[cameldrv]

This was exactly my experience years ago. I tried and failed to make a running habit several times until I got a heart monitor. When I finally did, I figured out that the pace I thought was what I “should” be running at was actually putting my heart at 185-190 and I was just getting wiped out after a mile or so.

Anyhow I just slowed down to keep my heart more like 140-160 and at the beginning I would even run three minutes and walk one, but I managed to get up to half marathon distance.

These days I don’t go all that far but I do about 3-4 miles 3 times a week. I don’t go very fast either but I feel healthier mentally and physically when I’m consistent.

Honestly it’s not clear to me that trying to go really far or fast is even all that healthy. It can actually lead to heart damage and it’s hard on your joints. Doing something more moderate seems like the sweet spot.

[bityard]

What heart rate monitor did you get and would you recommend it?

[cameldrv]

That was a long time ago and it was a Polar watch with a chest strap. These days I use a Garmin watch, but you could just as well use a Fitbit or an Apple Watch or a heart rate strap and your regular phone. Honestly I don't even look at my watch during a run very much anymore, because I know what various heart rates feel like. The biggest thing for me was to realize that I was just trying to go too fast, and the HRM helped me with that.

[wiether]

Having gone through probably twenty HRM during the last 10 years, my recommandation is now Coospo's products, available on AliExpress or Amazon.

My own experience and the one of many friends using them daily is that they are more durable than every product from the big brands (Garmin, Wahoo, Polar...) while being sold for half or less.

The only reason to go for the big brands is for the gimmick extra features that are useless to 99% of the users

[vunderba]

Not OP but I go for daily runs and engage in HIIT exercise and found that the Schosche armband is about as accurate as you can get outside of a chest strap (which I personally find distinctly uncomfortable to wear).

https://www.scosche.com/scosche-rhythm-plus-2-0-heart-rate-m...

[vanviegen]

I think nowadays just about any smartwatch should be fine?

[multjoy]

It does not lead to heart damage and it won’t knacker your joints.

It will suck all the time you are doing it, but you physically cannot damage your heart from over exertion.

[cameldrv]

There's significant evidence that it can: https://press.rsna.org/timssnet/media/pressreleases/14_pr_ta...

If you don't think running can mess up your knees honestly all I can say is that obviously you don't know any serious runners.

[multjoy]

Lots of 'mays' and 'mights', and I've been running long enough, and know plenty of runners, to know that running ruining joints is a myth put about by the exercise avoiders.

[michaelcampbell]

Anecdata is not data.

[multjoy]

That's OK, because nobody's provided anything other than anecdote.