How to use Heart Rate Alerts on your Forerunner

I set out Tuesday with a sore Achilles from a 6-mile snow run on Monday. In order to stay on pace with the 100 runs 100 days challenge, I wanted to get in a run but also give my body (mainly ankle/Achilles) time to rest. I decided a Z1 recovery run was in order, as it would force me to take my time during my run and keep me on track for my 100/100 challenge.

After completing a LTHR (Lactate Threshold Heart Rate) test on Day 1 of the 100/100 challenge, I determined my recovery heart rate zone to be 118-152BPM, via Joe Friel’s LTHR test, which Training Peaks can also easily compute for you by entering your LTHR from your test and selecting the Joe Friel HR Zone Method.

Like most athletes I want to train-train-train, wanting to push hard during most workouts, I decided to use my Forerunner 310XT to keep me in check during my run, annoyingly alerting me if I crossed my Z1 high barrier (for me, 152BPM).

This is a really neat training tool on Forerunners (60, 210, 305, 310XT) and is very easy to set.

If you're familiar with the 310XT then you have probably come across this feature already, if you have not but are familiar with the 310's navigation menus use the directory below:

Training>Run Alerts>HR Alert>Max HR Alert>Zone 1 (or your desired HR Alert)

Begin by navigating to the main menu (History, Training, GPS, Setting) by pressing the mode button.


Using the navigation arrows scroll down to Training and select by pushing Enter.


Once in Training select Run Alerts and then HR Alerts.


Upon arriving at the HR Alert settings you may enter a minimum heart rate, as well as a maximum heart rate (the part we’re interested about). I choose to leave my minimum HR alert off, because I didn’t really care.


Navigating to the Max HR Alert drop down, I can choose to either set a custom value or a corresponding value from my predefined HR Zones. The zone of interest was Zone 1, the corresponding Max HR for that range is displayed in the Alert Above box.



During my run I was obnoxiously alerted 5 times to slow down, or take it easier on the hill home, which was great because it would have easily gone unnoticed without the vibration/alert.

HR data from Z1 recovery run, the second circle was actually two separate alerts.

I will be using this tool for all of my recovery Z1 runs in the future, because like most athlete's, sometimes it helps having someone remind you to take it easy...it's a rest day.