Erratic Heart Rate

Nov 16, 2006, I ran my first marathon.  All went well I felt ok

[dquenzer]

I have never run a marathon, but I have XCountry Skiied long distances and run some 16 mile road races.  You said this is your first Marathon.  Before you ran the Marathon did you get some long runs in of around two hours?  One of the main problems in training for long distances is that people do not get in enough long slow distance runs before the actual event.  This does not give the body an opportunity to adjust to the stress over time.  I would not want to run a Marathon without at least doing 2 to 3 long two to three hour runs at a comfortable pace.

It may well be that you simply over did it, and your recuperation time will need to be extended.
1)  I would talk to a doctor/cardiologist.
2)  Your heart rates do not look dangerous in the sense they are unusualy fast.  They are faster for you, but this may mean you haven't recuperated yet.  Your heart is a muscle and muscles need rest to recuperate and strengthen.  That's why overtraining is the worst thing to do.  

If I were you I would do ANYTHING AT ALL

[dquenzer]

I have never run a marathon, but I have XCountry Skiied long distances and run some 16 mile road races.  You said this is your first Marathon.  Before you ran the Marathon did you get some long runs in of around two hours?  One of the main problems in training for long distances is that people do not get in enough long slow distance runs before the actual event.  This does not give the body an opportunity to adjust to the stress over time.  I would not want to run a Marathon without at least doing 2 to 3 long two to three hour runs at a comfortable pace.

It may well be that you simply over did it, and your recuperation time will need to be extended.
1)  I would talk to a doctor/cardiologist.
2)  Your heart rates do not look dangerous in the sense they are unusualy fast.  They are faster for you, but this may mean you haven't recuperated yet.  Your heart is a muscle and muscles need rest to recuperate and strengthen.  That's why overtraining is the worst thing to do.  

If I were you I would not do ANYTHING AT ALL FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS.

Don't ride your bike, don't jog, just slow walking.  Make sure you take enough electrolytes and vitamins.  Get more sleep than normal (Make sure you get 9 hours a night).  

Then start back VERY slowly and make sure that when you exercise your sustained heart rate does not get above 150.  Don't exercise every day, and don't go longer than 30 minutes.  Go only ever other day and keep monitoring that heart rate so 150 is as high as it gets.  Increase intensity VERY slowly.   Then when you think things are back to normal you can increase length of training runs.