Heart rate monitors became popular for runners who wanted to train more accurately. Most monitors use a chest strap to monitor your pulse; the info is fed to a watch-type device for you to check. Generally, you want to be working out at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate on an “easy” run, then 80 percent or higher on tempo runs or track workouts. By continually measuring your heart rate and feeding you the results, you’ll know if you should be running faster or more slowly. If you’re training for your first marathon, you probably don’t need to worry about the intricacies of your heart rate just yet.

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