Reply To: Z2 Training Question

#25606
klefler
Participant

It is TOTALLY NORMAL to need to stop and walk at times during a z2 run, especially when you’re first starting out (also if it’s super hot out, you are getting or have been sick, you start taking certain medications, etc). As you run more, your body will adapt and get more efficient, though it may take some time. Don’t worry! Heck- I just did a hot hilly race and had to walk at times to stay in zone 3!

Denny-The experience you describe should improve as your run fitness increases. A higher effort level will feel perfectly fine for short durations, but if you try to hold it for longer, you’ll peter out. We want you to be able to jog comfortably for the entire duration of these runs. (You should be able to easily hold a conversation for the entirety of a z2 workout.) What kind of test did your cardiologist do to determine your max HR? You will not have the same zones for both sports, so you’ll need to do a separate test for the other sport. Using myself as an example, I’ve consistently had about a 10-12 bpm difference between biking and running. My average HR for a 20 min max effort on the bike is something I can easily maintain for 1.5-2 hrs running.