I'm certainly not an expert runner, so I don't want to be hyper-critical of "TH-cam coaches" and their recommendations. But listening to someone, such as yourself, who is actually doing the work and is competing at such a high level is far more meaningful to me.
@@stephenscullion262 What app is that. Is that regular workout app. I see it shows both miles and km pace? Or is it something you added to the video. And, btw, running at this pace at Zone 2 would be a dream for me. I am beginner runner who will easily go into zone 3 and 4, if crossing 10 min/mile pace.
The mental benefits of zone 2 are honestly a game changer for me. As a somewhat beginner runner, the slower zone 2 runs helped me focus on my body a lot more, improving my form, helping with breathing, overall feels like training is more effective and intentional like you say.
The Zone 2 Peter Attia craze is about improving your mitochondria/metabolic health, its got very little to do with 'sports', kms and watts are irrelevant for this concept. Also Attias Zone 2 is measured with a lactate meter, its actually closer to a zone 3 on Garmin watches. Great channel !
I am a fellow 5k ultra runner, but I’m struggling with constant injuries. I’ve tried everything!!Boofing 1 gu per mile, new hydration vest, I’ve begged for Strava kudos… Feels like a losing battle. Any tips?
@@JeatBunkieWhat shoes you wearing? I start running longer distant and literally always run 3/4 km at zone 4/5 all my life short intense run... I tried zone 2 for the first time in my life I'm 35. I run forever 15/20/30 km no stop no issue. I never wear a pair of cushy shoes only wear barefoot shoes. I went to the shop and bought a pair of Altra escalate 2 and I can pretty much run forever now. Injury aka Nike shoes is most of the time the problem
I think you touch on how Z2 is an absolute must for high volume faster runners. It is all much more murky for beginners. I think less volume and avoiding injury and consistency are king early on, but not necessarily keeping heart rate and intensity too low. This means as time goes by, you have to constantly re-evaluate and reshape the training. Generally I feel training will become more specific and polarised as we progress.
Love your candidness and honesty about your efforts. I most especially liked when you decided you wanted to become a really good runner, how you became more purposeful and intentional when you went out and trained. Your information was super helpful. Thank you so much!
This is so helpful, I have heard so nany people talk about Zone 2 being 'easy' and you need to hold yourself back to stay in zone 2. Then I feel bad when I feel like I have got to push a bit and put in an honest effort in, for example, a 60min zone 2 run - it's more steady and intentional than easy. Anyone else found this? Runners or coaches refering to Zone 2 as easy runs?
Hey I personally but them into different categories. My zone 2 runs are that a steady pace that I can hold for quite some time. My easy runs are super easy where I measure it more on the minutes ran than miles or km. For example my easy runs are done 3 times a week at a pace of 11-11:45 pace. My zone 2 is 8:44 or so. Hope this helps in anyway. I have personally found that running super slow and doing strides at the end of easy runs has helped to make me faster overall. But I still keep easy days easy.
For me top of zone 2 is very demanding , 45-60 minutes is enough. I run at 142-145HR, while my LTHR is 168, max 189, and marathon pace at almost 160. Also breathing is fine. So I don't think it's too fast.
@@prossi4216 Zone 2 is between 65-75 % of max heart rate. For you with a max heart rate of 189 that would be between 123-142 bpm. So an average of 132 bpm. So if you run at 142-145 bpm that is actually zone 3.
I struggle with Zone 2 as a new runner. I had a 30 minute easy run scheduled today that was to be ran in zone 2 and it was the first run with my new Forerunner 265. I ran at the same pace I have been (relatively) since I began the easy runs and my training plan 3 weeks ago and my watch had me in zone 4 the whole time even though I ran easily and could have carried out a terse conversation. Guess it's time to do a real max HR test! Edit: Apparently the "zones" I thought I was interpreting are known as training effects and a 4 is qualified as highly useful. So much stuff to figure out with this new watch, but I love it so far!
Thank you Stephen Great video again. I'm training for York Marathon 20th October 24.💪🏼☀️. Your videos & advice is invaluable. So down to earth explained. Take care m8 peace
Thank you for your video! Your dedication and consistency towards running is what took you to your current fitness level regardless of zones back in the day. What an inspiration
Thank you. Back in my days there was no smartwatch or any kind of device to check my heart zones. Now I running and zone 2 isn't easy for me I have to run at a pace of around 5 km to keep my mid-zone 2.I told is something wrong with me now feeling better and that I not the only one.
I was rubbish at running when I was a teenager, but when I realised I was probably going in the navy I started running by myself just so I wouldn't be one of the worst runners there. I mostly just ran a route that was about 10km long 3 times per week for more or less max effort. However, I rather quickly realised that running a negative split felt way better, so I started focusing on doing so. And that was the only "running-tip" I was following. I went from being one of the least fit people in my class in highschool to finishing 4th out of two platoons in the navy with the time 11:44 on the 3km fitness test, simply by running the same 10km-route over and over, always trying my hardest.
Recently I've been more confused by zone 2 and VO2 training. conceptually I feel I understand but execution is a different thing. From my perspective, I don't have a zone 2 based on my heart rate. Running can feel difficult/ not as comfortable when I attempt to stay in a zone 2 HR. I know I've gone over when things feel easier even talking. At this point, I reach around 160-163 bpm. So going based on the can you hold a conversation measure doesn't always make sense for me either. I'm not going "fast" here though ( 10 - 9:45 ish pace) either. This is what I want to improve (going faster at a lower heart rate) but now I'm going quite slow even walking and it becomes discouraging when I see my VO2 number go down after...Honestly not sure what my point here was, perhaps just to express frustration and confusion. I do find the videos helpful though. Intention is key. Thanks
I think a few of the data guys on twitter (science guys) couzens maybe etc.. then suggest you have to persevere with walking.. don’t worry too much about what garmin says.. my advice might be to walk / jog if that’s what you need to do, think 2-3 minutes run, walk for 30-45 secs let heart rate settle, do that for 40-45 minutes if that’s do able based on injury resistance.. robustness etc.. then you can run constant for 20-25 mins, so the garmin can pipe down about V02 dropping
@@stephenscullion262 thank you for the advice! I will definitely try this on my next handful of runs. Think it’ll provide the best of both worlds; running with intention and for the joy of it.
