A couple of days ago I read a post on here mentioning training HR Zones so I thought I'd give it a go, I did a bit of a plan on my watch, not really knowing what I was doing and off I went. I found it hard to keep in the zones, but I did run for longer and further than ever before. Finally cracking my 60 minutes 😊
So now I'm intrigued and looking for information, opinions and advice on how to set up the zones and how different zones will alter my runs. Hope that makes sense 😂
Any information much appreciated x
Written by
dijep
Graduate10
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Whoop whoop 60 minutes!! Absolutely amazing! 🥳🤸♀️👏👏👏 Re. HR zones, my watch calculated them for me, I basically had to run as fast as possible for a bit to bring my HR as high as I could and then it calculated the ranges for all the zones. Then all you do is check which type of run you're aiming for and what hr zone that corresponds to. I try to keep most of mine to zone 3- easy, conversational pace. It's been such a revelation, makes the whole experience much more enjoyable once you get used to running slowly! 🙂
Thanks for this article ....what I don’t understand is how can a one size fit all at a specific age formula works when we are all different, the article says the latter and then gives a one size equation 🤔 anyone? 🤗
Yes I found this article the other day its interesting isn't it. I used the set calculation for my MHR but I think I need to work it out properly as you've done
Thanks for the question dijep I’m still trying to make sense of it all, ....
This is intriguing me aswell and I can’t grasp it. I’ve only had a Garmin one month and so only started measuring HR since then. In that time my ‘fitness age’ based on VO2 max has increased by 6 years and is now 3 years above my actual age having started 3 years younger !! That’s even though I am running for longer and more easily, so it seems. I don’t really understand but I suspect it’s because I spend a great deal of time in heart rate zone 5 (the minimum time was 70% in zone 5 and quite often over 80%). My actual max heart rate during any of these runs has been 186 bpm and Garmin is using 190 as my benchmark. But if I calculate it using that formula, my max heart rate would be 173 - which means I’m spending even more time in zone 5 than even Garmin calculates. I don’t feel like I’m pushing too hard so what’s going on here ? Do I have unusually fast heart beat ?! I do have a tendency to run in what the Garmin thinks is my ‘warm up/cool down’ periods having already done warm up before turning on the ‘run’ so my actual warm up / cool down heart beat isn’t registering as a % of my run (meaning I’m obviously going to be spending higher % time in higher zone). But still - my actual max heart beat is faster than the calculated one. Either I’m using the Garmin wrong or my Maximum heart rate is set wrong. I suppose i should follow your example and try keep bpm in lower zones but I might grind to a halt !
Exactly the same problem here Juliet202, to keep in Zone 3 I can’t run any hill, have to slow walk them all and must run very slowly. I achieved it once and I was 12 minutes slower than my last 5k time which wasn’t even very good. If I stick to training pace for easy run it feels good, I can run for over an hour, easily chat away (if there was anyone there 😌one day 🙏) but Garmin puts me running in the red for the majority of the time. If I did run flat out my watch would probably spontaneously combust! 🤣 Who knows what is going on. 🧐
It's really annoying me now that by the looks of it we are all struggling with the similar problems! My run was only zone 1 and 2, I'd have had to slow walk to keep in zone 1! I tried to keep in zone 2 for the majority of the run but it was very slow, but I could do the hills. Perhaps I'll try zone 3 and see what happens!
Yes well I felt I was grinding to a halt! I'm pleased I managed 60 minutes but I did feel at one point I could have walked fast! That's why I'm hoping some one can shed some light on it.
Like you I reckon my MHR is wrong, I'm going to try one of the methods I've read about to work out my specific figure rather than the generic calculated one.
As for the V02 Max figures I've got the opposite of you mine reckons I'm 15 years younger than I am 😂 🤣 I'd like to believe it was true but I think I'd have to be super for it to be correct and I'm definitely not!
You can manually adjust your max HR. I put mine up to 180 otherwise Garmin kept telling me to have a rest. I might put it up to 190. I haven't checked again but I'm hoping it will readjust HR zones accordingly.
Yes I have manually altered mine now after you suggested it on my previous post. I've based it on my one "fast" run 🤣but I think it may be a bit of trial and error.
I had to Google it. I've got a forunner 45 and you click the watch icon on the app and in user settings go onto heart rate zones and just enter the new maximum figure.
Thanks for this info dijep & Fionamags, I'll def take a look. I have a Garmin vivoactive and I had to adjust the zones for intensity minutes because it would only count zones 4&5 to begin with! It still won't give me any minutes for fast walking because my HR stays mainly within zone 2, which is quite annoying. Ah well 😒
Ah, thanks dijep, same watch, found it, ( it’s so easy when someone just explains, lost when left to my own devices, literally 😆) looks like it’s set really low, I’m going to try running up hill tomorrow. until I can’t talk and see what is more realistic for MHR 😃🤸♀️ I’m sure I shall feel much happier if I’m in the green zone more often, unless I’m no longer 42 years younger 😁🤗
Aha !!! So today I tried to do my run (target 8km !) but while staying in lower heart zone which meant I was to attempt to keep below 152bpm according to my Garmin. Absolutely impossible !! Even my most leisurely pace had me hovering around 160 - 170 and my average at the end (including warm up / cool down data this time !) was 160. Great - lower than usual but still showing up as spending 83% in zone 5 - yikes !! Then realised that strava is showing different data - gah ! Realised that my Garmin max HR is set at 170 (which makes sense for my age 😉) but strava is set at 190. Ho hum. Have now adjusted Garmin to 185 (which is highest according to my last month of running) but it hasn’t recalculated past runs so..... guess I’ll have to wait for my next run to try it out ! Long story short - I did run for longer (cos I was much slower !) and did my 8k and frankly it was much easier than usual. Also Garmin and strava zones are different - what was the minimum for zone 5 in Garmin is only zone 3 in strava. So I spent 67.5% in zone 3 and 15.9% in zone 4. Guess that sounds healthier than 83% in zone 5 which is what Garmin says ! Phew.
I'm doing a HR based training plan that I found on Garmin Connect, and downloaded to my watch. I'm half way through, and I'm really enjoying it! It tells you what days to run, and what zone to run in. It includes long slow runs, recovery runs, and interval sessions. Have a look under training - training plans.
Yes. I think the watch isn't able to download as much as others in the range.
On Monday I made up my own workout based on a MHR from a previous run. I ran 5k in zones 2 and 3 and found it a really interesting way of seeing the effort especially on the hills. My time for the distance matched what I'd usually run it in. Going to try a 7k in zones 1 and 2 next.
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Training Advice Needed
Adapting the zones and feeling much better for it 😊
Training back on schedule 
A run of new things, and heart rate
Magic Plan Week 3 Run 1 - 7K
