HR Zone 3

[SueAppleRun]

And a very enjoyable run it was too!

We set off for the park, with NRC set up and ready on my phone and the Greatest Showman album blasting in my ears from my watch when I realised I couldn’t listen to phone and watch at the same time so ditched the phone and off we went, I’ve read a lot about low heart rate running and long term benefits so after commenting that I would try it on Jools2020 post thought I’d give it a go. Slow and steady I went after explaining to Willow my intention.

Willow widened the gap between us and had disappeared round a corner when the watch buzzed 2k and I thought it must be about 20 minutes and I was right as I rounded the last bend I spied him getting in the car, it makes me happy to know Willow has done what he wants to and is fine sitting in the car scrolling through his phone while I run further.

I gently ran alongside the golf course towards the sea, decided not to stop to cross the road but then a gap appeared so I sprinted across the road and up the bank, that shot my heart rate up to zone 4 and I had to go really slow to get it back down again, I realised I was enjoying this and smiled at a couple of walkers the odd runner and a guy on a bike going the other way, time to turn, my legs are beginning to feel this, I think it’s less about running and more about how long it’s taking me to complete the distance.

No goldfinches today but a few friendly dogs as i joggle slowly back round the lake, decision time, the rest of the way round the lake or alongside the road? grass is wet and will slow me down even more so I opted for the road, realised I’d listened to the whole album so put my headphones in my pocket and listened to cars, back in the park, very short sprint finish and 5k easy run completed. It took a whole 55 minutes but i could comfortably sing along quietly to songs i know and wasn’t as hot or sweaty as usual and apart from the warm up walk there wasn’t a step taken that wasn’t running.

Garmin hates me and has added 2 years to my fitness age but it’s a baseline zone 3 run and we shall see what happens over the next few months

Just to compare my heart rate usually starts in zone 3 creeps up to zone 4 and still sometimes dips into zone 5 it seems the longer I run the higher it usually goes

Happy football all

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10]

Sounds like a good run. 👍

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Maddee_6333]

Low HR running seems to be worth a try and didn’t wear me out as usual

[Jools2020 Graduate10]

Oooh yesss, well done! Great run. My heart rate, like yours, just increases during the run and ends up in Zone 5. Not what I want right now.

I did exactly what you did - Zone 3, sometimes encroaching into Zone 4 and slowing right down to get back into Zone 3. Sprint finish for the last half km, but even then I didn’t go into Zone 5. Very satisfying knowing I’m back to working on my stamina.

Who cares what Garmin thinks 😂, that’s a great run for you, I can imagine you singing away as you jog comfortably along! 👏👏👏👍🏃‍♀️

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

It was you who inspired me Jools and the sprint finish was me copying you as well, overall i started to feel it towards the end and i think that was just the time being out and running and it’s my slowest run for ages but after breakfast and a bath we’ve between us hoovered washed windows polished and washed the net curtains and that wouldn’t have happened if i’d run faster even with walking breaks, after being away and having dog visitors it was needed

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

So happy to have inspired you! I’m just repeating what I did last year to gradually get to 10 miles and then to HM. I didn’t particularly aim to keep to Zone 3 then, but I need that right now, otherwise I’ll just creep up with the pace. It’s all about time on your feet and enabling yourself to increase that gradually, without being knackered 😂. Yesterday was my slowest 5K for a long time (over 44 minutes) but it’s irrelevant. Next weekend, I’ll do another slow run, slightly longer. Happy running! 👏👍

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

Happy running to you too, I was thinking to try for 2 x20 minute runs during work days and one longer slow heart rate run a week, probably stick with 5k for a who’s and see if it makes a difference

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

That sounds like a great run and who cares what Garmin thinks. At the end of the day it’s only a watch 😂

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Irishprincess]

There is that and I loved watching my heart rate to keep it low rather than pace and thinking i should speed up

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

Great running!I'm going to try this on my next run - hopefully later today - let's see what happens.

Mr Garmin hates me at the moment anyway...

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Birdlady64]

Me Garmin was living me but he’s gone off me, it reall seems worth it as i’m not shattered

[Hidden]

You seem to have had a lovely run. I really enjoy a slow pace and that’s what I too focussed on this morning. Happy ⚽️

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Hidden]

It was an experiment and worked well

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10]

Mr Garmin LOVES me, he just knocked a further 2 years off my age after I did C25K wk1 r3 with my son this morning 😁❤️

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

That’s impressive

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Secret of eternal youth

[Hidden]

Sounds like a good slow run, those are most enjoyable, right?

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Hidden]

Yes! it was my slowest 5k for a while but it was all ran rather than some run walk intervals

[LottieMW Ambassador]

Ooo…sounds like a lovely run, and good that Willow did what he wanted to do…plus you had energy for jobs after! I only have a Ms Fitbit…very polite and isn’t rude about my age, but difficult to see HR when running…so I have to rely on pace/splits audio cues 😬