LT Test and Zones does it sound about right?

Was it a 20 or a 30 minute test?

I assume you mean that your average over the last 20 minutes of the test was 186; so that's the LTHR that the test comes up with.

What system are you using to calculate those zones?  They look off to me.  If I plug your LTHR (186) into Friel's formula, for example, I get:

Z1: 123-157
Z2: 159-169
Z3: 170-177
Z4: 179-185
Z5a: 186-190
Z5b: 191-196
Z5c:  197-206

Based on these zones, it makes sense that Z1 feels super super easy.  (However, with practice, you should be able to run or at least jog, within Z1.)

if your threshold is 176 should look more like this IMHO:

RUN
My Lactate Threshold is: 176

Running
Factor: Zone 1
0.660 Low 116
0.847 High 149

Factor: Zone 2
0.853 Low 150
0.907 High 160

Factor: Zone 3
0.913 Low 161
0.953 High 168

Factor: Zone 4
0.960 Low 169
0.993 High 175

Factor: Zone 5
1.000 Low 176
1.020 High 180

Factor: Zone 5+
1.027 Low 181
1.053 High 185

Factor: Zone 5++
1.060 Low 187
1.107 High 195

Not being able to run below 150 is a whole another story .. I hope this helps, its via a spreadsheet from D3 multisport I use for athletes. I think it works well!

Thanks for the replies.

It was a 30 minute test, but I took the average of the last 20 minutes.

I was using an article that was linked to on one of the discussions in here somewhere that took 95% of the average as the starting point and then did percentages for each zone.

I did plug it into the calculator here and it gave me these numbers:

2009-12-15

HR/Pace label	Range data label	Cumulative Time in zone
1 - Recovery	123 - 158	32m 36s
2 - Extensive Endurance	159 - 169	15m 31s
3 - Intensive Endurance	170 - 177	34m 45s
4 - Sub-Threshold	179 - 185	27m 44s
5a - SuperThreshold	186 - 190	08m 08s
5b - Anaerobic Endurance	191 - 196
5c - Power	197 - 206

I ran a total of 48 minutes so the cumulative time does not seem logical to me...

The HR zones that you just posted look closer to right, to me, at least from the perspective of what I'm used to seeing.

You say that you have trouble staying in Z1.  Well, that gives you something to work on!  Z1 is RECOVERY, so on a recovery day, do what it takes to stay in Z1.  If that means walking, so be it.  You'll get to the point where you can jog easily in Z1.

The 95% is for a stand alone 20 minute test after a warmup, not the avg of the last 20 min of a 30 min test.

Two different ways to estimate your LTHR. so take 100% of the last 20 min Avg for the test you did.

x2.  Sorry -- I should have been clear about why I was plugging 186 into the Friel zones.

Ok, that makes sense. So now I just need to apply to numbers to my workouts.

Thanks