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Setting HR & LTHR Running zones
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Hi guys, I am trying to figure out my HR zones for running and I am a bit confused over which method I should be using. There seems to be a lot of different opinions on which is the most accurate measure of heart rate zones. Can anybody please suggest which method you feel is best for getting a good overall estimate?

Thanks.
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Re: Setting HR & LTHR Running zones [rbd32] [ In reply to ]
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Additional info would probably help. What is your current fitness level? What is your running experience? What are your goals with having HR zones?
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Re: Setting HR & LTHR Running zones [tanzbodeli] [ In reply to ]
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tanzbodeli wrote:
Additional info would probably help. What is your current fitness level? What is your running experience? What are your goals with having HR zones?


Oh sorry, my bad. My current fitness level is pretty decent. Have done an Olympic and a sprint over the past few weeks and actively training for a 70.3 in a month. I have a good bit of experience running over the past 2 years. My 10k time in my last race was 40.30. PR for a solo 5k is 19.12 I’m not sure if this is any measure of my max heart rate but thought it might give a better idea of my ability. I set my max heart rate by subtracting my age from 220 but I am pretty sure this isn’t very accurate.

Thanks
Last edited by: rbd32: Aug 3, 19 13:08
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Re: Setting HR & LTHR Running zones [rbd32] [ In reply to ]
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rbd32 wrote:

Oh sorry, my bad. My current fitness level is pretty decent. Have done an Olympic and a sprint over the past few weeks and actively training for a 70.3 in a month. I have a good bit of experience running over the past 2 years. My 10k time in my last race was 40.30. PR for a solo 5k is 19.12 I’m not sure if this is any measure of my max heart rate but thought it might give a better idea of my ability. I set my max heart rate by subtracting my age from 220 but I am pretty sure this isn’t very accurate.

So it sounds (to me) like your fitness is good. Those are pretty good run times for a triathlete and mean you're in pretty good shape. I don't have much experience tuning HR zones. But I do know that the "220-age" can be pretty far off for a specific person (even if it's decent in aggregate among a population). It's very far off for me, for example. If you haven't already done so, I would personally try getting a good measurement of your own max HR though a running exercise. Search around online for some run tests to get a max HR. Then I'd try a few online-available algorithms to generate a set of zones based on that. Then do some runs and see if it feels right. For me, the Garmin zone calculator/algorithm works pretty well as a starting point, but I have tweaked them a little bit (particularly in the zone 3, zone 4 range). You seem to be a fairly experienced runner, so you should spend a few training sessions to see if your zone numbers match the appropriate RPE description of the zone, and then adjust them as you see fit. In general, I think it's always a fuzzy game, but as long as it's generally accurate to your RPE, it should be fine.
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Re: Setting HR & LTHR Running zones [rbd32] [ In reply to ]
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I just run.
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Re: Setting HR & LTHR Running zones [rbd32] [ In reply to ]
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I use a three zone model as written about extensively by Dr Stephen Seiler that I've simplified even more. Roughly speaking Zone 1 or low intensity is where you can still talk in sentences and roughly works out at about 70 to 75% HRmax. You don't really need a monitor for this. Zone 3 is the best you can manage for 6 to 8 min intervals and roughly works out at 90% HRmax. Don't really need to keep looking at your monitor to achieve this either. Zone 2 is in between. I'm looking at HR and power less and less during the ride and run to guide the intensity and enjoying it a lot more. I look at the data afterwards.
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Re: Setting HR & LTHR Running zones [tanzbodeli] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you, this is very helpful, I appreciate the feedback.
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Re: Setting HR & LTHR Running zones [Mark57] [ In reply to ]
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Mark57 wrote:
I use a three zone model as written about extensively by Dr Stephen Seiler that I've simplified even more. Roughly speaking Zone 1 or low intensity is where you can still talk in sentences and roughly works out at about 70 to 75% HRmax. You don't really need a monitor for this. Zone 3 is the best you can manage for 6 to 8 min intervals and roughly works out at 90% HRmax. Don't really need to keep looking at your monitor to achieve this either. Zone 2 is in between. I'm looking at HR and power less and less during the ride and run to guide the intensity and enjoying it a lot more. I look at the data afterwards.

Thanks for the insight, I appreciate it.
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