Honesty, OP… none of this matters right now. At the “few months” mark you should simply run every run at a pace where it always feels easy. If a run ever starts to feel “not easy” you should slow down. Your avenue for improvement is to run more miles. The absolute best things a novice runner can do are to (1) stay healthy and (2) build easy volume. Zones will be useful for setting workouts once your fitness progresses past 30-35 easy miles a week.
this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2023
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I know your comment came from a good place but I disagree with a part of your comment. Setting realistic goals, even if they are long term goals, is important for some people. I’m not able to consistently run just for the fun of it, I need the numbers and graphs. “Number get bigger/better” or I’ll lose interest lol
What I’m getting at is, you are right, for now, building up a good base is what I need and what I am working on. But for my future reference and the future reference of anyone who happens to come across this post, what percentages are runners using for heart rate training? I want something to work towards.
I just use the zones as preset on my Garmin watch. I don't really care that much what percentages they are at exactly, for me it is enough that what the watch is showing me more or less matches my "feel" during a run.
I did a few months of doing weekend long runs mostly in Z2 according to my watch, and I did feel the improvement I wanted, and that is enough for me. To hell with exact percentages.
Your mileage may vary. :)
One thing to watch out for, some places will recommend zones based on %HRR rather than just % Max HR so you could see significant differences there
As for what I like my zones to be, it all depends on what label you want to give your zones.
- Z1 - Recovery, so everything below 73 %HR Max, 62 %HRR
- Z2 - Easy, Up to 80 %HRMax, or 70 %HRR
- Z3 - Moderate/High Aerobic,
- Z4 - Lactate Threshold, 88-92 %MaxHR, or 84-88 %HRR for me
- Z5 - Everything else
I find the Garmin defaults are fine for people who don't want to think about it, but I like zones set for specific training goals. Easy and LT zones are about the only zones I really try to use. Everything else is based on VDOT paces usually.
edit: formatting
I spent hours researching and tweaking my Garmin’s HRZ’s in my first year of running. It was the most important metric for me to follow and I think it helped me build a nice aerobic base.
As I’m only an amateur I won’t share anything specific but anecdotally, I found that once I dialed in where I “thought” (through many different self-test options I found online) my lactate threshold was and could start to identify that space between zones 3-4 I could then pull back and find my comfortable zone 2 space. After that I started manually adjusting the zones. I will say now I don’t use it as more than an occasional reference. I think a lot of folks (maybe?) migrate to using a combo of HRZ and RPE.
I’d say now I think I know what it feels like when I’m pushing past my lactate threshold and what comfortable and sustainable feels like and try to trust that.
Good luck in your running!!
Percentages don't matter until you're advanced. Use nasal breathing or the talk test for Z2 and you're fine, and when doing speed work just gas yourself and recover
For some runners (maybe even a majority) that’s true. To me, the numbers are important. I want measurable results and properly calibrated goals to work towards. Half the fun in this for me is in the numbers
Why not measure the same thing everyone else does: pace, distance, and speed?
You're measuring something no one else does. You ever wonder why no one else does? Maybe because measuring your zoned heart rate percentages is inaccurate as hell, like electrostatic body fat measurements
Why do chemists pipette liquids when they can’t get the exact amount of atoms in every drop? /s
‘Why measure something no one else does?’ is generally a foolish take.
Ok let me rephrase a little harsher, if you want to play the tit-for-tat game: you are a novice runner. By doing this, you are "majoring in the minors". You are focusing on minutiae that does not matter to anyone. Your efforts will not get you anywhere. You aren't bad at running because you don't know This One Weird Trick no one talks about. You just need to run more
You’re right, I should do exactly what you do because you’ve perfected running. I’ve seen the light, no one should record measurements from their runs because they will never win as many Olympic medals as you’ve won. Genius
I'm not a good runner. Not even close. Which is why I would never make up my own rules for how to improve running. I'd look at what real runners and running coaches do
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