The long Zone 2 runs were the greatest things to build up my feet. My feet took several months to be able to handle 1 hour plus runs. Now I can push the pace a bit and concentrate on my form and heart rate versus my feet just killing me
I do zone 2 so much because it is a nice change in pace for sports. I do strength training and fighting, not much low intensity there. But in running I can relax what I really like
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain zone training! I am an amateur runner, and was wondering if you have a video that explains how to put together a zone training running schedule?
Hello Stephen. Could you tell me what percentage of your weekly training is in Zone 2 and VO2 max? And what the main changes in your training have been over time? Keep up the good work and best wishes
I don’t think there’s exact percentages over the year, but in the 10 weeks before a marathon, I’d imagine in future I’d want to be doing 40-50% of the training steady ish, not always (greedy steady) ie sat bang at 150hr or 5.50-6.00 per mile, maybe 140-45 similar benefit. V02 and harder tempo (10k type effort for me) is very little, 4-10 miles per week maybe, so 4-10% of the program roughly. 15-20 miles per week at threshold efforts. So 15-20%, the rest would be recovery. When I analyse or look back, it’s fairly consistent that my best results came from doing something like the above for 6-8 weeks. Essentially do a bulk of work at a decent pace, which still allows recovery, and couple sessions per week focusing on zones above steady.
Needed this video today. I was looking for any excuse to not drag myself to Buffalo Park for a Sunday run. This gave me that extra bit of motivation. Felt terrible the first mile but once you get the legs turning over and get warmed up, it’s amazing what you can get done on the day.
Been working on staying in zone 2 this week. I usually just go and run and am in zone 2/3. I live at 5200’ and a hilly area. Staying is zone 2 was pretty hard but I did it this week. I averaged 8:15-8:30 miles. Did my long run in flat and ran 8 min miles in zone 2.
i think it is an adaptation to pace with the problem of maintaining consistency and staying uninjured. the long runs in particular have become much faster compared to the past - see kipchoge. ultimately, you must not forget the effective training stimulus and the target pace.
Hello Stephen. It would be great if you could talk about high HR on easy runs - could this be due to lack of recovery, dehydration or overtraining?! It doesn’t make sense that, at times, harder workouts end up leading to moderate HR, but then day (or even 2 days) later HR is higher on what’s supposed to be an easy run…
Likely just the prolonged effect, ie if fitness isn’t superb, on an easy run, without recovery, there’s time for hr to drift and climb.. on shorter intervals, there’s not the same amount of time for that drift to occur etc.. intensity might be higher, but hr lower. Simply because it hasn’t had time to get up to a higher hr to reflect the intensity.
I guess it has much to do with the feeling, running longer distances too hard makes your body start to dread going out on the next run. Making you want to go out on the next run is what it is all about, at least for those of us that aren't too hard on ourselves. Of course you need to be able to recover for the next workout as well. As a half-assed amateur, doing shorter, lower intensity runs more frequent has made quite a change. If that intensity happens to be Zone 2 then fine.
I have started running my easy runs at 10 minute miles which is zone 1 and 2 for me, I used to run my easier days at 08:30, hard sessions for me are zone 4 and 5, yesterday I done 2 x 5k @ 06:30 plus 1 x 2 miles also @ 06:30. My goal is to achieve a sub 3 marathon, at the moment Im at 03:01. I much prefer to run the easy days easier, feel much better for it.
I agree with the easy days. BUT why do you settle for under 3:00?? You have basically done it @ 3:01! I bit more wind against you could have stopped you to go under 3:00. My opinion - your settling. Next goal should be at least under 2:50. If you managed to do "only" 2:55 is still a win. You havent lost anything and you didnt fail. I hope it makes sense for you ;)
When I was training for marathons, my long runs where all zone 1, with a faster final part. One day of rest and I was ready for some hard interval session. Running 30+ km in zone 2 would have killed me for 2-3 days, thus missing or underperforming the interval session
Hello Stephen….I have been watching your videos for a while and they inspire me to continue training and becoming an amateur runner…what would you recommend a straight up beginner like myself. I have been doing zone 2 100% of my time (3 months now) and my first marathon is in December….my trainer told me just to focus on Zone 2 since I need to build up my base. Thank you!
I don’t really agree with that model, and if they’re right in saying it will help, but there should be a good range each week. Slowest pace to quickest pace etc.. if it’s always the same, I don’t think you maximise progression
I have a question and noone talks about this. When you start out with zone 2 training what should be your cadance? Because in NO WAY I can keep 160-170 steps/min when running at 8:45min/km (or 14.06 min/mile). Everytime I tried to pick up cadance, doesn't matter if I almost stood still, the 'jumping' pattern spiked my heartrate to 170+.
The more time you spend in zone 2, that faster you get in that zone or at that HR. You do a certain volume of strength/speed workouts and then add a sh*t load of zone 2 (as much time as you can)
I resonate with what you said about running too fast earlier in your career and ho it did get you better. This whole fiasco with zone 2 running should be feeling really slow and easier is starting to get over saturated. At the end of the day you're still working out so there should be some effort and purpose to your run. I don't regret running too fast in my early days of running as I've seen its contributed to the paces I'm able to hold now. Maybe my athletic background contributed to that but yeah thanks for this insight!
