Zone 3 (Read 79 times)

I recently finished a marathon in the fall, now I'm working on building up my weekly mileage then using a higher mileage plan to train for another marathon in spring.  I've been reading that it's better to run slow to build up your aerobic base, prevent injuries etc. so that's what I have been trying to do.  It has actually been kind of difficult for me to go this slow.  I feel like I have to work at it and constantly remind myself to go slow.  I've been looking at my heart rate data and these slow runs i have been doing have been in zone 3.  I was reading that this zone doesn't provide ANY benefits for runners??  I was reading that Zone 4 and 5 cause a strong enough stimulus to cause physical adaptations while Zone 2 is better at building an aerobic base.  Meanwhile zone 3 is a no benefit zone.  This can't be true?  Is it a recovery issue?  I have been feeling really good as I increase my mileage and I don't feel like I have issues with recovery.  Training in zone 2 would be super slow for me and I don't think I'd have time to increase my mileage.

How did you determine your zones? Did you do a test or use a formula? The formulas are usually wrong, so you have to make sure you have your zones correct if you want to train by HR. Zone 3 should not feel really slow.

If using the zones that a GPS watch gives you, make sure you have the Max HR set correctly, otherwise those will be wrong also.

Maybe it isn't correct about zone 3.  I just heard it on a podcast when I was running then looked it up and there was a lot of information out there saying the same thing.  Marathons are run usually in zone 3- zone 4 - so it doesn't make sense you wouldn't get benefit from training in those zones.

I used my garmin and adjusted my maximum heart rate.. my heart rate deviates slightly higher from the average (220-age) so I adjusted my zones based on this. I shouldn't say slow.. but easy.  It feels very easy and Slower too.  Even for long 15 + runs so going even slower/easier seems difficult.  Zone 2 would be like 120-130 for me (I'm 30).

I am 50 and my max HR is about 20 bpm higher than the 220-age. Basically, the formulas are crap. For me, zone 3 (when I am really in zone 3, not going by the crap formula) feels comfortable. If I just go out for a pleasant run on a day when my legs feel good and I don't look at my watch, I will generally be in zone 3. If I am in marathon training and running a lot of miles, I'm more likely to be in zone 2 because of accumulated fatigue in the legs. The classic thinking is that zone 3 doesn't do as much for your fitness as faster (like closer to LT) paces, and it is considered to be a little too fast for a true recovery run. This is why some refer to zone 3 as a no-man's-land for training. But if it is close to your MP, some will tell you the value of training in this zone is increased efficiency at paces close to your race pace. I personally don't think it's a problem to run easy runs in this range, as long as it's not leaving you too tired for your key workouts.