Based on the screenshots shown, I feel like my pace is slow as it is already. My concern is my heart rate, it seems very high for such pace. I want to run a marathon in 2026, but don't feel like dying.
Started running in July. Weight was 205lb, now 180lb. 31, male, 5ft 7. Coffee drinker, no soda/pop. Don't eat past 7 PM. Runs are in the morning and evenings, whenever time allows.
Is the answer really zone 2 training?
What helped you lower your HR and how long did it take?
Run more and it’ll get lower with time. The answer is not zone 2, but the number of miles you run. Running in zone 2 allows you to physically run more miles (hence why some people say it’s the answer - but if you run few miles in zone 2 you probably wont see any noticeable drop).
A study i was recently listening to was actually saying the opposite of what you are saying: what matters is time spent running, not how many miles (ie. Better to run an hour or more at zone 2 pace than it is to run that same distance in a shorter amount of time)
Sort of splitting hairs, the more consistent cardio you do, the lower the resting heart rate will get.
So basically just keep running, July until now is not a long time. I've been running consistently for two years and my resting heart rate has only gone from 58 to 52. Half marathon heart rate has dropped more significantly in that time.
I am saying the distance ran matters most and running in zone 2 allows you to do this without physically exerting yourself. Its the total distance over time that matters, not the distance of a single run, and running at zone 2 will obviously allow you to increase that distance substantially more than running at a higher HR due to less recovery time needed. So we are saying the same thing lol
Like i said splitting hairs. I just wanted to make the point that say youre going to run 50 miles in a week, its better heart-rate-training-wise (lol) to run it in 8 hours over the week than it is to run it in 6.5 hours, for example
Ah thats what you meant. That is an interesting finding - if the number of miles is fixed it’s better to do them at a lower HR. I was more so taking if the miles werent fixed, but I see what you’re saying now!
This is correct. An hour spent in zone 2 is better than 30 minutes in zone 4 with more distance
Nobody's holding double their zone 2 pace for half an hour be fr
Im at 6 years of almost daily running. My heart rate just dropped to around 140 on my casual 8:30 min mile runs a year ago. It takes a long time.
That makes sense! Thank you. Will give it a go.
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Today I set my heart rate alert on my watch to be at 170. The run was quite enjoyable, but my music kept getting interrupted every time I dared to speed up.
https://preview.redd.it/z8e4j4td287g1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35ef20e6f9a9790379980d3c4d66c55960abb07f
Heart rate has been a funny thing for me haha
Ran a 10K comfortably at 7:39 / mile
But when I do my long runs at like 915 to 9 30 my heart rate is 160+ 😂
I just go off how my body feels, when I go into heart rate adjustments it really threw me off
this!!! I have exercise induced asthma and have run competitively my whole life. For me, my heart rate will always be higher when I’m running. I go based on how I feel.
Last HM my average was 185 😂🫠
FEELS
yeah, the whole “ zone training” I don’t really buy into. I think it can work, but not for me.
Curious, how does the asthma interplay with heart rate?
I have mild asthma, not exercise induced, but my heart rate is always high when running even at a comfortable pace.
You’ll get there! Just pack on the miles and it will come in time. When I first started “seriously” training for a marathon, my “easy” pace was around 8 min/km, and I couldn’t hold it for more than a couple miles in a row before my HR would drift up. I just kept at it anyway, walking when necessary. Went ahead and started a Hal Higdon plan (started on Novice II I think?), and by the time the race came around I wanna say my easy pace was closer to 6:30/km, and I ended up doing just under 4 hours in my first race :)
Also, careful not to let comparison be the thief of joy. Many of my running buddies have much faster easy paces (and at lower relative heart rates) than I do, but we’re just about level when it comes to marathon/tempo pacing. Many elites will often run easy miles at 2+ minutes per mile slower than their race pace, then go out and knock out marathons at blistering fast paces. They’re there to help you rack up those miles and aerobic development while avoiding injury and leaving you fresh enough to knock out those hard efforts on another day :)
Edit: also make sure you check your HR data source.. if it’s just a watch, consider picking up a chest strap or armband - Especially if the HR values consistently seem to end up matching your step cadence, regardless of relative perceived effort
Wow! I just found this so motivating. I am about to start my first marathon block after a few halves and my main anxiety is that my easy pace is around 7:00 maybe 6:45 on a good day and the sheer amount of hours it’s going to take feels overwhelming. I waffled back and forth about if I’m ready or not because part of me thought I should be doing 5:45-6:00 easy pace before a marathon makes sense logistically. Great to hear stories like yours!