Thanks again for another great video! Is steady (for a well trained runner) about 40-60 seconds per mile slower than marathon pace? I have done runs (of about 13 miles mid week) every 2 weeks in a marathon build at this effort and agree then improve the fitness but don’t beat up the body too much.
Nice video and i have one question for you. I'm interested in what your advice would be on how to add and gain as smartly and quickly as possible. given that I skipped interval training for 4 weeks and only did runs with final accelerations, as I was coming back after a 10-day break due to the flu, now that I feel like I've come back to myself, I want to smartly get back up to speed. What speed session or training do you recommend.
What are your thoughts on prioritising Threshold over VO2 Max? I’ve read that VO2 Max is largely determined by genetics and harder to improve than Threshold which is an important metric for runners. So would you think doing VO2 Max once every other week is enough and perhaps doing Threshold twice every other week?
Agree, I’m an ultra slow fun runner; but find the Elites very fast and responsive. The video took me by surprise when Stephen changed from the Elites to a faster shoe 👍
As per Lydiard Stephen, as much steady aerobic running as possible so definitely not jogging....the old adage that steady makes you strong is and always will be true 👌
What is your current max heart rate to run zone 2 near 150? I’m 45 and just hit 192 in a recent 5k and my zone 2 usually is run around 135, though I could go higher according to my heart rate reserve (about 146 for that).
I agree with Zone 2 getting easier, I am currently an 8:15 - 8:45 Min/pm zone 2 steady state runner, a year ago that would of been Zone 4. I have a summer cold and today I ran 7 miles at 9:02 Min/pm & it felt harder doing it at 134 BPM, do I beat myself up? NO, I rest, recover & go again tomorrow, same run, no faster, in fact 2 miles shorter, given yourself consistency on the bad days and the body a chance to recover, cope & adapt & it will pay you back in spades.
My Z2 in Garmin seems low... Z3 begins at 126BPM of MHRR. I know it's different for everyone but it seems so slow and hard to stay in such a low zone :D I'm not sure if it is correct but oh well!
Most beginners find zone 2 so easy that it's "hard" to go so slow. They often have to walk... but at your elite level it's sounding like "zone 2 hr" is actually somewhat of a challenge... So maybe this whole zone 2 craze needs to be adjusted based on how advanced you are... I think beginners should target 10bpm higher than elite runners.
Do you help develop shoes for UA? I don’t know if you ever mention gear you run in, but you should. I’ve honestly never seen good UA shoes around and would possibly try them if I knew someone about them.
Very interested to know about oral health and running and how removing the teeth affected your running. Did you take time off? A general video on how you approach dealing with sickness, whetther a cold, tooth problem etc. and bouncing off it would be interesting for sure.
Not a fast runner but had a stint with dental issues last year. Pretty interesting to hear about it as well. Was also looking for information about it last year when it happened to me. Had to have a molar extracted, minor surgery, and was told to stay off any impact sport including running for 2wks to allow it to heal... But I stopped running about 5days and started running while on anti-biotics for 7days. Didn't feel like my HR and pacing was affected. Choose to do an implant for the extracted tooth, and went back about 5wks after the extraction. Bone density wasn't great so had to do a bone graft first, and then go back again to do the 1st implant stage. Damn, the bone graft felt horrible, extracted molar was the last tooth, dentist had to 'peel' back the gums all the the way till almost the front teeth, and had like 10+ stitches. Anyway had a complication, there was major swelling that didn't go down after a week, dentist said normal ppl would go back like after 2-3days with that, and wondered how i tolerated the pain for 1wk. So they had to open it up again to inspect, clean and see if the graft held or needed to redo. Luckily it looked ok and closed it up. Thankfully it didn't happen again. I was given extra 2-cocktails of anti-biotics and pain killers(didn't take much). All in all was on anti-biotics for 3+wks, 0 running for 4 weeks. Damn, HR and pacing dropped ALOT, pacing at my usual HR was like it reset to before the start of my 4mth training block. Basically wasted 4mths+ of the year. Also had a 1/2 marathon race coming up about 2wks later, interestingly my LtHR after the race went up from 165 to 175, before the dental implant, no way on earth i can hold >175 for more than an HR (not about 6mths later its back to 165). Pretty gutted, cause in the training block I completed a 1/2 training run (with weekly milage of 45km) 10mins faster than my race time. But oh well. Now I'm scheduling the next stage of the dental implant after my A race happening this Dec. Not risking my 8+mths of training.
You mention high altitude in your vid and you seem to train a lot at altitude. How long would it take to benefit from high altitude training once one decends to sea level, and for long will the benefit last? I am heading for a high altitude marathon in the Himalayas in the first week of September later this year and will be racing in Amsterdam in the third week of October. That's about a 6-week spread between the two races. Is there a possibility that I may not benefit from the high altitude run in the Himalayas? Fyi, I will be in the Himalays for a week and will be doing at least 4 easy runs before the actual race there. Appreciate your view points.
Takes 7-10 days to acclimate if racing, so try get up a bit earlier, if you can. Or consider some hypoxic sessions before you leave? You won’t get any boost in 10 days or definitely not 7. (Sorry, who the f*ck am I to say you won’t) science would suggest 3 weeks minimum, then likely race after 2-3 weeks when home. You’re going to race while there, and what’s very very very important is sensible before race, only easy, v easy, and post race take recovery seriously, as your body will have to adjust back to sea level and recover from travel, race etc.. eat well and hydrate well pre race, no calories, no power
If coming from sea level it takes 2-3 weeks minimum for your body to produce more RBCs thus increasing your Hgb allowing your body to carry more O2. Also, there are longer term changes like increased capillary intervention. Things you can do to help prime your body in advance are making sure your iron stores are maxed out either with diet or supplementation.
