Heart Rate Training for Runners and Why You Feel Slow.

Running your next PB depends heavily on your aerobic energy system.
From 5km upwards, 98% of your performance is fuelled by your aerobic energy system.
When you run your easy-aerobic runs too fast, you add unnecessary and nonspecific stress to your physiological system. More often than not, the result is that your races never align with your training. Due to a lack of aerobic development and chronically elevated systemic fatigue.
Using a heart rate monitor to control your aerobic runs, you can ensure that you’re training for maximal aerobic capacity. The ideal training zone for most runners is Zone 1 - Zone 2. Typically, 75 - 88% of your anaerobic threshold.
Most apps like Strava and Garmin will auto-calculate your threshold and zones, but it’s worth double-checking your threshold by finding your average heart rate from the last 20min of a 10km - half marathon race.
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[@jamescole4183]

Started at 8.10 min/km 2 months ago. Down to 7.20 min/ km now. One thing I've learnt is that weather, stress has a huge impact on day to day pace so i dont let a slow day bother me as im likely to be super fast the next day.

[@drwilloconnor]

Nice work. It's not the days that matter. It's the weeks and months!

[@tombe2189]

Highly underrated channel. Well condensed and qualified information

[@drwilloconnor]

Much appreciated!

[@user-wm1yn2jn5b]

Great explanation. After 8 months of hard running the injuries and fatigue have set in now. Looking forward to keeping my easy runs easy from now on

[@drwilloconnor]

It's the best way. You get the benefit of being able to go harder on the hard days, too, because you're not so tired all the time.

[@conradburdekin722]

Been doing heart rate training for about 5 months. Love it.

[@drwilloconnor]

Great to hear!

[@crosbyandellender]

I was feeling really burned out after running hard for about 6 months. I PR-ed my 5k and 10k and then after overtraining, tried to pr my 5k, and hit 30 seconds slower per mile. My experience resonates hard with what you are saying about feeling “chronically elevated stress,” despite feeling like running was previously a stress release. Stoked to try this 🙌🏼

[@drwilloconnor]

Awesome! Let me know how you get on. Cheers.

[@RedSpoonRunning]

I started running 5 years ago and have seen moderate success but on reflection, have never built a good enough aerobic base! I’m currently injured by once I’m back up and running I plan on trying 4 weeks of Z2 only and measuring/documenting my progress. Thanks for info 👊🏼

[@drwilloconnor]

We've all been there, mate. I'm injured at the moment too. All the best with the recovery.

[@marksamson9229]

Such a great, clear description Will. Really well done 👍 thank you.

[@JamesGoodwin1994]

If anything this has made me feel a LOT better about my 6:50/km average pace in zone 2. I completed my first half marathon with a time of 1:59:09 but my heart rate was around 178bpm the whole time so I knew I had to work on the base and it’s been so eye opening just how weak that base is!

[@drwilloconnor]

Your zone 2 is actually quite fast relative to your half-marathon pace. Regardless, more aerobic conditioning will always help!

[@JamesGoodwin1994]

@@drwilloconnor that’s even more comforting coming from you then! Thank you very much for the in depth video anyway! I love the science behind it all

[@alaskahudson]

​@drwilloconnor Are you saying here that you would expect James's Zone 2 pace to be slower than his 6:50/km pace, given his 1:59:09 (5:38/km) HM time?

[@clintdickens3825]

So which HR zone are you in during the marathon? Top of zone 3?

[@johnbanks6547]

I live in a hilly area so it's a bit of a nightmare trying to stay in zone 2 for the full run. Do I need to slow right down on hills and keep my heart rate in zone 2.

[@mostlyrunchat6132]

I will try this… I will report back

[@drwilloconnor]

Awesome. Let me know how you go.

[@stevengrimley]

Hows it going??

[@carridg]

Thanks for the useful video. I've been doing this for about a year now. My heart rate during my runs is in the low 120s (age in late 50s). I walk up hills and nose breath for all slow runs. Nothing seems to have changed in my race performance though. In fact I've slowed down. I'd like to get back to around 20 minute 5k times but now find it challenging to get under 21 minutes. I do one full-on interval session a week. I have an ectomorph body type (6'2" and 66 kg) and find it very hard to gain muscle strength. I wonder if this training method doesn't suit all body types. I'd love to hear your take on this.

[@drwilloconnor]

Hey David, there's a lot to unpack in there. To start, age has little to do with what heart rate you should run at. If you're running a lot of runs around 120bpm, your threshold should be about 150bpm. While not unreasonable, it is very low. There's a potential you could be running a bit too easy for your fitness level. Especially since you've been running at a low HR for over a year, and you're only doing one interval workout each week. A couple of options are to check your threshold HR to see if you could speed up your aerobic runs. The other option is to add a zone 3 'tempo' run in addition to your interval workout. Your training load may be too low, so you've plateaued at your current fitness level. I've got a lot of training plans on my website that can help you structure your training. There's a link in this video description. Will.

[@carridg]

@@drwilloconnor thanks for your considered reply. I'll check out your website. Good luck with your channel.

[@deanprecourt1280]

So I ran in Texas with crappy humidity this am. 8 miles at sloooow 11:30 per mile pace. Heart rate stayed at 127. It felt super easy. I am 50 yrs. old running 25 miles per week base building. Is that heart rate low enough?

[@drwilloconnor]

Hey Dean, it's all relative to your threshold or max HR. 127 bpm sounds pretty low in those conditions. Your goal should be to run under 85% of your lactate threshold or 75% of your max HR.