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" Six weeks ago, I got\u00A0injured\u00A0\u2013 a stress fracture in my right foot \u2013 making running impossible. Since then,\u00A0I&amp;#039;ve been hobbling around, worrying that come marathon day, I won&amp;#039;t be lacing up my trainers for the run of my life, but standing on the sidelines, cheering on all those runners who are brave and lucky enough to be taking part in one of the greatest races in the world, many for charities that mean a lot to them. I&amp;#039;ve found it really tough. Yes, I know it sounds melodramatic to say \u2013 it&amp;#039;s just a run, right? But this is a really big challenge for me, one I&amp;#039;ve spent six months preparing for and the uncertainty and frustration of not knowing if I&amp;#039;ll be able to do it has stressed me out. (Ironically, my usual fail-safe cure for stress is going for a run.) So there I was, just a week or two ago, still limping, still feeling miserable every time I saw a jogger, still slogging it out\u00A0cross-training\u00A0at the gym, thinking it might be for nothing if my foot won&amp;#039;t hurry up and heal\u00A0already. I just want to run! Then, suddenly my limp disappeared. A few visits to the wonderful Holly (a total miracle-worker in my eyes) at Surrey Physio\u00A0confirmed it&amp;#039;s healing well and \u2013 the BEST news \u2013 I can start running again this week! (I&amp;#039;m aware how weird it sounds to be that excited about exercise.) The stretches and stability exercises she advised me to do \u2013 one-legged squats and heel-raises on a\u00A0wobble board\u00A0and LOTS of\u00A0standing on one leg \u2013 are paying off, and I&amp;#039;m going to keep going with them, promise. So that&amp;#039;s physio covered, but to get the most out of my frequent gym visits, I booked a session with personal trainer Alfie Wren at Reebok Sports Club London. Besides\u00A0strengthening moves\u00A0(yet more one-legged squats\u00A0and lunges, ow!), he&amp;#039;s helped me keep my fitness up with heart-rate training on a Watt indoor spin\u00A0bike.\u00A0 The power of heart rate training Heart rate training is, simply,\u00A0when you measure your heart rate during exercise to see how\u00A0hard you&amp;#039;re working (or not). It&amp;#039;s one of the most\u00A0effective ways to be sure you&amp;#039;re working at a level that will\u00A0improve\u00A0your fitness, and trainers tend to break the different heart rate down into zones, like this: Zone 1: 60 to 70% of your maximum heart rate (more on max HR\u00A0below). This feels\u00A0very comfortable, like when you&amp;#039;re\u00A0warming\u00A0up and cooling down. Zone 2: 70 to 80% of max HR:\u00A0comfortable enough to hold a conversation but harder than the warm up. Most training is done here. Zone 3: 81 to 93% of max HR:\u00A0&amp;quot;comfortably hard&amp;quot; effort. You may be able to say short, broken sentences. Zone 4: 94 to 100% of max HR: hard effort. The pace is sustainable, but conversation is only manageable as\u00A0a\u00A0few words at a time.\u00A0 To find my max heart rate, Alfie subtracted my age from 220; then told me\u00A0the aerobic zone he wants me to train in is between\u00A065-85% of my max HR. All I have to do is cycle hard enough that I keep up\u00A0this heart rate for an entire session (around 40 minutes right now, increasing by 20% per week). Sounds simple in theory \u2013 very tough and sweaty in reality. Side note: I&amp;#039;m using the Samsung Gear S heart rate monitor. It&amp;#039;s not cheap, but it&amp;#039;s stylish, easy to use and looks so techy, it makes me feel like a spy when I wear it. But be aware:\u00A0it needs to be charged daily if you want to use it regularly. Alfie explains, &amp;quot;The benefit of training in this heart rate\u00A0zone is that you are optimising your body&amp;#039;s ability to take in oxygen to help fuel the production of energy. You&amp;#039;re\u00A0also increasing the efficiency of burning fat as another source of energy. Incorporating heart-rate training\u00A0throughout a cycle (or run) will keep your heart rate stable and your muscles more relaxed \u2013 reducing your risk of injury. These two things can help increase your fitness levels immediately, allowing you to run faster for longer.&amp;quot; Which is\u00A0personal trainer speak for\u00A0it makes you more efficient, less likely to get injured\u00A0and it helps you burn more calories. All of which\u00A0sound good to me! It&amp;#039;s baby steps with the running for now \u2013 just two short runs per week until I&amp;#039;m totally pain-free \u2013 so these bike sessions are vital. I&amp;#039;m saying goodbye to my social life for the next seven weeks, but I&amp;#039;m determined it&amp;#039;ll be worth it. I WILL get to that start line! Are you training for a marathon too? Tweet @Katie_Teehan using #Cosmomarathon.  Katie and David are running the Virgin Money London Marathon in aid of Cancer Research UK. Don&amp;#039;t forget to donate at their Just Giving page. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/body/fitness-workouts/a34018/heart-rate-training-benefits/>