Zone 3 run 🏃‍♀️👍

[Jools2020]

Up with the 6 a.m. lark and running clothes on before cuppa! My brother and I are going out on Saturday, so I’ll only have time for a short run on Saturday morning. I decided to do a longer run today instead.

It was a warm one this morning. Didn’t even think twice about donning my sleeveless running vest 😊. Warm up walk done and Beatles ‘Love’ album selected 🎶 and I was off! Steady start, first km pretty much in Zone 2. As the run went on, I realised that it wasn’t going to be easy today to keep my heart rate as low as I wanted to. With the inclines and the heat I was having to slow right down to keep in Zone 3, but I refused to give up. Now, I’ve always been the Queen of Slow 😂 but even I got to the point where I was thinking if I go any slower I’ll be walking! I carried on and did manage to get my heart rate down each time, although I did encroach into Zone 4 more than once.

Towards the end of my run, I started to feel light rain. This was a welcome surprise, as the forecast had very clearly showed 0% chance of rain! The temperature dropped slightly with the rain, so for the last km I was easily able to keep in Zone 3 as well as to speed up a bit. Goes to show, I think, how much my heart rate is influenced by the temperature!

This was a lovely, easy run and at the end, I went to sit on ‘my’ steps and enjoyed the feeling of the cool rain on my skin for a few minutes before heading back for coffee 🏃‍♀️🌧 😊☕️

[RunWillie Graduate10]

Well done Jools2020 ❤️🏃‍♀️

Heart rate is definitely influenced by temperature! Enjoy your vest while you can 🤣😎

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

Thanks, my vest certainly helped to keep me cooler today 😊

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

Heart rate is affected by so many different things, and sometimes it seems to make no sense - at least in my case. But it definitely goes up when I'm too warm.

That was a good run Jools - you stuck to the plan and were able to switch things around a bit to fit circumstances.

The gremlins got me this morning. Its been lovely to see them but our visitors are leaving later today so hopefully normal service will resume

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Thanks, Diane. Difficult to find the time when you have family staying, but hopefully back to normal as you say.

[mancrunner1 Graduate10]

Sounds like a lovely run, Jools, well done! I noticed in the recent heatwave how much higher my heart rate was even on non-running days, it definitely has a big impact!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to mancrunner1]

Yes, I hadn’t appreciated what a huge impact it has. Looking forward to the cooler autumn days 😊

[Woollyweaver Graduate10]

I do admire your discipline, Jools2020

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Woollyweaver]

Thank you. Sometimes I think it’s more like stubbornness with a bit of determination thrown in! 😊

[Woollyweaver Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I can do stubbornness!! I'm actually really intrigued by your heart rate zone running, wondering if it might be a tactic to help me slow down?? How do you monitor your zones - do you have an alert set up on your Garmin?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Woollyweaver]

I don’t have an alert set up, although you can. Truth is, you get used to knowing if your heart rate is creeping up.

I have set up my watch to show numerically where I am in the zones. I had to Google how to do this and I did it on the watch itself. So if it shows 3.5, I am running in Zone 3, halfway between Zone 3 and 4. Obviously if it shows 4 or over then I have to slow down! 😊

If you are running at ‘easy conversational pace’ that’s good enough and you don’t need to keep looking at your watch. I often sing along to my music - if I can sing without being out of breath then I’m in the right zone!

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10]

Hello Jools and well done to you! I saw that you had run for over an hour and thought what's going on?! It's Thursday, not Saturday!After my strange heart rate graph on Tuesday, I gave my wrist a thorough wash and my watch a gentle clean. No abnormal patterns today average heart rate 124bpm.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

Hi! Yes, it seemed strange deviating from my routine. My average heart rate today was 139, but it was definitely the heat that pushed it up a bit today. Good that your graph was ok today! 😊👍

[Sar9]

Can I ask why you aim for zone 2? X

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Sar9]

I’m actually aiming for Zone 3. I have a number of reasons. Firstly, I’m trying to regain former fitness - running in Zone 3, or at 70-75% of my maximum heart rate, is developing my endurance and stamina. Also, I’m setting myself up for success, because I know I can do it, rather than keep going out there and pushing myself on every run, which will lead to dissatisfaction and possibly injury. Zone 3 running works for me and is how I got to running a half marathon distance last year. I’m doing a Zone 3 run once a week and love the way that I can stay on my feet running for longer with little effort, knowing that I’m working on my endurance.

[Sar9 in reply to Jools2020]

Thanks! I just wondered as I’d not heard of this before!! wondered if I needed to be doing something different!!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Sar9]

What are you doing now? 😊

[Sar9 in reply to Jools2020]

No idea when it comes to hr zones!! I haven’t ever payed much attention to them. Just looked back at my last run & 83% was zone 5 (above 166).

I usually just run and occasionally note my pace!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Sar9]

If you ever decide to use the zones, you would have to make sure your maximum heart rate is more accurately set up. If you are running mostly in Zone 5, it’s possibly set too low.

[Sar9 in reply to Jools2020]

I will have a look into it thanks!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Having your arm free and running easy to keep your heart rate low is wonderful, that light rain at the end….perfect

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you, Sola 😊 that light rain was very welcome!

[nowster Graduate10]

When I get hot my HR definitely goes up sharply. This is why I've had to stop many of my runs since late June.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

I deal with it by running earlier 😊

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

That's my problem. I keep getting out too late in the day.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Haha, I know! It’s that ‘snooze button’ gremlin. He’s got a lot to answer for 😂

[Hidden]

Brilliant Jools!👏👏🏃‍♀️🥰

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you! 👍😊

[Fionamags Graduate10]

Great idea doing a zone 3 run. I ended up with heart rate only being displayed on one run recently by mistake. So I tried sticking to the green zone (i think zone 3) and it was a revelation! It makes for a very enjoyable long run, doesn't it? I felt like I could go for miles. I'm trying to really slow down as well (well, even further....) as there is a sweet spot that just feels brilliant.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Fionamags]

Yes! That’s exactly how I feel! I stop after the run not even out of breath and it’s great to think of what it’s doing for my endurance and stamina.

[LottieMW Ambassador]

Fab running there Jools…you are certainly building your stamina back up! 👍🏃🏻‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

Thank you, Lottie! 😊

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to Jools2020]

👍🥰

[GailXrunning]

Fabulous little run. I so love the final lines, where you sit down and enjoy the post-run glow in the (unexpected) rain! 🏃‍♀️🌧🤗