Playing in the zones on a slow 5k ๐Ÿ˜Š - Bridge to 10K

Bridge to 10K

16,458 members โ€ข 26,275 posts

Playing in the zones on a slow 5k ๐Ÿ˜Š

โ€ข12 Replies

Another slow 5k for me this morning while I work on running in zones ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ. I entered my own stats into the zone boundaries on my Garmin watch last week and deliberately ran a slow 5k run. My stats showed almost all my running in zone 4 and a little in zone 3 ๐Ÿ˜ƒ, rather than the almost entire run showing in red zone 5 as it had on all previous runs ๐Ÿ˜ฑ.

Today I ran comfortably in the warm orange glow of zone 4, but my time in the healthy green of zone 3 increased quite a bit ๐Ÿ˜€. It was a slow 5k trail run through the woods, leaping numerous puddles formed from overspilling ditches and running through long stretches of mud (which my new Brooks Cascadias coped with admirably). Though still slow, this was over a minute faster than my previous run, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the green zone register as much as it did.

My VO2 Max is also heading in the right direction and has knocked two years off my age! I have no idea how it works, but as long as it is winding back the clock it can only be a good thing โฐ ๐Ÿ˜‰ ๐Ÿ˜ƒ .

Happy running everyone. ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ˜Š

12 Replies
โ€ข

Love this Delly-dot! It's all an experience and trying things along the way. Then eventually it seems to settle and boom...it all comes together ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š

in reply to

Thanks GTFC ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ˜Š

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10

Your trail run sounds so lovely. I miss those types of runs but next summer I'll hit the trails again.

Your graphs are looking good. I'm glad to hear things are coming together.

in reply to SaskAlliecat

Thank you ๐Ÿ˜Š. Itโ€™s nice to see the green grow! Feels healthy ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿผ.

Hope youโ€™re managing to do your runs in the snow. Whatโ€™s your temperature there? It was warmer than it looked in the sunshine for me this morning (10 degrees c) and I had to peel a layer off.

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10 in reply to

It just keeps snowing and I've had so much going on for work, I haven't gotten out yet this week. I've got another webinar to attend tonight after work , but I'm getting out Friday, I hope. We're pretty cold right now (-20ยฐC) but they are calling for a high of 0 tomorrow. The cold doesn't usually stop me, unless it is really windy, which it likely will be tomorrow due to the warm up in temperature. But I have to do something, I'm feeling so sluggish after feeling so great after last week's high activity.

in reply to SaskAlliecat

Gosh thatโ€™s cold ๐Ÿฅถ!! I hope you manage to get out for your run. Please post us a snowy photo ๐Ÿค—

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10 in reply to

Will do!

dijep profile image
dijepGraduate10

Sounds a lovely run even with puddle jumping and mud splatter ๐Ÿ˜Š ๐Ÿ˜‚ And great that you can see the difference in your HR Zones. I tend to run mainly in 2 and 3, but I know its good to mix it up so I should try to do some in z4 but it's such an effort ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜• So that makes me even more impressed with your run.

in reply to dijep

Iโ€™m really trying hard to bring my pace down but itโ€™s not easy to consciously go slower! Iโ€™m enjoying trying out a few new things though. Iโ€™ve downloaded the Runkeeper app to try and Iโ€™ve done three zombie ๐ŸงŸโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐ŸงŸโ€โ™€๏ธ runs now ๐Ÿ˜ฌ. Unfortunately the NRC app doesnโ€™t like my out of date iPhone so I canโ€™t try it. Never mind. ๐Ÿ™ƒ

dijep profile image
dijepGraduate10 in reply to

I'm quite good at slower I just can't do faster ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿ˜‚

I've wanted to get my time to under 40 minutes for running 5k for months but it's a bit like trying to catch a unicorn ๐Ÿฆ„ ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ

Timotea profile image
TimoteaGraduate10

Super impressed by your technological nouse! How do even see the โ€˜zonesโ€™? Are they on Garmin?

in reply to Timotea

Ah, don't be deceived Timotea ๐Ÿ˜‰. My technological nouse is born out of frustration! I was fed up of being in the red zone and decided to read up, review my stats and put in my own data rather than relying on the generic 220 - your age = Max Heart Rate calculation, as my max HR was higher. Now I have stats that reflect me ๐Ÿ˜ƒ.

You can find your zones on the Garmin Connect app, either on your phone or on your laptop. I'm not sure what you use, but happy to guide you if you like?

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Morning run not for me!

I usually jog late in the day, particularly when the days are warmer as I wait for the sun to start...

Running to Michael Mosleyโ€™s walking playlist

A couple of months ago, I had bought Just One Thing, the book by Michael Mosley, as a present for...

HU 10K AlMorr #50

I ran my 50th 10K this morning as part of the Spring HU 10K in a time of 1:12:43 which is about 5...

Nike Run Club guided runs not working?

I donโ€™t know if this is just me but I havenโ€™t been able to get a NRC guided run to play in almost a...

Two โ€œDisney princessโ€ runs!

Iโ€™m having a lovely time with my running at the moment. Itโ€™s one of those phases where Iโ€™m excited...