I am a former athlete who is currently a little out of shape (but under 30) and I am looking to transition into distance running. I am currently running about 2 hours per week and I am looking to build up to 8-9 hours per week.
When building mileage, should I run at my zone 1 HR or as close to my aerobic threshold as possible? I did the Friel test and I was able to maintain a 178 HR for 30 minutes. This means zone one running for me would be under a 151 heart rate and zone two running would be between a 151 and 158 heart rate. Is it better to build mileage if I train in the 140's or if I push the pace and train in the 150's? Also, should I be doing any speedwork such as threshold runs while I try to build mileage?
http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2009/11/quick-guide-to-setting-zones.html