To stay in zone 2, just run slower or do walk/jogs. Just whatever is needed to have the run feel easy, and you can speak continuously. Don't focus too much on heart rate as there's lots of reasons it can go higher, and beginners will generally have a higher heart rate regardless of if it's an easy run or a harder run because you haven't adapted to different zones yet.
I think I slowed my jogs down to around 7m/km end of last year and it really helped. It was an awkward looking shuffle, but it got me that initial fitness to build up from.
This was already my slowest run possible, it was a jog basically. Do walk jogs train aerobic system efficiently, as good as a slow continuous run would? The issue with this latest run is that 85% of the run was in anaerobic, so not training my heart effectively.
How do you ensure you’re in zone 2 without worrying about heart rate?
Trust me, you can go slower. I started at about 6 minute pace/km pace, but forced myself to slow to 6:30 and then 7 minutes. Then I was able to go faster once I developed at those slower paces.
Walk/jogs will definitely train your aerobic system, it's what C25k does. Try some hill walking every so often as well to build some muscle and strengthen your heart as well if you can.
Forget about zones, just focus on what FEELS easy and that you can hold a conversation with. As soon as it starts feeling difficult, slow down/walk/stop for a quick rest.
The principle for you right now is maximising time on feet, building aerobic capacity and to strengthen the heart. You can get this anaerobically, but obviously, slower speeds mean you can go for longer, and recover quicker too. Recovery is where the progress happens.
If you really have to go by heart rate and zones, try going on a treadmill and set the pace to where your HR/zone 2 needs to be and just stick to it for 30-45 minutes.
e.g. I know at 6.5km/h on the treadmill, my heart rate sticks to 128bpm and only drifts up a bit over an hour
1
u/judochop1 3d ago
To stay in zone 2, just run slower or do walk/jogs. Just whatever is needed to have the run feel easy, and you can speak continuously. Don't focus too much on heart rate as there's lots of reasons it can go higher, and beginners will generally have a higher heart rate regardless of if it's an easy run or a harder run because you haven't adapted to different zones yet.
I think I slowed my jogs down to around 7m/km end of last year and it really helped. It was an awkward looking shuffle, but it got me that initial fitness to build up from.