HR Zone and running -- What's going on?

joehempel

I'm trying to get my half marathon time under 2 hours. I missed it by 70 seconds last year, so I'm targeting the same half marathon in August.

On the recommendation of a few people, I bought the 80/20 book and am trying to figure it out....so here's a few day's results, and I'm just confused.

I'm trying to use the Zone HR method, it's seemed to get the best results form everything I've read, and I'm using the 80/20 Running book and plan.

I'm having a very hard time figuring things out and things are confusing the crap out of me regarding heart rate.

Yesterday I went out for a 3.5 mile run at a slow pace, 10:26 was the average my HR hit 172, average was around 163

Today I went out and ran 2 miles (just testing the Microsoft Band), and my HR peaked at 172, average of 153, 11:31 pace, but it "felt" much harder!!

Compare that to earlier this week and ran 5.5 miles at a 9:15 pace, HR peaked at 181, average of 173 or so, and it felt so much easier!!

I went out and did the "talk test" with the book and I could still comfortably talk around the 172 HR mark.

What in the world is going on?? My plan starts next week, so I'm trying to wrap my head around this stuff any help would be great as this is all confusing to me.

I'm 36 and my MHR is somewhere around 190-200, but when I do a very slow jog my hr goes from 60 to like 140 extremely easily.

CarsonRuns

If you are not used to running the slower pace, it will feel harder for a couple weeks as your body adjusts to it.

Foamroller

MHR is sport specific. Did you do the test running?

HR is a very variable metric. Depending on a number of factors including mood, caffeine, overtraining, general conditioning, exercise adaptation etc. In short, it's a moving target. Treat HR like the scales; there are daily fluctuations within your range. Use it for trending, not a Bible

joehempel

CarsonRuns wrote: »

If you are not used to running the slower pace, it will feel harder for a couple weeks as your body adjusts to it.

Okay cool. I noticed the HR was definitely lower by 10 or so during the slower runs, but I just wasn't expecting it to feel as hard lol.

Will keep up the HR zone stuff.

CarsonRuns

joehempel wrote: »

CarsonRuns wrote: »

If you are not used to running the slower pace, it will feel harder for a couple weeks as your body adjusts to it.

Okay cool. I noticed the HR was definitely lower by 10 or so during the slower runs, but I just wasn't expecting it to feel as hard lol.

Will keep up the HR zone stuff.

Just don't drive yourself crazy trying to hit a specific number. Get in the range and recognize what the effort feels like and try to duplicate that Perceived Level of Effort (PLE) each time you do an easy effort run.

scottb81

What I found useful is to just run by time and HR and to hide the pace field on the watch during the run. Then I don't stress over it.

It's still available ofter the run and as long as it's gradually getting faster over time at the same HR then everything is working.

I keep the HR field in view or I will invariably run too hard

joehempel

I'm using the Microsoft Band and that's exactly what I've got set for todays run....it's got time, HR, and calories, we'll see what happens

scottb81

If you need to take some walk breaks at first to lower your HR, especially on hills, it will not negatively affect the run quality ot training effect.

joehempel

Thanks!!

Charliegottheruns

How do you come up with your MHR ?

scottb81

Just as a reference point, like you, I restarted training in Feb after about a 15 month break from running.

Here is a run from the first week back (after several weeks walking).
Feb 20th - 55 min, 11:20 min/mi, 4.85 mi, AHR 128, 33 walk breaks to keep my HR in zone.

This is from this week, same route.
Apr 6th - 55 min, 10:24 min/mi, 5.29 mi, AHR 128, 0 walk breaks.

AHR 128 for me is about 69% HRR or 77% HRmax. From a Maffetone perspective it's 180-age+3. So it falls right in where a Maffetone plan recommends as well as exactly where that 80/20 book recommends.

Additionally, from my first week, running easy has allowed me to ramp my weekly miles as follows with absolutely no problems. I feel better running now than I have ever felt in my life. Weekly mileage: 14, 36, 40, 43, 49, 44, 45, 59, 39 so far this week since Mon. (so, 8 weeks total running not counting a few weeks of walking to get started)

I am very enthused about this progess even though at first glance it still looks slow. Its painless and looks like it will let me build a huge base before i even consider a training plan (after 24 weeks). And if my progress keeps anywhere close to what it currently is, and given the miles I am running I have no reason to believe it won't, by July I should be somewhere between an 8:30 to 9:00 mile, at really easy HR, with no injuries at all, with no overtrainng at all, running somewhere close to 70 miles per week on fresh legs.

That will be new territory for me and if it pans out anywhere close to that I'll be blowing away PRs by early next year. So, here's keeping my fingers crossed.

teacton11

scottb81 wrote: »

What I found useful is to just run by time and HR and to hide the pace field on the watch during the run. Then I don't stress over it.

It's still available ofter the run and as long as it's gradually getting faster over time at the same HR then everything is working.

I keep the HR field in view or I will invariably run too hard

Awesome suggestion. I'm back to base building now and I do this exact thing. Overall time and heart rate are my only metrics right now. Distance and average pace are just surprises when I get done with a run. I can't tell you how much stress this took away from my runs. Started actually having fun again.

joehempel

Good info Scott!!

I did this little Assessment thing from the MiCoach app, and used my Garmin Vivoactive w/ Chest strap for HR.

You started with a walk for 2 minutes and the a perceived "4" (out of 9) for 2 minutes, 5 for 2 minutes, 6 for 2 minutes, 7 for 1:30, 8 for :30, and 9 for :45.

Looking at my HR and zones they put me in it looks like this:

RED: 177-187 (7:17-6:29 pace)
YELLOW: 169-176 (7:41-7:17 pace)
GREEN: 149-168 (10:22-7:41 pace)
BLUE: 131-148 (18:48 - 10:22 pace)