Runners
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It is also worth experimenting with zones. 220 minus your age or percentages of max HR will give you lower zone values than finding your lactate threshold HR and working it out that way. The best is to have zones that feel right, and there is a lot of information out there about how each zone should feel.
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@goosehd
Agree with Nik.
Lactate lab is best.Short of that, establish your max heart rate (warm up, run uphill at max sustainable speed for 10 minutes, rest 5, do it again and take max heart rate of second run --- many other ways available). Subtract your resting heart rate from max and divide range in 5 zones. Add them to resting heart rate.
Remember that zone 2 is volume training. In order to see benefits (MAF test or just faster at same HR) takes at least 5 hours per week running in zone 2 imho. You can also use running at conversational pace, nose breathing etc. Don't be too dogmatic about it. When running uphill and you pop out of your zone it's fine as long as your HR quickly returns back to zone 2 after.
If you got back from a 70min z2 run and felt you could do it again you are perfect. That is how it is supposed to feel.
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@Dmart @Nik @Perpetual_beta Thank you gentlemen for the advice and support!! I've read from a few different sources about calculating zone 2 and on more than one occasion, the zone 2 for the person was just about the same for the different ways calculated. All zone 2's were within a margin of error from using the standard 220 - Age formula. I also used the talk semi what comfortably and where I was just slightly breathing heavy and could breath through my nose.
I'm going to try this method for a couple of months and see how it goes. If it works for me (and there is no reason it shouldn't), I may go to a lab and get properly tested based on availability and costs involved. Would be interesting to see my Lactate and VO2 Max numbers just to see how fit (or unfit) I am.
Also, a big thank you for posting and being an inspiration. There are quite a few great discussions on this forum and this is one I feel is truly helping me for the years ahead.
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Long run today - with a twist. Picked a point on the map and used the measure distance feature to figure out how far it was. It said 9 km’s, which was going to be my half way point for today’s run.
Ended up being about 11.5 km’s…total run today was 23.28 km’s. Made it, but the last 4 km’s were rough.
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Nice work @goosehd sounds like your fitness is improving? How's it feeling?
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@Dmart @Nik Mentally pretty good and feeling slightly euphoric today and physically I feel tired, but no issues with joints or muscles.
Two hours was the plan and would have but me right about 18 km’s but the extra 5 km’s were tough and pushed me to 2’ 40 min. I should have abandoned my halfway point when I realized it was further than I had calculated, but the weather was great and I was feeling good. For the first 16 km’s, I was able to control my heart rate quite easily and stay within my zone, but it started falling apart after I reached 18 km’s. I couldn’t slow my pace down or change my breathing to get the heart rate down and would walk. The time to walk kept increasing with the mileage and the amount I could run before my heart rate crept up kept getting shorter and shorter.
I have my eye’s set on a half marathon in October and feeling pretty good about it. Part of yesterday’s run was to see where my fitness level is currently and what I need to work on for the race (if I do it).
Appreciate the interest and advice. You guys keep me going!
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@goosehd it mentally helps a lot knowing that you are able to cover the distance (regardless of the time), so it was a good workout. Heart rate decoupling (increased heart rate over time while keeping the pace/effort the same) can mean many things. Firstly, not enough fitness, secondly, poor fielding and hydration.
Keep up the training! If you stay most of the time in „zone 2“ and do one or two harder workouts, this should put you in a good position for the half. Slowly increase the mileage and don’t neglect the niggles and pain. Especially for us „not 20 years old anymore“ guys. Consistency to me, has always been key. -
Yeah you'll smash that half marathon Dennis. Do you have a particular event in mind?
You eating and drinking on lung runs? -
Hydration was definitely an issue yesterday. Took minimal water thinking the run would be 2 hours and with cooler temperatures thought I wouldn’t need much. I was wrong.
Didn’t take any food with me, but will for future runs. I have a Nathan vest on order to carry water and food. Should be here this week.
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@Nik Two events coming up and I'm hoping to make one of them. One in September and the other in October (Toronto Half Marathon). The one in September if I'm feeling confident in myself, which was the reason for the trial this weekend.
Can any of you guys recommend foods/gels/supplements that you stand behind and have had good luck with? I'm more than a little overwhelmed looking at all of the different offerings.
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Cool let us know what event you end up going for and keep us updated.
As for fuelling I’m not picky and will eat just about anything. The main thing is to try it out and use it in training. Maybe get a few types that look good and eat it in the first five to ten minutes of any session, to get a sense of how it is to eat while running. I’ve tried SIS, Maurten, Gu, Clif Bloks, and the most recent is these refillable High 5 flasks. Gu is probably my favourite in terms of tastes. -
Been meaning to post these, finished the San Fransisco Marathon last Sunday, had a great time. Note the 2:00 hour timer on the top of one of the pics is for the half marathon race that finished at the same time. I in fact am not the new world record holder.
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Great photos looks like a fun race
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Rolled my ankle pretty badly yesterday whilst on an easy run. There’s some bruising and swelling along the outer/upper foot, and I’m having difficulty walking. I suspect a sprain or maybe even a metatarsal fracture. Really pissed off with myself.
I’ll see how it heals over the coming days before making a call on whether to get an X-ray. I’m reluctant cause A&E wait times at my local are currently ridiculous (>18 hours), and I’ve read that even for a metatarsal fracture they’ll only suggest a support band/sock, which I’m already using.
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Shit @jerkules that's brutal. The x-ray might be worth it in the long term though.
