agree on your general idea of running based on feel. For someone who never had structured athletic training before, just want to learn more hence thinking of trying to keep within zone 2 for slow runs and see if it will help me.
if there is a decent track near my place, would like to start with 100m intervals slowly increasing speed and distance to condition myself at faster pace. Currently i try run as fast as i can at the end of each run, eg. last 1km or 500m. But most of the time, i can never go as fast as sprinting speeds.
you are right, i need to get used to slow runs on mid to fore foot strike. That's why i need to run more in zone 2 at the moment, imo. And yes, ideally in non-plated shoes.
Z2 runs should help you to loosen up and run comfortably. Shouldn't feel fatigue in your legs the next day. Whichever pace you end up running, as long as you can recover, that's fine.
100s >> Tried this, quite tough on the arms. There's a reason why 100m runners hit the gym. I wanted to do striding but tried it for fun last week.
200s >> Would be a good starting point, if you want to develop speed.
@xllms @Jeremy1
When I started out my MAF training last time, Floris Gierman is the person I followed on youtube for anything on low HR training and MAF method. He has several other videos dedicated to MAF training. This guy MAF pace is in the 4++ min/km range. Key thing I learn is always keep your HR in check, i.e no crossing above the ceiling HR, and keep it steady state for as long as possible. Started out with a 7:10-7:20 pace at MAF HR. When I finished the programme, I was doing 6:25-6:35 pace for MAF after 6 months or so. Couldn't reach my goal of doing sub 6 at MAF, plateau liao so stopped and do something else before I get bored in running from monotony.
His testimony ,
I did had a thought on this, like what could I've achieved running consistently and building up for the previous 7-8 years. And I reckoned with that avg. mileage in 7-8 years, I could've gotten low 1.2x for the HM in Sg. This is building from 16km TT pace of 4.09 min/km at 35km/week of mileage.
Consistency and mileage matters a lot. Of course, the effort doesn't entirely go to waste, since I am able to get back to 1.3x form currently. Looking to see what my training method can get me for this year and onwards.
while trying to do zone 2 running i finally ran 3.5km but a 23 mins lol
end up still at zone 3 and peak zone 4.
How to actually do zone 2 running ah?
Ur Z2 is definitely not that pace. Two reasons - you tried a new mileage, so it's supposedly harder for you to run that distance. To run Z2 for that distance, you minimally should run the 2.4km in about 12.00 or faster.
In my running club, majority of the new/returning runners run their 3.5km in 25-26 minutes. That's usually their Z2 pace.
