I have now had my Garmin FR 245 for just over a week. I have been consistently wearing it and have managed to get a few runs in while monitoring my heart rate. A bit of back story: I have been running for quite a few years now but have found the last 2 years the love has slowly been dwindling and lately, running has felt like a chore. I have gotten slower, my legs always felt heavy and I wasn’t getting that same feeling of euphoria and happiness just getting out for those carefree runs. Something had to change because I missed those days. I spoiled myself and purchased this new watch for my birthday so I could explore HR training.
Whenever I start something, I research and research and research🤓. I’m not a fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants kind of gal. So the first run I did was a short but hard interval run to test my max HR. It consisted of a 5 minute warm up, 10 minute easy run, 3 minute hard fast run, 3 minute recovery (I walked) a second 3 minute run as hard as I can - then 5 minute cool down walk. The highest heart rate should be in the second interval. My max HR registered at 182 in the second interval and my watch had set up with a max HR of 185 so I was happy with that. I kept my zones as a % of Max HR since that was what I was most familiar with (I didn’t understand what the other settings were at that time ...more on this later).
A few days later I went out for my long slow easy run. My goal ( other than just seeing what my HR does) was to keep it in Zone 2 (easy) or 3 (aerobic). Well I quickly ended up in zone 4 (threshold; there are 5 zones) and had to walk to get my HR down. I found it very hard to run slow enough to keep my HR in zone 3. It kept creeping into zone 4. Sometimes I could just slow down but often (especially if there was any slight incline) I had to walk. My pace was frustratingly slow. I walked a full marathon a few years ago at a pace only slightly slower than this. But I was committed to persevere. It is supposed to get better, but it may take a few months.
Then I ran my usual type of midweek run at the pace I like to just run at and, in reality, the pace I tend to run all my runs at. No surprise - I was running in zone4. I figured this was likely what I was doing, hence the burnout I was feeling. Then something completely enlightening happened. I was on a Garmin connect Facebook group and someone put a poll up about what type of HR zones they used and most were using either %HRR or %Lactate threshold. These are the other HR zone parameters I have on my watch. So nerdy me, I read about what these were. The %HRR (Heart Rate Reserve) utilizes your resting heart rate in addition to your max Heart rate to determine your zones. I’ve been wearing my watch long enough now that I have seen a very consistent resting heart rate of 50 (and I confirmed the accuracy of my HRM by comparing what my watch read to the good old fashioned taking my pulse). I punched in my numbers and the zones shifted giving me zones with higher heart rate readings (other than max HR still at 185).
I went out today for my usual long run and ran the same route as my last long run. What a difference! This run was mostly in zone 2, with a decent amount of zone 3 and very little zone 4. My overall heart rate was quite similar but I didn’t have to walk at all and my overall pace was very consistent from km to km. I found it easier today to run at the slow rate needed to keep my heart rate low and caught myself singing under my breath and playing air drums while running along. It has been a very long time since I have enjoyed a run enough to do that!!! It was perfect! I felt like I could run forever! Yay!
So, if you made it all the way to the end of this SaskAlliecat’s ramble, this is the lesson I learned:
If your HR zones are not working well for you, look at how you are measuring them and consider changing to a different calculation and see if it is more suitable. If you have a low resting heart rate and are using %HRmax, try %HRR. You just might like it!
I am very pleased with my new watch and everything it can do. There is so much more to delve into yet and I haven’t even purchased the accessory running pod yet to help evaluate running form. One thing at a time, Allie. One thing at a time!
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SaskAlliecat
Graduate10
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Thanks SaskAlliecat. I can't tell you how helpful and reassuring I found this post.
By coincidence I have been reading up on heart rate zones this evening, as I was getting increasingly frustrated at seemingly spending the majority of my runs in the red of zone 5. There is no way I am going to keel over during a run, my pace feels comfortable, so I concluded there was definitely something amiss with the stats for my zones.
Having spent the evening consulting Google, I entered what I calculated to be my max heart rate (average 185) from my 10 previous runs and my resting, calculated by my Forerunner 45 on Garmin Connect. Like you, I also selected the %HRR, and hey presto, all the numbers in the zone ranges changed!
I did get a bit worried when I initially started reading and Google suggested my max heart when exercising was way too high, but then I read a few articles which explained how individual heart rate readings are, and the panic started to ease.
I found your post when I logged on just now and it has helped me feel confident that I have done the right thing in determining my zones myself. So tomorrow, when I head out for my run, I hope I will see a difference in my zones and perhaps not hit the red for quite as long. Hopefully, I can then start working towards running in the right zones, but I gather that's a whole new learning curve completely!
I think looking at the big picture is most important. I’m seeing the zones as a guide to help gauge my intensity. When I would train based on pace, I always ran my slow easy runs faster than prescribed claiming “I can’t run that slow”. But I just proved to myself I can - if I don’t look at pace and instead use my HR, at least on today’s run. I would tell myself I was running easy and try to do the conversation test but because I run by myself checking for conversation pace is done in short little bursts of song. For me, so far, HR seems to be a better indicator of training zones. At least I hope so. I needed to change things up and find the passion in running again. I feel it coming back, so yay for me 😊.
I've also started running to HR recently. I've always found Garmin to be a useful training tool by looking at the figures post run. However, my easy runs have always been a mix of zone 2 and zone 3. Over the last few weeks I've run purely to heart rate having that as the only data field on my watch. My easy pace is up to 139/140 bpm. At141 my breathing gets heavier. Zone 3 for me starts at 143 (70% HRR).
I think I also forgot my easy running pace. I originally found it soon after C25K and changed my user name on here because it made such a difference. (I ran the whole C25K too fast!)