I don't think your Himalayas race will affect your Amsterdam race. It might be worth considering sleeping in one of those altitude tents. I'm only slightly more than a casual runner so they aren't really on my radar, but I know a few ultra runners who live near sea level but will sleep at altitude in the lead up to big mountain races. As I understand it, that yields the best adaptation and the "sleep high, train low" philosophy is currently what many elites utilize. Edit: also, that sounds like a super fun fall of running, I'm a bit jealous. Good luck!
All the talk of zone 2...zone 1 doesn't get nearly enough love. A fair few triathletes run well off not a great deal of running, probably a lot to do with the zone 1 on the bkke and in the pool.
When i read "running with intent", my immediate thoughts were: Prioritising the key sessions, getting in the mindset, making sure execution is the most important thing in the world in that moment if time
Hey Scully, if you ever want more help with filming if youre in England fir anything for example I would be happy to help, I do the social media for Watts on Watches, and would happily help in return for some running help
Are you trying to tell an olympian, who does monthly LTHR tests in a laboratory, that his precisely determined heart rate zones are wrong? You can’t be serious…
Check it with Karvonen formula which is pretty good estimation. It depends a lot of your RHR. Elite athlete with RHR in his 40tish will have different zones than armature with RHR at 67bpm.
Guys, Zone 2 aka 80/20 is a fraud for beginners. Because as a beginner you might have 3 to 4 sessions a week. That means 1 hard session every other week and that is not enough. If you are a pro with 10 sessions a week, it might work, because you still get 2 nasty workouts a week.
I do two speed workouts a week with a 30 minute zone 2 before I start speed stuff. My other two runs are strictly zone 2 so it's not like you have to do one or the other. You can do both in the same session.
It doesn't mean 80% of your runs. It could be 80% of your time. Therefore you can add some speed sessions at the end of a Z2 session. If you are running 4 times and it's a total of 200 minutes, then 160 mins can be Z2 and 40 mins at higher
Don’t think I agree with that, but each to their own. Olav aleksander bu, blumenfelts coach, advises non supers to help leg stiffness and they track that via Stryd foot pod. Foam with help proprioceptor muscles etc, because you must balance more, but can’t see people doing there gym work in future in super shoes to get stronger, stiffer legs. Running on grass removes muscle tension, because of the soft surface, muscle tension returns when running on harder surfaces, doing strides, weights, ice bath etc.. improved balance, perhaps, increased strength / better muscle tension, I don’t think so.
@@stephenscullion262 yes having a Stryd foot pod and measuring LSS doesn t entail you to be a triathlete champion coach. Higher loading rates were seen in maximalist shoes in Kulmala et al (2018) probably as a consequence of what I was saying above
@@cristian-adrianfrasineanu9855think I’ll listen to the 2:09 marathoner and Olympian Gold Triathlon coach 🙂. Something tells me they know what they’re doing 😂
Just rambling with extremely unclear information. Should organize your thoughts and do this first, then if you have something precise and clear to share make a video. Everybody seems to have different definitions of zone 2 training whether it's a heart rate zone range or lactate threshold.
I'm certainly not an expert runner, so I don't want to be hyper-critical of "TH-cam coaches" and their recommendations. But listening to someone, such as yourself, who is actually doing the work and is competing at such a high level is far more meaningful to me.
Simp
@@TheCuratorIsHereyea, screw that guy!
Really like the monitor you’ve had in the bottom corner the last few videos!
Little Apple Watch? Think it helps show what’s going on (well hopefully it does)
@@stephenscullion262 What app is that. Is that regular workout app. I see it shows both miles and km pace? Or is it something you added to the video.
And, btw, running at this pace at Zone 2 would be a dream for me. I am beginner runner who will easily go into zone 3 and 4, if crossing 10 min/mile pace.
The mental benefits of zone 2 are honestly a game changer for me. As a somewhat beginner runner, the slower zone 2 runs helped me focus on my body a lot more, improving my form, helping with breathing, overall feels like training is more effective and intentional like you say.
The Zone 2 Peter Attia craze is about improving your mitochondria/metabolic health, its got very little to do with 'sports', kms and watts are irrelevant for this concept.
Also Attias Zone 2 is measured with a lactate meter, its actually closer to a zone 3 on Garmin watches.
Great channel !
As an Ultra Runner Zone 2 Forever - No Injuries at all since 2016
I am a fellow 5k ultra runner, but I’m struggling with constant injuries. I’ve tried everything!!Boofing 1 gu per mile, new hydration vest, I’ve begged for Strava kudos… Feels like a losing battle. Any tips?
Take time off and let your body fully recover.
@@JeatBunkieWhat shoes you wearing? I start running longer distant and literally always run 3/4 km at zone 4/5 all my life short intense run...
I tried zone 2 for the first time in my life I'm 35.
I run forever 15/20/30 km no stop no issue.
I never wear a pair of cushy shoes only wear barefoot shoes.
I went to the shop and bought a pair of Altra escalate 2 and I can pretty much run forever now.
Injury aka Nike shoes is most of the time the problem
@@JeatBunkieWait, 5K ultra runner??? 😂
@@jessicabradshaw3365 something funny? 5000 meters is a long way to stay hard #davidgoggins #hybridathlete
I think you touch on how Z2 is an absolute must for high volume faster runners. It is all much more murky for beginners. I think less volume and avoiding injury and consistency are king early on, but not necessarily keeping heart rate and intensity too low. This means as time goes by, you have to constantly re-evaluate and reshape the training. Generally I feel training will become more specific and polarised as we progress.
