30 Marathons, 20 Ultramarathons, 5 Ironmans… and counting

For many people, running a marathon is a goal they hope to achieve…once, maybe twice. Then there are people like Suzanne Roat, who has completed more than 30 marathons, 20 ultra-marathons (ranging from 31 to 100 miles), and five Ironman distance triathlons, including the World Championship in Hawaii. At the Himalayan 100 Mile Endurance Run in 1997, she was the first female finisher in the five-day race at altitudes ranging from 7,000 to 14,000 feet in elevation. In 1993, she completed the Western States 100 mile run in just 27 hours.

Roat began using a heart rate monitor during her years as a professional triathlete from 1989–91 to make sure she was always in the right zone for the type of training she was doing. "For distance, I kept my heart rate at a lower range, for intervals I tried to finish at my highest. I also used it to monitor my recovery to see how long it took to get back to a resting rate after I stopped exercising. It’s a good way to measure how fit you are," she explains.

While training for the Ironman distance triathlons and ultra-marathons, Roat became "religious" about using a heart rate monitor. She worked with a coach to establish a training program, which always included target heart rates for each day’s workout. “I would go ride the bike for six hours and try to keep my heart rate in a certain range. It would seem awfully low at first, but by the end of six hours I was exhausted. It was training my body to be able to go the distance, not exert so much over a short time.”

A chemical engineer now working at an oil refinery in Kuwait, Roat continues an ambitious training routine, though the extreme heat and “desiccating dryness” often force her inside. “In August, the coolest it gets in the morning is about 95 degrees, then it gets up to about 125 degrees in the afternoon. Even at the lowest temperatures, you can only run outside for about five minutes before your mouth is so dry it hurts,” she says. “When I’m on the treadmill or stationary bicycle, I have a tendency not to push myself as hard, so the heart rate monitor is even more important to get the value out of the exercise.”

Wearing a heart rate monitor also helps her battle dehydration, which is always an issue in Kuwait where the humidity level can be as low as 3 percent. "If I don't pay attention, I can try to work out very dehydrated and end up 20 minutes later with a really rapid heart rate. I know instantly that I’m dehydrated. My heart is trying to pump around not enough blood. I’ll need to stop, drink a lot and rest," she says. "Dehydration is a more serious problem here than in most parts of the U.S. But no matter where you are, if you’re not working very hard and your heart rate is very high, it’s a good indication that you’re either dehydrated, your blood sugar is low, or you’re just fatigued. You need to stop and rest."

Roat’s advice to those who are just getting started using a heart rate monitor? “Get some advice from an expert to figure out your maximum and minimum heart rates, and what your training range is.” Personal fitness trainers, including those who work at your local gym, can help. First-time heart rate monitor wearers will also like the comfort of the NuMetrex sports bra, she says. “It’s not as intrusive. I like it much better.”