---
aliases: ["Resting Heart Rate"]
Is A: Measure
Belongs to: "[[responsibility-health-fitness]]"
Unit: "bpm"
---
# Resting Heart Rate

Resting heart rate (RHR) is the primary physiological indicator of cardiovascular fitness and recovery status for [[responsibility-health-fitness]]. It provides an objective, daily signal of how the body is adapting to training load, stress, and sleep quality. Unlike subjective measures like "how do I feel," RHR is quantifiable, trend-able, and difficult to game.

For endurance goals like [[2024-complete-two-gran-fondos]] and [[2025-ride-stelvio]], a declining RHR over a training block confirms that aerobic fitness is improving. Conversely, a rising RHR trend can signal overtraining, illness, poor sleep, or excessive business-related stress.

## How it's tracked

Measured daily via a wearable device (smartwatch or chest strap) during the first waking minutes. The monthly average is logged in the tracking spreadsheet. Weekly trends are monitored through the wearable's companion app. The most reliable readings come from overnight averages, which eliminate the influence of morning caffeine or activity.

## Targets

- **Healthy baseline**: 52-58 bpm. This is the typical range during moderate training periods.
- **Peak fitness**: Below 50 bpm. Achievable during peak training blocks (e.g., the months leading up to the Stelvio climb).
- **Warning threshold**: Above 60 bpm sustained for 3+ days. Indicates potential overtraining, illness, or accumulated stress. Trigger a rest day or reduced training volume.

## Notes

- RHR averaged 50 bpm during peak training for [[2025-ride-stelvio]], confirming strong aerobic adaptation.
- Spikes of 5+ bpm above the rolling average are a reliable early warning for incoming illness. Taking a preemptive rest day when this happens has avoided several full-blown colds.
- Alcohol consumption the previous evening reliably elevates RHR by 5-8 bpm. This is useful feedback for moderating intake during training blocks.
- Business stress and poor sleep affect RHR almost as much as physical training does. During high-stress periods (product launches, sponsor negotiations), expect RHR to be 3-5 bpm higher than the training-adjusted baseline.
- Track alongside [[measure-cycling-km-per-month]] to correlate volume with fitness outcomes. High volume without RHR improvement suggests the training needs more intensity, not more miles.