Love your candidness and honesty about your efforts. I most especially liked when you decided you wanted to become a really good runner, how you became more purposeful and intentional when you went out and trained.
Your information was super helpful. Thank you so much!
This is so helpful, I have heard so nany people talk about Zone 2 being 'easy' and you need to hold yourself back to stay in zone 2. Then I feel bad when I feel like I have got to push a bit and put in an honest effort in, for example, a 60min zone 2 run - it's more steady and intentional than easy.
Anyone else found this? Runners or coaches refering to Zone 2 as easy runs?
Hey I personally but them into different categories.
My zone 2 runs are that a steady pace that I can hold for quite some time.
My easy runs are super easy where I measure it more on the minutes ran than miles or km.
For example my easy runs are done 3 times a week at a pace of 11-11:45 pace. My zone 2 is 8:44 or so.
Hope this helps in anyway. I have personally found that running super slow and doing strides at the end of easy runs has helped to make me faster overall.
But I still keep easy days easy.
For me top of zone 2 is very demanding , 45-60 minutes is enough.
I run at 142-145HR, while my LTHR is 168, max 189, and marathon pace at almost 160. Also breathing is fine. So I don't think it's too fast.
Thanks for the replies really helpful!
@@prossi4216
Zone 2 is between 65-75 % of max heart rate. For you with a max heart rate of 189 that would be between 123-142 bpm. So an average of 132 bpm. So if you run at 142-145 bpm that is actually zone 3.
@@yannickm1396talking pace
Great video as always Stephen. It’s super impressive what speeds you can run at those HR. I always leave inspired. Thank you.
I struggle with Zone 2 as a new runner. I had a 30 minute easy run scheduled today that was to be ran in zone 2 and it was the first run with my new Forerunner 265. I ran at the same pace I have been (relatively) since I began the easy runs and my training plan 3 weeks ago and my watch had me in zone 4 the whole time even though I ran easily and could have carried out a terse conversation. Guess it's time to do a real max HR test!
Edit: Apparently the "zones" I thought I was interpreting are known as training effects and a 4 is qualified as highly useful. So much stuff to figure out with this new watch, but I love it so far!
Thank you Stephen Great video again. I'm training for York Marathon 20th October 24.💪🏼☀️. Your videos & advice is invaluable. So down to earth explained. Take care m8 peace
Thank you for your video! Your dedication and consistency towards running is what took you to your current fitness level regardless of zones back in the day. What an inspiration
24 years or something wild now.
Thank you. Back in my days there was no smartwatch or any kind of device to check my heart zones. Now I running and zone 2 isn't easy for me I have to run at a pace of around 5 km to keep my mid-zone 2.I told is something wrong with me now feeling better and that I not the only one.
I was rubbish at running when I was a teenager, but when I realised I was probably going in the navy I started running by myself just so I wouldn't be one of the worst runners there.
I mostly just ran a route that was about 10km long 3 times per week for more or less max effort. However, I rather quickly realised that running a negative split felt way better, so I started focusing on doing so. And that was the only "running-tip" I was following.
I went from being one of the least fit people in my class in highschool to finishing 4th out of two platoons in the navy with the time 11:44 on the 3km fitness test, simply by running the same 10km-route over and over, always trying my hardest.
Recently I've been more confused by zone 2 and VO2 training. conceptually I feel I understand but execution is a different thing. From my perspective, I don't have a zone 2 based on my heart rate. Running can feel difficult/ not as comfortable when I attempt to stay in a zone 2 HR. I know I've gone over when things feel easier even talking. At this point, I reach around 160-163 bpm. So going based on the can you hold a conversation measure doesn't always make sense for me either. I'm not going "fast" here though ( 10 - 9:45 ish pace) either. This is what I want to improve (going faster at a lower heart rate) but now I'm going quite slow even walking and it becomes discouraging when I see my VO2 number go down after...Honestly not sure what my point here was, perhaps just to express frustration and confusion. I do find the videos helpful though. Intention is key. Thanks
I think a few of the data guys on twitter (science guys) couzens maybe etc.. then suggest you have to persevere with walking.. don’t worry too much about what garmin says.. my advice might be to walk / jog if that’s what you need to do, think 2-3 minutes run, walk for 30-45 secs let heart rate settle, do that for 40-45 minutes if that’s do able based on injury resistance.. robustness etc.. then you can run constant for 20-25 mins, so the garmin can pipe down about V02 dropping
@@stephenscullion262 thank you for the advice! I will definitely try this on my next handful of runs. Think it’ll provide the best of both worlds; running with intention and for the joy of it.
Thanks for the info in the vid; top notch as always. Intrigued to know more about your “faster than the Elites” shoes.
The long Zone 2 runs were the greatest things to build up my feet. My feet took several months to be able to handle 1 hour plus runs. Now I can push the pace a bit and concentrate on my form and heart rate versus my feet just killing me
Awesome video! It's great to hear your thoughts on training mentality🏃I also want to get better at running
I do zone 2 so much because it is a nice change in pace for sports. I do strength training and fighting, not much low intensity there. But in running I can relax what I really like
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain zone training! I am an amateur runner, and was wondering if you have a video that explains how to put together a zone training running schedule?
