A bit of an experiment...

New HR strap arrived today.  It's v posh, and is going to mean I can finally start getting some sensible HR data, as it's clear both my old ones have started to give massively high readings.  Here's the little fella:

I decided to do two experiments today - one, did my new HR monitor give sensible readings (and what were they for a slow run) and two, how does my left calf feel whilst running, as in bed I can feel a niggle really deep in the muscle.  Nothing you could even describe as painful - just that there's something there.  With the Brass Monkey tomorrow I want to be as sure as I can be I'm not going to damage myself.

Anyway - experiment one started badly.  Half a mile in my HR was reading 205, which is clearly nonsense - I was hardly breathing heavily, and when I stopped and took my HR manually it was nearer 100.  However it soon settled down and it seems that my HR when running very easily is something around 120.  I ran up to Halton East, with the rate never getting above very low 130's, then dropping even lower on the way back down the hill.  I decided to run the last mile at marathon pace, which I finally seem to be getting a feel for - and my HR still only averaged 135 for that mile, although obviously it was higher than that by the end.

 

Look at the spike on that...

Experiment two seemed to be a success - no pain at all whilst running, but the niggle seems to be there now (8pm) - however I watched the rugby with some ice on it so assuming the warm up goes ok tomorrow it's Monkey Time!