Sub 4 is beyond my wildest dreams, well done!
My easy pace is >8 min/k! How long did it take for you to get down to 6:30 min/k?
I wanna say it was at least a year of consistent running for me. I remember how excited I was when I finally got to the point that I could consistently do 10 minute miles (closer to 6:00/km) and still feel like they were easy.. that was a chunk of the way into training for marathon #2 :) I’ve done 4 now, and my easy pace about 5:30/km. I wanna say I’ve done a bit over 2 and a half years of “running seriously” now, with my first marathon having been in March of last year. Planning on running that one again in a few months, shooting for 3:20 or better :)
What was your mileage like in your training blocks (and in between)? I've finally gotten my easy pace to 6:30/km after almost 2 years of running and I can't imagine getting it down to 5:30/km anytime soon haha
In the lead up to my first marathon my goal was about 40 miles a week. In the block for #2, I bumped that up to 50+ and have largely been between 50-65 ever since, running 6 days a week, other than resting after races. It usually looks like this:
Monday: 10k easy
Tuesday: interval workout (shoot for 5-10k race pace for fast portions)
Wednesday: rest/cross-train/long walk
Thursday: tempo run
Friday: 10-12k easy
Saturday: 10-12k easy, sometimes longer mid-block
Sunday: long run, usually either: running most of it at somewhere close to halfway between goal marathon race pace and easy pace, or almost all easy pace with some goal marathon pace miles tossed in during the second half
For my long runs, I’ll usually alternate weeks between “long long run” and “medium long run”
For those that haven’t seen it already, this is pretty much just Hanson’s Plans, which are available for free :)
https://hansons-running.com/content/training-plans
Thanks! I've heard of Hanson's plans but thought it might be too intense for my first full. Might try it for my next one!
Yeah, even Hanson’s “beginner marathon” plan is pretty intense for a first race. They have a “just finish” plan as well that is more first-race-friendly, but it’s not published for free on the site (gotta buy the book I believe - I have his in audiobook form). Either way, my first was a Hal Higdon plan, and only transitioned to Hanson after that. I’m certain I’d have been injured fast trying to go for Hanson’s Advanced plan right out the gate!
Run more. Make sure you are well hydrated. Make sure your heart rate zones are set correctly based on the % of LTTR method and not 220 - Age nonsense.
It will drop as your fitness increases.
I feel like many of these answers are missing the fact that some people have naturally high or low heart rates. I have done a few half Ironman triathlons and am training for a marathon, and my natural resting heart rate is still somewhat “high” (low 60s) despite 10-13 hours of cardio a week (swim/bike/run)
When I run I run “hot”. My last half marathon I averaged 180bpm the entire race. I think my zone 2 is 137-155. I was falsely thinking the Apple Watch estimate was correct, but once I verified with a chest strap heart rate monitor I realized I naturally run at a higher heart rate. Genetics play a factor for me at least.
Great work and thank you for the insight!
I might have to invest in a chest strap, just to see if the results are similar to what I get from my watch.
If your HR is the same regardless of the effort/pace, then your measuring device may be unreliable.
But generally your pace should naturally increase for same HR as you keep training, assuming you are recovering properly. I wouldn't be too worried about it and trust that the body adapts as it is made to do.
I've been doing the usual easy runs and speed workouts and long runs and saw improvements across the board, no real magic involved. For reference, my easy pace dropped by about 1min/mi over maybe a year.
To have a lower heart rate you need a stronger heart, you get a stronger heart by having it beat more, you get it to beat more with various intensity exercises. For myself I’ve been involved with sport all my life and have been running a fair bit in the last 6 months, 35k a week. My resting heart rate measured in the mornings was 50 average when I started my running, it is now 46. So it has dropped 4 beats from 6months of training 35k a week. If your heart rate is higher you probably will have a more significant drop. My heart rate has dropped as well for certain paces in a normal run, my “easy pace” is now 6:12/km down from 7:00/km when I started, at a 120-130bpm heart rate. Heart rate ranges are very individual, so the absolute value isn’t super important just the trend for yourself.
Struggled with heart rate for the longest time, did zone 2, had all of the cardiology work up, found out I had low iron and ferritin and since taking supplements, it’s been exponentially better
Might be worth looking into getting your iron checked !
Will do! Great advice.
