Heart rate zone training

[Curlygurly2]

Having seen quite a few people on here extolling the virtues of this type of training, I decided to give it a go, and downloaded a Garmin plan to my watch. I'm not sure really what's happened, but I found I had to run slower and slower to stay in the zones, on one occasion at over 11 minutes per km. That's stupid, it's slower than walking pace....

Now my fastest sprint speed is about 8 mins/KM, slower than my easy pace used to be before...My cadence has dropped, my stride length has got shorter...

I saw someone else here say running with a slower runner (Damianair maybe?) reduced his pace too.

I've been plodding along with this since August last year, so not like I didn't give it a good chance....I've done two plans, a 5K and a HM...

I've all but given up on it, recently I've still followed the plan but I've chosen my own conversational pace rather than try to stick in Z2. The only thing I can say in it's favour is that it got me running longer distances without needing a rest break, but that's not surprising really....

I've been running 7 years....

Any thoughts/advice?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Hi Curly, unless you establish your actual max HR then your zones are based on averages, which probably don't match you in real life.

There are various means of arriving at a max HR but I will leave you to find those on the interweb, as there is potentially some risk attached to doing this and I don't want to be responsible for killing you.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

I set my zones based on what I see from my runs. It's not the age from 220 algorithm. I've been running for a long time with a HR monitor and while I know they're not all that accurate, I think I can see my max from the hundreds of runs I've done. Also I wore a proper medical monitor for a week as part of some research. In any case, even if I haven't set the max correctly why would it result in me getting increasingly slower?

[Tasha99 Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

I run in zone 3 not 2.

I also swapped to max based on heart rate reserve.

And do 20% speed or tempo work.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Tasha99]

Yes, all of those things...plenty of speed work included in the plan, intervals/threshold runs twice a week...I swapped to reserve too, and no longer bother trying to stay in 2...it's really not worked out at all well for me.

I just can't see why it would make me slower...

[Tasha99 Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

My easy pace is slower than it used to be. That’s because I didn’t understand what easy pace was before and I was running too fast when I thought I was going easy. But I can still pick up the pace if needed and can go faster than I used to.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Tasha99]

That's what I can't do - pick up the pace. There's almost no difference between easy and sprint.

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

I tried to kerp my hr in the zones also, but my darn running speed is so consistent I gave up even looking at the measurement.If I sperd up, Im winded in a very short time, if I slow down its ridiculously slow. Frustrating, but after five years during which I really tried to "improve" its not going to change so I basically just accept it - forty years of smoking has its consequences after all.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

As slow as 11 mins per KM?

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

Around 38 to 42 for 5k. Best I ever did, with very conscientious training, was 33. That was in my first year. Now I just try to enjoy the ride

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

My "race" recently was 45, My bestest ever was just under 35. Mostly I'd do 37 - 40.... I really think this has buggered my running.

[Jell6 Graduate]

I think it has reduced my pace, but I think the reason for that is I'm no longer concerned about going slower (I do go further, more often) I also do at least one 5 km run a week were I go for a faster final km, I think that just has the result of reassuring me that I still have some speed in me.

But I think you posted about this a while ago, so it's obviously bothering you.

If you're sure your loss of pace is totally down to this change and not something else, maybe go back to what you were doing previously.

Perhaps slower running just isn't for you.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Jell6]

Yes, you are right, I did post a while ago. I'm quite happy to tootle along at the slower pace most of the time, yes, I can go further and don't need a rest, but it's the loss of top end that's bothering me I suppose. I raced a 5K the other week, 45 mins....I used to do 37 easy.