Barry P 3:2:1 plan.... put me in HR zone 1?!

I got my heart rate zones tested for cycling using an anaerobic threshold test (I think that's what it's called), and i think they just added 5 BPM for running.

my normal pace that I can hold pretty steady on more of a tempo run is 8:10-8:13min/mile

And I set the treadmill to that 9:37/mile...... too hot to run outside, and I wanted to get a feeling for what my HR would be at that pace for when I go outside (although I realize tht running outside will raise it a bit)

but my Z1 for cycling is up to 136, and for running up to 141

Here.

Enjoy!

Easy/steady runs do at least two things. They support aerobic development, but they also prepare your body to withstand the pounding. Both of those will help to make you faster over time. An easy run will undoubtedly help with the pounding. Will running at < 130 also provide aerobic benefit? Undoubtedly it will. How much less than training at a HR of 150? Hard to tell, but it all helps. If you're itching to go a little faster, then go for it, but these really can be easy runs. When starting on this approach, some of the runs can seem ridiculously easy. But stick with it. This is the groundwork that prepares your body to build towards running quite a lot, quite often. It's a gradual process, but it's really worthwhile.

You're just running slow enough to build up the tissue/legs and some aerobic development.

I was doing this one summer and the only way my legs can do this plan was to run at speed below marathon pace.

Anything above it for me, I couldn't do 6 runs a week.

I just started the plan this week.  I was using the FIRST plan that had me running 3 days/week.  1 speed/1 tempo/1 long.  For reference my tempo pace for 6 miles was 8 min/mile.  I used the Macmillian Running calculator that he links to in one of his posts. www.mcmillanrunning.com
I used a 10K run time from a recent  Olympic Tri minus 1 min.  According to Barry I should be using these paces during the base period.

 Since I'm recovering from some mild tendonitis, I'm keeping it at 10 min/mile for now.  It keeps my heart rate in zone 1 and seems extremely slow but this seems in line with the plan.  I'm starting with 20 miles/week (was doing between 20-25 miles week).  I plan on working up to 30 miles over the next 6 to 10 weeks and will added some tempo and speed as I get closer to a couple of late Oly summer races. 

Disclosure - I have not studied this plan in depth. 

thanks guys!  I appreciate the input and I'll stick with it!  Maybe i'll do one of the medium runs at tempo if it feels too easy after a week or two since I already have a decent base.

Cheers

thanks! i did use a race result to get my pace on the McMillan Calculator, my HR was lower than my cycling zone 1 though at the 9:37 pace, so I'm assuming that my run will be at least the same if not higher (although I'll do a run field test as well)

i'm going to stick with it though, maybe being outside on different terrain will get my HR up a little so I feel like I'm doing something!

thanks

right now I'm doing sprint and regular tri's only (5-8 km runs in the race), so I think 25km/week is lots, but my LONG term goals are possibly an OLY at the end of the year(october), and I want to train over the winter for a HIM, but that would be almost a year from now (better to start now?) so I'd like to be up to maybe 40 km/week by the end of the summer and then increase over the winter

I'm competitive in the sprints and would like to stay competitive for the season (don't want to lose any fitness), my last tri I finished 3/43 in my AGE but my run is the only thing that is not really significantly improving, and I feel terrrrrible on the runs in the race.

Improvements from last year (race results)

swim went from 2:40/100 m to 2:00/100m

bike has gone from 28 km/hr to 31-32 km/hr

run has gone from 5:20/km to 5:13/km

Just trust it. 

I haven't heard of anyone, anyone that's followed Barry P by-the-book and not come out significantly faster, and as importantly, uninjured. The worst thing you can do is try to layer your judgment, ego, or knowledge you can go faster over a tried-and-true plan. It's tried and true for that reason, trust it. 

It's must more a test of patience and ability to be consistent than it is a test of running fitness or potential. Check 6 boxes in a week, at those distances / paces, and let us know where you are in 3 months.

ETA: You'll need to adjust your paces as you go. After a period of time - different for everyone - you will improve to the point your paces need to be adjusted. That's worth paying attention to...

Cooll, I'd def be willing to try this.  Would I make that my training pace and stick to the 3:2:1 (6 days per week) for distances (going to stick to the no more than 10%/week increase in distance as well)

OK. I ask because it does matter. Barry P plan get labeled as only running slow. For beginners and those coming back from injuries... they may never leave phase one... running slow and building miles. That is me. But moving forward then you add in tempo runs and speed work.

For right now I would not concentrate on speed work and increasing pace. Just focus on getting to running 6 days a week. I switched to the BP plan last year. My plan was to move to 6 dpw, then build volume to do a HM later that year. So I never did do speed work, just increased volume. My times naturally got better. My normal slow run was 10m/m, now I at 9. I didn't work on getting there, it just naturally went there doing more volume. And yes speed has come too. Last year my 10K time was 52:12 and I just did one at 44:56. That's with all my runs the same no speed work. Or not trying to have specific paces, I just run what I feel like running.

But, I just wanted to add that like others have said it should be easy. At least in the beginning, you are trying to find out what you can do 6 days a week, not how slow you feel on one day. The work out that day is not important, the weekly volume 6 days a week is what is important. So just do what you are doing and get to 6 days, then if it's all good, then up your pace or add in speed work. But you will be suprised what volume alone will do... to a point of course. If you could get to 20 (32km) miles per week, that is not that much.. that's just 2/4/6, easy stuff. You would be good to a 10K or an Oly. Just getting to that volume would drop your times without speed work... to a point of course.

This is exactly what i need to hear! it's just hard to imagine to get faster without going faster!  I'd love to get up to that distance (32 km/20 miles) by the end of the summer, then start increasing volume again over the winter to get up to HIM lengths

http://ww.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=264459&posts=111&start=1

Here is my thread that has plenty of good input from others. Just so I don't have to type it again...  I am the guy that looks to Barry P cause I had no run experience. I would go out and run as hard as I could, then have to recover for a couple days, and could barely get enough miles in the week to matter. When people would talk about 6 days a week, I thought they were on crack, I could barely get through the 3 I was doing.

But volume alone will get you very far. 6 days a week is no big deal. I never felt burnt, I was ready the next day every day. My work schedule has just changed and so will my training schedule... but I was still doing the same up to a couple of weeks ago. Milage increased, times decreased. No speed work, no injuries. I am looking forward to my two HIMs this year to redeem myself on the run.

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2012/06/training/train-like-crowie-the-importance-of-low-intensity-runs_56095

Even though he was running up and down a hill, his normalized grade pace was 9:49 min/mi...and this is mr. crowie alexander