then you should vary your workouts a bit by scheduling hard days and easy days.  Aim for 95 percent of your maximum heart rate on your hard days and 75 percent on your easy days.  Many heart rate monitors have a function called "tempo running" which will help you to achieve your targets. Many runners have a difficult time keeping to their lower targets on their easy days.  A heart rate watch will help you to do that and allow your body much needed recovery time.

If you are an advanced runner you many feel that you do not need a heart rate watch, but a heart rate watch can actually help you optimize your running.  Using a heart rate watch during your workouts will allow you to accurately track your recovery intervals.  Instead of waiting a certain amount of time or distance to repeat your repeat, you can tie that to your heart rate. When your heart rate drops to the lower target you know it is time to ramp up your pace and begin your next repeat.

When you are ready to begin training for a marathon, your heart rate watch monitor can provide valuable information on your pace.  Training with your heart rate watch can help you to understand when you have reached maximum heart rate, when you have recovered, and how you handle different environments and altitudes.  All of this information can help to make you a better runner and help to improve your race times.

You may also want to wear your heart rate monitor during your races.  Using a heart rate watch will allow you to be able to determine if you are running too quickly or too slowly at various stages of the race.  This is particularly important right out of the starting gate.  Many runners are able to use their heart rate monitors to ensure that they will not burn out over the course of the race.  If you can see how your heart is functioning then you can perform to your maximum that day.  You will be able to determine when you need to slow for a recovery and when you have recovered and are ready to push yourself harder.  Therefore you will be able to perform more efficiently than you would without a heart rate watch.  This will help you to improve your overall time.

Using Your Heart Rate Watch To Train is a post from: Best Heart Rate Monitor Watches

Using Your Heart Rate Watch To Train is from Best Heart Rate Monitor Watches

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