As I sit here this morning drinking my bullet coffee (coffee, coconut butter, and Kerry Gold grass-fed butter) I am wondering which to start with. Which workout really helped me the best to get to know me. I started working with a running coach in the beginning of this month. He explained to me that running should be fun and any workout you do should not destroy your legs each and every time. Have fun with running and lifting, but not to exhaustion. I will post a video that explains it a bit better later.
Step one for any running guide is to decide what your heart rate should be for each zone, then decide which zone really helps you get the desired goals. So, for this equation you will need to subtract your age (37 in my case) and 220. This is the number to use for your heart rate zones. We will talk about different ways to calculate aerobic and anaerobic paces later, the math is similar the numbers are not.
To get your heart rate zones:
If you have a hard time with following the math just use an online calculator to determine your desired target heart rate zone. Or, here's a simple way to do the math yourself. If you're aiming for a target heart rate in the vigorous range of 70 to 85 percent, you would calculate it like this:
Subtract your age from 220 to get your maximum heart rate.Calculate your resting heart rate by counting your heart beats per minute when you are at rest, such as first thing in the morning. It's usually somewhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute for the average adult.Calculate your heart rate reserve (HRR) by subtracting your resting heart rate from your maximum heart rate. Your HRR is your resting heart rate subtracted from your maximum heart rate.Multiply your HRR by 0.7 (70 percent). Add your resting heart rate to this number.Multiply your HRR by 0.85 (85 percent). Add your resting heart rate to this number.These two numbers are your training zone heart rate for vigorous intensity exercise. Your heart rate during exercise should be between these two numbers.
For example, say your age is 37 (me) and you want to figure out your target training heart rate zone for vigorous exercise. Subtract 37 from 220 to get 183 — this is your maximum heart rate. Next, calculate your HRR by subtracting your resting heart rate of 63 beats per minute from 183. Your HRR is 120. Multiply 120 by 0.7 to get 84, then add your resting heart rate of 63 to get 147. Now multiply 120 by 0.85 to get 102, then add your resting heart rate of 63 to get 165. So your target for your vigorous intensity training zone heart rate should be between 147 and 165 beats per minute.
Here is a website that will do your heart rate zones for you:
Zone 1: 50-60 percent Zone 2: 60-70 percent Zone 3: 70-80 percent Zone 4: 80-90 percent Zone 5: 90-100 percent
Continue down the path of finding your individual heart rate zones to help you figure out which zone you should be running in. If you have a good watch you can program it with your resting heart rate and it will figure out the rest for you. I have a Garmin Vivo and a Garmin 230, both of these have my heart rates programed, I have set alarms for when I get to high or too low. Keep this feature in mind when purchasing a watch. (Top 10 watches coming this week before the New Year)
So the heart rate zones are used to really help you find your max and where to stay for your longer runs. The lower the heart rate, the longer you can go. The higher heart rate the harder you are working and the most weight you can lose. This isn’t about weight loss though, this is about sustaining a target and keeping it.
To start with…this workout is not for the faint of heart and you don’t have to push yourself till your hurt yourself, that is not the goal. The first workout is to show you a few things:
1.) How to find your heart rate zones
2.) Feeling out the heart rate zone that is most appropriate for most running
3.) Lastly, that it is feel what it is like when you run for heart rate; not speed and not distance.
The first workout is for you to feel yourself reaching your heart rate and finding how to keep it. The first of the two is simple if you follow the steps. For me, this was extremely difficult and will be for likeminded people. I don’t like going slower than I can and I have a hard time slowing down mid run to hit a heart rate goal. Trust me however, it pays off in the end because you feel your heart when you reach your goal and you can go much farther and longer during your long run days.
The first workout is simply a long continuous run lasting for roughly 45minutes to 1 hour. The real goal here is to find your Heart Rate Zone 3 and stay in it for the entire time. Really just make sure your average heart rate is in the zone at the end, that does not mean FLOOR IT and then walk, that’s not the goal. You want to feel the middle ground of your heart rate, it’s a comfortable position to be in...Think of the “I can have a conversation,” quote. If you can talk while you run, this is about where you should be. This is a building up work out, start with a few miles at 45 minutes and see if you can get faster and go farther each week. Keep this run as a testing run to see how far you have come. Yes, it is easy, but it will give you a general idea of how well it’s working.
The second workout is not going to be comfortable and it will be much harder to master than the first. For this one, go for a shorter run. If you were able to run comfortably for a full hour, then do a shorter 30 minute run, gauge yourself. Reach and continue to stay in the 4th zone of your heart rate. This will be tough and uncomfortable. If it feels too much for you, drop down a zone for a short 2 minute relaxed jog and then bring it back up for a while longer. It took me some time to get used to this zone, but once you bring up your lactate threshold, it will pay off in the end with longer and faster runs. This one should come before a break, give yourself some time to recoup before doing anything, your legs will thank you.
Trainer tip: If you are running more than 45 minutes, bring some sort of quick snack and water. I go with the idea, if I am running more than 30 minutes I will need to eat something and drink something.
Questions or comments feel free to leave posts here. I am also developing race calendars for anyone running any length of race. Along with ways to supplement some lifting to help your legs, back, and core for the longer more difficult runs.
