Guys.
All my life i've never been able to run in zone 2. I get told left right and centre 'you just have to slow down abit' but it really isnt that simple. Ive been running for 7 years now and have had a varied training schedule throughout.
Abit of context for you guys in regards to typical times/pbs/structure etc........
5K PB - 15:32 (last year so would say 15:10 shape now)
HM PB - 1:11:37 (March 2020)
Typical week looks like this:
MON - EASY 7 + 1 OF STRIDES
TUE - 1.5 WU + 5 MILES AT TRACK FULL OF 600's/800's/1K's/1200's/Miles etc (whatever coach sets) + 1WD
WED - EASY 11 + 1 OF STRIDES
THU - 1.5 WU + 4 MILES AT TRACK FULL OF 200's/300's/400's/500's/pyramids etc (whatever coach sets) + 1WD
FRI - EASY 8 + 1 OF STRIDES
SAT - EASY 4 IN MORNING ///// EASY 6 AT NIGHT (May cover hills on morning 4 if 'up for it')
SUN - EASY 17
TOTAL WEEKLY MILAGE = 70/72
Tuesday sessions are usually ran at around my 10K>8K TARGET pace (rep length depending) so a typical session would be like: 10 x 800 with 90s rest all done in around 2:20 > 2:24 (so all runs usually aiming for between 1:10s & 1:13's for 400m for all tuesday seshs)
Thursday sessions are usually ran at around my 3K>5K TARGET pace (rep length depending) so a typical session would be like: 16 x 400 with 90s rest all done in around 1:06 > 1:09 (so all runs usually aiming for between 1:06s & 1:09's for 400m when worked out if the sesh is shorter for all tuesday seshs)
And easy runs are just ran at my 'EASY PACE'. Now here's the thing. Based on my current resting heart rate of 53 and my max HR of being around 200 (Im 21 years old) and all other contributing factors... My easy run pace (in order to be in zone 2) would be anything under 139 beats a minute when running. Well i don't understand how i'm physically able to do that when i'm already running as slow as i possibly can and still running in mid zone 3 with a HR of 144/146. My usual easy run pace can vary between 7:40miles and 8:00miles and that will give me an average HR of around 149/152 for the run but take today as an example... I ran my easy 4 miles in 8:30 mileing and averaged a HR of 145. WHICH IS STILL 6 BEATS A MINUTE ABOVE MY MAXIMUM FOR ZONE 2 ?????????????????? ID HAVE TO PHYICALLY BE ****JUST WALKING**** TO BE IN ZONE 2 ????????????
How can i be incapable of running in zone 2 for my easy runs if 90% of my training is easy running, the other 10% or so i run way under 30minute 10k pace and even under 14:30 5k pace at times (if totalled up), Been doing this since i was 13 years old and been involved in sport ever since i was 5years old and still not be able to do it?
If this helps, This is my personal % of HR when running:
200 = 100%
180 = 90%
160 = 80%
Easy runs are usually here at 73-75%
140 = 70%
120 = 60%
Any help would be appreciated!!!!!!
Guys I CAN NOT run in Zone 2. LIKE FR
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Sounds like you can't run in Zone 1, rather than Zone 2. Some set the heart rate zones as:
Zone 1 60%-70%
Zone 2 70%-83%
Zone 3 83%-90% -
1. Calm down.
2. Ditch the heart rate training.
3. If you must know your max heart rate, you have to test for it. You are assuming your max heart rate is 200. You did not provide evidence of this. Your age is not a max heart rate test, nor is it a worthwhile estimate, contrary to what you may have read. -
First, don't overthink it. If it feels easy, if you can talk easily during the run, and you feel fine later that day or the next day, then it probably was easy enough. There's nothing that magically changes when you cross an arbitrary zone boundary - 140 bpm is barely any different from 139 bpm. Usually for me, the tiredness of my legs dictates easy pace more than heart rate.
Second, how did you determine your max heart rate? The 220 - age formula is inaccurate for a lot of people. Your max might be quite a bit higher. Even if it were 200, your calculated zones seem off. My max is ~185 and I consider 144 to be the upper limit of z2. -
You need to know what your max hr actually is. Have you measured it from really hard reps sessions? If it is 200 bpm, your current easy pace (circa 75% of hr max) looks fine. You only need to run slower during warm up, and when you are fatigued after hard sessions.
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I think your HR zones are incorrect. I had the same problem back when my zones where wrong
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WERE
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Are you using a wrist-based HRM?
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sdfkjbndsbvksndfklvnskdfvkj;sdfnvdfslvbn wrote:
Are you using a wrist-based HRM?
Yeah my friend. Garmin 225 to be exact -
Dutchmuch wrote:
WERE
I will have to accurately test what my heart rates really are I suppose! -
So you wrote up this whole thread and you didn't even know what your actual heart rate zones were? SMH.
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Speaker of hard truths (the real 1) wrote:
1. Calm down.
2. Ditch the heart rate training.
3. If you must know your max heart rate, you have to test for it. You are assuming your max heart rate is 200. You did not provide evidence of this. Your age is not a max heart rate test, nor is it a worthwhile estimate, contrary to what you may have read.
Yeah you’re right man. Well if I’m honest, you and i both know the amount of theories there are on the ‘right way’ to structure ‘zones’ but I have always stuck to the Garmins way of doing things. By basing it on my (not so certain) max HR of 200 and also tried training based on HRR by working out I believe my resting HR and maxHR to determine these zones. I believe a test of some what will really nail this screw! -
9988776655 wrote:
Sounds like you can't run in Zone 1, rather than Zone 2. Some set the heart rate zones as:
Zone 1 60%-70%
Zone 2 70%-83%
Zone 3 83%-90%
Maybe that’s the way I should structure it I guess. Will have to test my vo2 max to really get to grips with my zones I guess -
To be honest bro I’ve never really taken notice of it as training typically goes well, however I’ve recently been stressed over the idea of this zone crap as it makes me believe it’s a heart issue that is causing me to be typically always be running 75% of my HR for easy running when it should be less. That’s all
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Your endurance is sucking majorly because you haven't built a base.
You are either running fast or slow.
Where is your middle? -
1) Dig a hole
2) Put the zone 2 in the hole
3) Bury the zone 2
4) Forget about the zone 2
You don't need to be running 17 every week. Take the 7 off and split into two morning runs. Its much more productive. -
Wrist-based HR is quite often inacurate. For the rest, as others said, z2 would be 140-155 +/- 2-3 bpm.
