by Steve Sievert

This feature is a continuation of the "Beginners Beat" column in the October 2001 issue of Runner Triathlete News. To get the full scoop on running your first race, pick up a copy of the October issue of Runner Triathlete News.

Keeping the easy in easy days can be a little less challenging by using a heart-rate monitor during training.

As outlined in the October issue of RTN, overtraining is something that virtually all runners will face at some point in their lives. Pushing too hard during training, without proper rest, will lead to overtraining.

While complete rest days are a vital part of any training program, so too are "easy days" - workouts in which you're still active, but back off the intensity of the pace. Like most other aspects of the sport, the intensity of easy days varies from one runner to the next, but using a heart-rate monitor can ensure that you don't slip out of your easy-day zone.

Heart-rate monitors are actually two pieces of equipment - a sensor band that wraps around the chest and a watch that displays your heart rate. By calculating your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate, you can use the monitor to more effectively train.

The monitor helps you stay in the intended heart-rate zone for your particular workout. Not only is it effective for helping you maintain an easy day, it can help you train better and more efficiently during harder workouts as well.

Heart-rate monitors aren't cheap. They will set you back more than a hundred bucks, but it's worth it for a very effective training tool.

Check out your neighborhood running-specialty store for a first- hand look.