Hello Stephen. Could you tell me what percentage of your weekly training is in Zone 2 and VO2 max? And what the main changes in your training have been over time? Keep up the good work and best wishes
I don’t think there’s exact percentages over the year, but in the 10 weeks before a marathon, I’d imagine in future I’d want to be doing 40-50% of the training steady ish, not always (greedy steady) ie sat bang at 150hr or 5.50-6.00 per mile, maybe 140-45 similar benefit. V02 and harder tempo (10k type effort for me) is very little, 4-10 miles per week maybe, so 4-10% of the program roughly. 15-20 miles per week at threshold efforts. So 15-20%, the rest would be recovery. When I analyse or look back, it’s fairly consistent that my best results came from doing something like the above for 6-8 weeks. Essentially do a bulk of work at a decent pace, which still allows recovery, and couple sessions per week focusing on zones above steady.
Mannn I appreciate your well thought out answer this is very helpful. Thanks bro! Greetings from South Carolina!
@@stephenscullion262 nice thanks for sharing, sounds like pyramidal approach
@@stephenscullion262 How easy are you Running for recovery (absolute heart rate and percentage)? Thanks in advantage 😊
Needed this video today. I was looking for any excuse to not drag myself to Buffalo Park for a Sunday run. This gave me that extra bit of motivation. Felt terrible the first mile but once you get the legs turning over and get warmed up, it’s amazing what you can get done on the day.
Been working on staying in zone 2 this week. I usually just go and run and am in zone 2/3. I live at 5200’ and a hilly area. Staying is zone 2 was pretty hard but I did it this week. I averaged 8:15-8:30 miles. Did my long run in flat and ran 8 min miles in zone 2.
Keep in mind that if you have a garmin, zone 2 in this vid is listed as zone 3 on the watch
Poorly sounded like perly😂😂...love the accent cause it keeps me focused on listening!
That’s so funny, I had a camera guy helping me one day and I kept saying “poor” and he thought I was saying perrr like a cat.. ha.
i think it is an adaptation to pace with the problem of maintaining consistency and staying uninjured. the long runs in particular have become much faster compared to the past - see kipchoge. ultimately, you must not forget the effective training stimulus and the target pace.
Great stuff!
It's like watching a machine from the future. Hope no German accent turns up. Impressive work. I am jealous.
Hello Stephen. It would be great if you could talk about high HR on easy runs - could this be due to lack of recovery, dehydration or overtraining?! It doesn’t make sense that, at times, harder workouts end up leading to moderate HR, but then day (or even 2 days) later HR is higher on what’s supposed to be an easy run…
Likely just the prolonged effect, ie if fitness isn’t superb, on an easy run, without recovery, there’s time for hr to drift and climb.. on shorter intervals, there’s not the same amount of time for that drift to occur etc.. intensity might be higher, but hr lower. Simply because it hasn’t had time to get up to a higher hr to reflect the intensity.
Thanks so much!!🙏
I guess it has much to do with the feeling, running longer distances too hard makes your body start to dread going out on the next run. Making you want to go out on the next run is what it is all about, at least for those of us that aren't too hard on ourselves. Of course you need to be able to recover for the next workout as well. As a half-assed amateur, doing shorter, lower intensity runs more frequent has made quite a change. If that intensity happens to be Zone 2 then fine.
I have started running my easy runs at 10 minute miles which is zone 1 and 2 for me, I used to run my easier days at 08:30, hard sessions for me are zone 4 and 5, yesterday I done 2 x 5k @ 06:30 plus 1 x 2 miles also @ 06:30. My goal is to achieve a sub 3 marathon, at the moment Im at 03:01. I much prefer to run the easy days easier, feel much better for it.
I agree with the easy days. BUT why do you settle for under 3:00?? You have basically done it @ 3:01! I bit more wind against you could have stopped you to go under 3:00.
My opinion - your settling. Next goal should be at least under 2:50. If you managed to do "only" 2:55 is still a win. You havent lost anything and you didnt fail.
I hope it makes sense for you ;)
@@v.vag.8013 Thanks Stephen, this comment is legendary, I will remember it. 😄👊
@@v.vag.8013 Thanks, a comment of a legend! 👊
When I was training for marathons, my long runs where all zone 1, with a faster final part. One day of rest and I was ready for some hard interval session. Running 30+ km in zone 2 would have killed me for 2-3 days, thus missing or underperforming the interval session
Stephen please do a video on Treadmill selection!!! Are slat blet tredmills worth the extra money? Any advice would help.
Hello Stephen….I have been watching your videos for a while and they inspire me to continue training and becoming an amateur runner…what would you recommend a straight up beginner like myself. I have been doing zone 2 100% of my time (3 months now) and my first marathon is in December….my trainer told me just to focus on Zone 2 since I need to build up my base. Thank you!
I don’t really agree with that model, and if they’re right in saying it will help, but there should be a good range each week. Slowest pace to quickest pace etc.. if it’s always the same, I don’t think you maximise progression
I have a question and noone talks about this. When you start out with zone 2 training what should be your cadance? Because in NO WAY I can keep 160-170 steps/min when running at 8:45min/km (or 14.06 min/mile). Everytime I tried to pick up cadance, doesn't matter if I almost stood still, the 'jumping' pattern spiked my heartrate to 170+.
The more time you spend in zone 2, that faster you get in that zone or at that HR. You do a certain volume of strength/speed workouts and then add a sh*t load of zone 2 (as much time as you can)
Your zone 2 and my zone 2 are exactly the same Heart Rate! Except.. mine happens at 7.6 km/hr lol
I resonate with what you said about running too fast earlier in your career and ho it did get you better. This whole fiasco with zone 2 running should be feeling really slow and easier is starting to get over saturated. At the end of the day you're still working out so there should be some effort and purpose to your run. I don't regret running too fast in my early days of running as I've seen its contributed to the paces I'm able to hold now. Maybe my athletic background contributed to that but yeah thanks for this insight!
Thanks again for another great video!
