How many times while we train or run intensely, do we feel our heart rate go way up! Ultrarunners and endurance athletes should pay attention to their heart.
 
Years and years of high-intensity training can cause scar tissue to form in the heart, and this tissue can conduct electrical impulses in a way that throws off the normal steady rhythm of the heart. What happens when the heart rhythm is irregular, extra beats pump little or no blood? When you are training at high intensity, hill repeats, speedwork or long distance and you feel your heart rate is way too high (above the max heart rate), you must slow down, walk or rest for a few minutes until it comes down. If you are experiencing heart fibrillation or flutter, usually it will stop within a few minutes after you stop.
 
It is important to monitor our heart rate when we are going through some intense training sessions, long endurance training or dealing with hot weather and high humidity. Luckily, with the new technology, we have access to GPS watches with heart rate monitors that are getting more and more accurate like the Garmin GPS watches.
 
Research shows that endurance athletes are at greater risk for heart arrhythmia. Most athletes, runners or ultrarunners with any heart issues caused by over-training would struggle with having to stop running due to these heart issues. Fortunately, most of the time, athletes can manage and control their heart condition by paying attention and monitoring their heart rate. As we get older, the chances of dealing with heart problems as athletes, or endurance runners increases. But luckily, most athletes are very much in tune with their body, therefore by paying attention to the first symptoms, it will decrease the chances of any major heart problems.
 
Train Hard, Eat Right, and Love your Heart!

Katia