My VO2 max went up three points during marathon training. It dropped again quite quickly when I stopped. One thing I do need to do is test my MaxHR again. I did it the first time over two years ago so in theory it should have dropped a couple of beats by now. Time to do intervals up the cliff path again. The opposite of easy running.
I don't think I ever truly found my easy pace. My "natural" running pace is too fast and not sustainable (I was always a sprinter in track at school). I think after all these years, I am finally finding it and enjoying it. Yay!
I've also been running with the HR data field only. I like that one the best. I adjusted the data field to take pace off and to just have time, distance, HR and HR zone, but it I haven't used that field yet. I see no reason. It is nice to look down and just see what my heart rate is and how quickly it can raise or drop just by adjusting pace or with a slight incline.
It would be interesting to see how much your max HR has changed, especially given your Marathon training. Enjoy those intervals 😜
Fascinating read. Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve now changed mine to %HRR. I’m very interested to see what that does as my Garmin decided to knock 3 points off my VO2 Max today after a walk! 😳
That is frustrating about the VO2 Max. It is all so new to me but the little bit I’ve been reading about it, it sounds like short intense intervals can helps to bring it up. That being said, there needs to be a balance. You can’t run everything hard and fast. I’ll be curious to see how mine shifts over the next while. It is fairly good right now and bumped up another point the other day after a tempo run but held steady after my slow long run today 🤷♀️. I tell myself I’m not going to get too worried about it ......but we shall see 😆
I’ve often wondered if I should use the calculation too. I have a resting hr fluctuates between 37 and 48 ish and my hr max is about 180. But someone who is really in to hr running told me to stick to % of hr max so I never changed. Hmm.
I’ve decided to switch to hrr for a bit as to me, it has always sounded more accurate. Although it won’t make any difference as I now try to run by feel anyway. My zones have gone up now but I don’t want to be running too fast and be into anaerobic too much. I’ll see what happens.
I'd like to hear how you get on with it, if you notice a big change or not. If you've mastered running by feel, it may not change much for you. I'm still trying to figure that out, after all these years 😆. I think this will be a useful tool for me, especially being a solo runner without the help of a great running group like some of you have (although I imagine Covid has altered that too 😠)
Thanks SaskAlliecat for putting up this really interesting post.
I started using HR Zones a couple of months ago and I've found it so much more enjoyable and can actually run up hills now 🤣. I have to admit I'm more the fly by the seat of my pants type so I read up a bit and did put a query post on here but the replies were mainly other people with the same questions. So in the end I tried it out using the bog standard max HR calculation then like you found my initial run meant I just couldn't keep in the zones so I just altered them! Now I'm going to have to look at the %HRR.
Your welcome. I'm so glad this post has been useful for people 😊
It sounds like there are lots of people running by HR. I'm glad to be in such good company. It has been a nice change for me to completely ignore pace.
It did make a massive difference to me. Trying to keep to a pace while struggling up a hill seems mad and I'd end up having to walk and feeling fed up. But now it's like being given permission to slow down on the up hill and then go like a mad woman down the other side!
Thanks G. I'm excited about running again and I have been reading and watching running related articles again. It is nice to be making my way back 😊. This week has been so productive for me. I'm walking and doing some evening continuing ed stuff for work at night and just have energy again. Oh how I've missed that!
Nope, far from it. Just struggling along figuring out my new tech and looking for answers to my many questions. I figure if I'm struggling with some of it, others may be too and might be interested in what I've learned.
You can set an alarm on your measured HR BPM. So if your max target was say 142 BPM your watch will bleep/buzz to tell you when you go above. Stops you from frequently 'checking'.
For more 'fun', you can have alternative or multiple alarms vs distance, pace, time (eg run/walk), etc.
Thanks! That could be useful in winter when I've got multiple layers on. Although it will be hard to get to the watch to see what's going on. Right now I have audio cues every 5 minutes telling me what zone I'm in and that is working fairly well.
I just briefly checked it out. That will be nice to use when I'm running for a set time or distance that isn't part of a workout. That could come in very useful!
There is even a "turn around" setting under Custom! I was thinking bout that the other day. I'm so use to the features in Runkeeper and was wondering how to do an out and back without constantly checking my watch. This will come in very handy! I don't think I would have checked that screen out any time soon with everything else I'm trying to figure out. Thanks a lot Katnap! That is very helpful!
So that is very interesting, I've just done %hrr and my zones seem much more in line with my perceived effort. At the moment I've been doing HR training which was pretty much the same as my MAF and I have to put in so much walking so i get stressed and have to keep on walking. This new HR is what I was running at when I miscalculated MAF last time and it was a pace that I was really comfy at, on the slow side but improved fast. Oh now I dont know if that's being naughty and I should try and stick to really low...
Today I tried to put intervals on a route while running and ended up alternativaly stopping the watch or setting random laps. Not quite got the hold of it yet, maybe I need to be a little more like you and read the hell out of it.
There is so much to learn with a steep learning curve. Of course I’ll figure something out but then can’t remember how I did it when I go back to try and use the newfound knowledge 😆
Yep that was me on the run today thinking how do i do this?? I’ve done it three times with no trouble and now I’m trying to navigate, walk up a hill and change settings. Bleep lap. Oh no didnt mean to do that!
🥰🥰🥰! It certainly did that for me too. I’m a watch lover, so it didn’t excite me to buy one earlier, but after a slump, it was an amazing gift. What was I thinking? 😂 It’s my first experience with a lot of data and it has worked wonders for me. Mine is not quite as sophisticated, but I love my Sgt Major Garmin!! Come on winter...we’re ready!! 😁❤️
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week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