Is steady (for a well trained runner) about 40-60 seconds per mile slower than marathon pace? I have done runs (of about 13 miles mid week) every 2 weeks in a marathon build at this effort and agree then improve the fitness but don’t beat up the body too much.
Nice video and i have one question for you. I'm interested in what your advice would be on how to add and gain as smartly and quickly as possible. given that I skipped interval training for 4 weeks and only did runs with final accelerations, as I was coming back after a 10-day break due to the flu, now that I feel like I've come back to myself, I want to smartly get back up to speed. What speed session or training do you recommend.
What are your thoughts on prioritising Threshold over VO2 Max? I’ve read that VO2 Max is largely determined by genetics and harder to improve than Threshold which is an important metric for runners. So would you think doing VO2 Max once every other week is enough and perhaps doing Threshold twice every other week?
Hey Stephen, what does your current shoe lineup look like? Daily trainer, racer, etc...Tring the UA Infinite Elite and like them so far.
Agree, I’m an ultra slow fun runner; but find the Elites very fast and responsive. The video took me by surprise when Stephen changed from the Elites to a faster shoe 👍
for me you just made my day better with your attitude and positivity alone. Be proud of all you do.
As per Lydiard Stephen, as much steady aerobic running as possible so definitely not jogging....the old adage that steady makes you strong is and always will be true 👌
What is your current max heart rate to run zone 2 near 150? I’m 45 and just hit 192 in a recent 5k and my zone 2 usually is run around 135, though I could go higher according to my heart rate reserve (about 146 for that).
Actually just checked heart rate reserve and it’s about 149 on the high end of zone 2.
I agree with Zone 2 getting easier, I am currently an 8:15 - 8:45 Min/pm zone 2 steady state runner, a year ago that would of been Zone 4. I have a summer cold and today I ran 7 miles at 9:02 Min/pm & it felt harder doing it at 134 BPM, do I beat myself up? NO, I rest, recover & go again tomorrow, same run, no faster, in fact 2 miles shorter, given yourself consistency on the bad days and the body a chance to recover, cope & adapt & it will pay you back in spades.
At the watch,how heart rate shows 150 bpm as Zone 2,Isn't it much rate for Zone 2?
My Z2 in Garmin seems low... Z3 begins at 126BPM of MHRR. I know it's different for everyone but it seems so slow and hard to stay in such a low zone :D I'm not sure if it is correct but oh well!
What do you think of treadmill workout?
Most beginners find zone 2 so easy that it's "hard" to go so slow. They often have to walk... but at your elite level it's sounding like "zone 2 hr" is actually somewhat of a challenge... So maybe this whole zone 2 craze needs to be adjusted based on how advanced you are... I think beginners should target 10bpm higher than elite runners.
Your z5 looks huge on the watch
What’s the resting HR with Z2 at 150??
Do you help develop shoes for UA? I don’t know if you ever mention gear you run in, but you should. I’ve honestly never seen good UA shoes around and would possibly try them if I knew someone about them.
Got it! Run yer zone 2 a little bit quicker 🙂
All day everyday, haha no.. sometimes maybe.
Very interested to know about oral health and running and how removing the teeth affected your running. Did you take time off?
A general video on how you approach dealing with sickness, whetther a cold, tooth problem etc. and bouncing off it would be interesting for sure.
Not a fast runner but had a stint with dental issues last year. Pretty interesting to hear about it as well. Was also looking for information about it last year when it happened to me. Had to have a molar extracted, minor surgery, and was told to stay off any impact sport including running for 2wks to allow it to heal... But I stopped running about 5days and started running while on anti-biotics for 7days. Didn't feel like my HR and pacing was affected.
Choose to do an implant for the extracted tooth, and went back about 5wks after the extraction. Bone density wasn't great so had to do a bone graft first, and then go back again to do the 1st implant stage. Damn, the bone graft felt horrible, extracted molar was the last tooth, dentist had to 'peel' back the gums all the the way till almost the front teeth, and had like 10+ stitches. Anyway had a complication, there was major swelling that didn't go down after a week, dentist said normal ppl would go back like after 2-3days with that, and wondered how i tolerated the pain for 1wk. So they had to open it up again to inspect, clean and see if the graft held or needed to redo. Luckily it looked ok and closed it up. Thankfully it didn't happen again. I was given extra 2-cocktails of anti-biotics and pain killers(didn't take much).
All in all was on anti-biotics for 3+wks, 0 running for 4 weeks. Damn, HR and pacing dropped ALOT, pacing at my usual HR was like it reset to before the start of my 4mth training block. Basically wasted 4mths+ of the year. Also had a 1/2 marathon race coming up about 2wks later, interestingly my LtHR after the race went up from 165 to 175, before the dental implant, no way on earth i can hold >175 for more than an HR (not about 6mths later its back to 165). Pretty gutted, cause in the training block I completed a 1/2 training run (with weekly milage of 45km) 10mins faster than my race time. But oh well.
Now I'm scheduling the next stage of the dental implant after my A race happening this Dec. Not risking my 8+mths of training.
@@intosite7279 Very interesting story, thank you for sharing!
trainng for my first marathon, and run my long runs in zone 1. should i do zone 2?
You mention high altitude in your vid and you seem to train a lot at altitude. How long would it take to benefit from high altitude training once one decends to sea level, and for long will the benefit last? I am heading for a high altitude marathon in the Himalayas in the first week of September later this year and will be racing in Amsterdam in the third week of October. That's about a 6-week spread between the two races. Is there a possibility that I may not benefit from the high altitude run in the Himalayas? Fyi, I will be in the Himalays for a week and will be doing at least 4 easy runs before the actual race there. Appreciate your view points.