I had adenosine injected directly into my veins
I would say just keep going. Run based on feel.
At some point, pace will decouple from the exertion required to run. Like jump-rope is 0 pace, but still high hr. You're still lifting your body up and forward, even at 7+min/km.
If you want to get some time in "zone 2" , consider walking quickly up an incline or on a treadmill with incline.
No zone 2 is not the answer, can’t tell you how I lower my heart rate as I never look at it! I go by how I feel I know what easy running is and what pushing hard is.
You should be doing some sort of interval or tempo runs. Z2 runs are to recover from the harder workouts and to build mileage.
Just keep running. If you can speak in sentences then you are in zone 2. Some runs will feel harder than other depending on how tired your body is. Just keep running
Just keep running. You’ve only been doing this 6 months and your body is still adapting and training.
I'm not sure if it's actually beneficial or not, but I plodded extremely slowly, targeting a HR of 180-age, for about 2-3 months and increased my volume from essentially zero to 50 mpw. It was a little demoralizing to get passed by old ladys powerwalking and have to walk the slightest incline.
Pace at this HR came down from 12:30/mi to 9ish/mi over this time and then I did more conventional training.
https://preview.redd.it/g91y82i3d27g1.jpeg?width=867&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d1f910329af5e1118562d9b7d517441f869d3e7
Can't post multiple, but this is my heart rate for 5k, 10k any sort of run. That's usually where it's at.
Two things.
Max HR during these runs; (Usual pace 6-7/km)
October; 5K - 194, 5K - 190, 5K - 191, 15K - 198 , 5K - 171 (Very slow pace 9:22) , 15K - 188 , 4K - 191, 6K - 188, 5K - 193, 11K - 188, 6K - 186, 6K - 179 (slower pace 8:48/km)
November; 5K - 191,10K - 188, 5K - 175 (8:23/km), 10K - 187, 6K - 183, 10K - 189, 5K - 197, 9K -183, 21K - 191,6K - 190 , 6K - 188, 7K - 197, 5K - 188
December; 10K - 192, 10K - 185, 10K - 189, 10K - 183, 10K - 194
Well, these numbers suggest that you've got a pretty high maximum heart rate, and the data seem pretty consistent to me.
These runs at that pace range and these heart rates are "conversational pace"? Are you breathing hard at the end of these runs? When you say "I feel like my pace is slow" do you mean the "x:xx/km" looks like it's slow compared to other people, or do you mean you feel like you are running slow compared to how fast you could run if you weren't trying to stay in zone 2? Sorry, you don't have to answer these questions. I'm just curious. If you'd like to share, the answers would be interesting to me.
For me 6-7/km is a bit tough to speak to someone. Breathing is fine, not winded. Pace seems slow compared to others (shouldn't be comparing, I know :S), I can definately run faster, but then my runs will definately be shortened.
I'll just try and increase the mileage and see what comes out of it.
You don't want to hear it, but it does seem like the intensity of your runs is probably a little higher than what is usually meant by "easy." The idea of "run more and you'll get into better shape and your HR/pace will be in a better place" is true. Maybe I'm reading too much in but it also sounds like you're maybe getting a little frustrated, and I think we can all understand that, too. I'm not going to advise you to slow down if you don't want to, but I would caution you about running a huge percentage of your total kilometers at an intensity higher than conversational. You want the adaptations to happen as fast as possible, but forcing it may have negative consequences.
What would you say to setting a HR alert at 175bpm during your runs (or at least a few runs every week)? When it beeps, you walk until your HR drops to 165, then you start running again? Eventually, you're running the whole time at 175. Then, you set it at 170 and start the process again. Just an idea. I did something similar years ago. I confess I hated it, but it worked and kept me from burning out.
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Run faster. I ran 300 miles a month for years and my heart rate was still 170 at 9 minute miles because I never did hard runs. A year later with speed work I can hit 7 minute miles before my heart rate gets that high
This is interesting! So you brute forced it eh? I'm a beginner, just taking in everything everyone has to share.
He’s already running slow enough to avoid injury so he just needs to keep running. His “zone 2” would be walk / running and that’s unnecessary.
Different hearts too :-) run my marathon 175 plus. My max is somewhere around 200. And yes 160ish is conversational for me. - beside different in bodies. Run and run more. More important than the HR
Intervals and cross training worked best for me. Most people say more miles but personally I had better and much faster improvements by just adding in some one minute repeats and cross training elliptical. YMMV