HR Zones: 220-Age - the TRUTH! (Page 16)

ok, i performed a treadmill LT test a little over a week ago and came up with my zones.

my z2 is 142-151. that just seems so darn slow. i understand the benefits of running at this level (optimal fat burn, build endurance safely, aids in recovery, etc), but it just feels so darn slow...

will doing longer workouts in z3 benefit me at the same level as z2, or should i just slow down, keep in that zone, and continue to build base. 

those zones should steadily move up over time, no?

Thanks!

What did those 20 minutes feel like to you, was it hard, were you spent afterward?  Were the 10 minutes before hand a WU or was it hard effort just below the effort you did in the 20 minutes?  The 10 minutes period is not a warm up per se, it should also be at a moderate-hard effort, you then lap/avg the last 20 minutes.  If you didn't follow the run LT protocol as described with a WU period then the 30min TT split into two with 10 min then 20 min periods then you may have an underestimated LT.  I never did a run LT on a dreadmill so I can't say what the differences are vs outside. Retest if you feel like you should, and probably outside if more of your training is done so. 

[Edit, just checked you logs and see that you described the 10 min period as WU with a 8m/mi pace and the 20 min period at 6:39m/mi pace.  Sounds like too much disparity per the protocol and you underestimated the LT this way]

Also I found whenever I run on a dreadmill my pace is a faster than it is outside for the same perceived effort. 

I'll never forget my first long run after doing the run LT test, it felt so slow and had to do some short walks to maintain it.  But run fitness improved greatly doing more with less effort, classic case of slow down to get faster happened for me.

What did those 20 minutes feel like to you, was it hard, were you spent afterward?  Were the 10 minutes before hand a WU or was it hard effort just below the effort you did in the 20 minutes?  The 10 minutes period is not a warm up per se, it should also be at a moderate-hard effort, you then lap/avg the last 20 minutes.  If you didn't follow the run LT protocol as described with a WU period then the 30min TT split into two with 10 min then 20 min periods then you may have an underestimated LT.  I never did a run LT on a dreadmill so I can't say what the differences are vs outside. Retest if you feel like you should, and probably outside if more of your training is done so. 

[Edit, just checked you logs and see that you described the 10 min period as WU with a 8m/mi pace and the 20 min period at 6:39m/mi pace.  Sounds like too much disparity per the protocol and you underestimated the LT this way]

Also I found whenever I run on a dreadmill my pace is a faster than it is outside for the same perceived effort. 

I'll never forget my first long run after doing the run LT test, it felt so slow and had to do some short walks to maintain it.  But run fitness improved greatly doing more with less effort, classic case of slow down to get faster happened for me.

since the TT is based off of time and not distance, won't the zones be the same? For example, let's say i run a 6:30 min average on the treadmill for 30 mins and a 6:40 min average on a track for the same time. will 6:30 = 6:40, as far as zones go, or are there too many factors to assume this is true?

Once again, thanks for your help.

mikericci - 2009-01-06 3:17 AM Sometimes it takes a few attempts to get the LT test right - Good Luck on the 2nd attempt.

just completed the second test

avg HR for the 20 min portion was 176, so that brings my Z2 to a 150-160 bpm range.

now, let me go find a couch for a nap...

tri_d00d - 2009-01-07 10:50 AM

mikericci - 2009-01-06 3:17 AM Sometimes it takes a few attempts to get the LT test right - Good Luck on the 2nd attempt.

just completed the second test

avg HR for the 20 min portion was 176, so that brings my Z2 to a 150-160 bpm range.

now, let me go find a couch for a nap...

Nap? Rest? That is for weak people. You are NOT weak!

220-Age finally works!!!!!

After years of waiting, the correct combination of Age, fitness, LT, etc.  And 220-age hits my running LT PERFECTLY!!!!!  WOOT!!!!

Next year?  worthless again....

Thanks, Chris.  I was thinking about reading it again. 

tri_d00d - 2009-01-07 10:50 AM

mikericci - 2009-01-06 3:17 AM Sometimes it takes a few attempts to get the LT test right - Good Luck on the 2nd attempt.

just completed the second test

avg HR for the 20 min portion was 176, so that brings my Z2 to a 150-160 bpm range.

now, let me go find a couch for a nap...

Nap? Rest? That is for weak people. You are NOT weak!