Takes 7-10 days to acclimate if racing, so try get up a bit earlier, if you can. Or consider some hypoxic sessions before you leave? You won’t get any boost in 10 days or definitely not 7. (Sorry, who the f*ck am I to say you won’t) science would suggest 3 weeks minimum, then likely race after 2-3 weeks when home. You’re going to race while there, and what’s very very very important is sensible before race, only easy, v easy, and post race take recovery seriously, as your body will have to adjust back to sea level and recover from travel, race etc.. eat well and hydrate well pre race, no calories, no power
If coming from sea level it takes 2-3 weeks minimum for your body to produce more RBCs thus increasing your Hgb allowing your body to carry more O2. Also, there are longer term changes like increased capillary intervention. Things you can do to help prime your body in advance are making sure your iron stores are maxed out either with diet or supplementation.
@@stephenscullion262 Perfect! Thank-you. 👍🏻
@@pseudoty Thanks 👍🏻
I don't think your Himalayas race will affect your Amsterdam race. It might be worth considering sleeping in one of those altitude tents. I'm only slightly more than a casual runner so they aren't really on my radar, but I know a few ultra runners who live near sea level but will sleep at altitude in the lead up to big mountain races. As I understand it, that yields the best adaptation and the "sleep high, train low" philosophy is currently what many elites utilize.
Edit: also, that sounds like a super fun fall of running, I'm a bit jealous. Good luck!
148 bpm should be zone 3 right? Im confused...
I usually have a purpose with all my runs. The problem is just how to run in order to achieve it...
80/20 can be interpret two ways: 80% of your results come from 20% of your training or do mostly easy running and one hard session a week.
Is vertical movement while running always wasted energy ? Elite runners just seem to go forward like you amazing to watch
The less vertical movement while running = less wasted energy.
Treadmill running I believe helps, or at least I read that.
Antibiotics can leave life-long impacts. Monitor how you feel and adjust with quality probiotics.
All the talk of zone 2...zone 1 doesn't get nearly enough love. A fair few triathletes run well off not a great deal of running, probably a lot to do with the zone 1 on the bkke and in the pool.
When i read "running with intent", my immediate thoughts were:
Prioritising the key sessions, getting in the mindset, making sure execution is the most important thing in the world in that moment if time
*of
How long of a rest do you give yourself between the VO2 max reps ?
75-90’secs, maybe needed 2 mins per week
@@stephenscullion262 thank you sir! I have been enjoying your knowledge and videos for my journey. Keep up the great work!!
🙏🏽🙏🏽
Zone 2 low midle or high zone 2 what is better or all 3 somtimes ?
Hey Scully, if you ever want more help with filming if youre in England fir anything for example I would be happy to help, I do the social media for Watts on Watches, and would happily help in return for some running help
Важные мысли
brother you have a beautiful noggin, don't slice him off like that!!
Your zone 2 is everyone else's zone 6.
😅
That heart rate is zone 3/4
Are you trying to tell an olympian, who does monthly LTHR tests in a laboratory, that his precisely determined heart rate zones are wrong? You can’t be serious…
@@EulerJr_ the guys a little bitch. Look at his heart rate in the video and tell me it's zone 2
Check it with Karvonen formula which is pretty good estimation.
It depends a lot of your RHR. Elite athlete with RHR in his 40tish will have different zones than armature with RHR at 67bpm.
Guys, Zone 2 aka 80/20 is a fraud for beginners. Because as a beginner you might have 3 to 4 sessions a week. That means 1 hard session every other week and that is not enough. If you are a pro with 10 sessions a week, it might work, because you still get 2 nasty workouts a week.
Don’t think it necessarily has to be based on the number of runs but instead the amount of time spent at each intensity.
I do two speed workouts a week with a 30 minute zone 2 before I start speed stuff. My other two runs are strictly zone 2 so it's not like you have to do one or the other. You can do both in the same session.
It doesn't mean 80% of your runs. It could be 80% of your time. Therefore you can add some speed sessions at the end of a Z2 session.
If you are running 4 times and it's a total of 200 minutes, then 160 mins can be Z2 and 40 mins at higher
Too much volume too hard for a beginner will injure you
That's completely the opposite. A highly resilient/bouncy foam will stiffen up your legs in order to better absorb/stabilize the stride.
Don’t think I agree with that, but each to their own. Olav aleksander bu, blumenfelts coach, advises non supers to help leg stiffness and they track that via Stryd foot pod. Foam with help proprioceptor muscles etc, because you must balance more, but can’t see people doing there gym work in future in super shoes to get stronger, stiffer legs. Running on grass removes muscle tension, because of the soft surface, muscle tension returns when running on harder surfaces, doing strides, weights, ice bath etc.. improved balance, perhaps, increased strength / better muscle tension, I don’t think so.
@@stephenscullion262 yes having a Stryd foot pod and measuring LSS doesn t entail you to be a triathlete champion coach. Higher loading rates were seen in maximalist shoes in Kulmala et al (2018) probably as a consequence of what I was saying above
@@cristian-adrianfrasineanu9855think I’ll listen to the 2:09 marathoner and Olympian Gold Triathlon coach 🙂. Something tells me they know what they’re doing 😂
@@cristian-adrianfrasineanu9855legitimately interested in this: do you have sources?
A compliant foam will do that, not necessarily a resilient foam.
Just rambling with extremely unclear information. Should organize your thoughts and do this first, then if you have something precise and clear to share make a video.
Everybody seems to have different definitions of zone 2 training whether it's a heart rate zone range or lactate threshold.
Steve less chest hair and transfer that to your head. Would like to see the opposite and a nice change up with your haircut.
Haha
Good Video.