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Zone 2
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I’ve been training for several years using the training principles from Training for the Uphill Athlete. I corrected my aerobic deficiency, but a question I’ve had about Zone 2 I’ve never found a good answer to. Z2 is a range of heart rates, 8-15 beats, do my Z2 runs need to be at the upper end of that zone to see the benefit (ie. Within a couple beats of my aerobic threshold) or is it possible to derive the aerobic benefits running at the lower to mid heart rate zones? I ask because speed and the mechanical work feel much different at the higher vs lower ends of that zone. Thank you
Ty:
Great question! On the days you are feeling really good, push the HR and speed up into the upper Z2 range. Those days may take a bit longer to recover from due to that mechanical load you are referring to, so don’t push this effort if you are tired. On most days, stay in the lower half of Z2. On those days when you can tell you’re tired, drop down into Z1 or shift to a non weight bearing modality like cycling.
I hope that helps.
Scott
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