Weddingbee boards

So last night I went to the gym and did an interval workout on the treadmill and it. was. awesome.

MightySaphire - thank you SO much for your help figuring all that out. I also used my heart rate monitor and it actually (magically!) hooked up to the treadmill I was on so I didnt have to look at the watch portion but it was already connected to the treadmill so I just looked at that.  

Question for you -- a few times when I was sprinting it went above my "MAX" -- is that really bad?  or good?  I didn't feel terrible and as soon as I stopped to walk and then jog it was back to normal, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything bad.  

Ha I was way dorkier then that last night!  I had typed all my intervals out on an Excel spreadsheet (PM me if anyone is interested) and I taped it to the treadmill!  It worked out great!!

I'll have to do the % of heartrate thing on that piece of paper too!

Thanks thanks!   

I just found another article about intervals -- http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/8471/sizzle-calories-in-18-minutes/ -- rock on intervals!

That side gallop makes me so nervous, I KNOW I would fall on my face!  But the lunges do sound like a good idea.   What speed do you do those exercises at on the treadmill? (And could you also let me know your typical job/sprint level so I know how to average it with mine!)

Those areas you mentioned are exactly what I need to work on! And work on them I will!

Sometimes you can go above your max if you have a specific goal set...the max is lower for fat burning than cardio workouts.  It took me a little while to figure this out and it drove me batty.  In general, I don't think you should really worry too much about the programmed max.  If your heart is beating so fast as to be dangerous, you'll probably have other signals (like painful pounding in your chest).  Those limits are based on averages, and every person is different.  They provide some guidance, but tracking your performance will give you a better feel for your own body.  One thing you'll probably notice as you get more in shape is that your HR won't go up so easily b/c you'll be more efficient at your exercise.  Pushing high intensity intervals and changing excercises as West Coast Bride suggested are a good way to keep your body working hard.  But, be careful on the treadmill...if you lack coordination you can do yourself some serious injury.  Also, make sure you keep track of how your knees and hips feel as you push intensity.  After years of not paying attention, I'm suffering the worst hip problems (and back, and neck)...I'm not saying this will happen to everyone, but just listen to your body.  Seriously, I used to be extremely active (ski mountaineering, long distance cycling) but now I can barely ride my bike on a trainer for 30 minutes.  I really, really wish I had been more careful.