Dead Legs Prevail

The forecast for evening thunderstorms at the Millers Mutual mile in Harrisburg last evening never materialized.  The weather was very warm with temperatures in the mid to upper 80's.  I arrived at the YMCA on Front street around 5:30 pm to pickup my race packet and also changed into my running clothes within their locker room. I had to punch in a 4 digit security code on the door to enter the locker room. Packets were available from 4-6 pm.  My race was not scheduled to start until 7:45.  I had a long wait for the race to begin.

Almost as soon as I arrived I met Jarred and Bob Kulp, both alumni of Palmyra High School.  Bob and I are the same age while Jarred is four years younger.Jarred was accompanied by his daughter who was also running the mile. 

I also talked with Cindy Neely and her sister - both of whom also are Palmyra grads.  Cindy received a kidney transplant a couple of years She competes in biking races internationally in competitions for transplant recipients.  After discussing my plight with her, she recommended taking six months off from running in order to allow my kidneys to heal.

My aged 45-49 male and female race began like clockwork at 7:45pm.  Once again I had a decent first quarter mile split and then faltered in the last half mile.  I ran a 6:29 mile.  Because my expectations were high I was disappointed with my time.  However, I have to thank the 'man upstairs' for allowing me to run this fast at my age.

I wore a heart rate monitor for this race in order to compare my heart rate from last year's race to this year's race. The device is mounted on an elastic band you wear around your chest that transmits a signal to my Garmin GPS watch for real time recording. My maximum heart rate last year was 171 beats per minute   At this year's race my max heart rate increased to 204 beats per minute

Using a conventional formula, a person's max heart rate is estimated to be 220 - your age.  My max heart rate is calculated to be 173 beats per minute. I am not totally certain, but it appears having a higher maximum heart rate suggests a more youthful and stronger heart.  Using the formula as a basis, younger people have higher maximum heart rates.

It appears I may have a younger healthy heart but older less healthy kidneys.

Excerpted from  http://www.mayoclinic.com/ ....

For vigorous exercise, aim for a target heart rate of 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR). Your MHR (roughly calculated as 220 minus your age) is the upper limit of what your cardiovascular system can handle during physical activity.

These numbers are estimates that provide an average value. Many people have a higher or lower MHR, sometimes by as much as 15 to 20 beats per minute. Disagreement exists on how to most accurately estimate your MHR and what percentage range to target.

Addendum: My official MMM time was recorded as 6:24 per the official site URL http://www.harrisburgmile.com/results.htm