Hey everyone, quick question. I am a runner, run about 4 times per week anywhere from 5K to 8 or so miles each day. I wear my heart rate monitor each run and I am always in zone 4. I know this zone burns carbs and very little fat. I'm not overweight, about 109 lbs. 5'2". But I'd like to spend a little more time in the 3rd , fat burning zone without compromising my time. I can't seem to figure out how to do it. Is it okay to always run in zone 4 oreven 5? When I see my heart rate monitor going to the 5th zone I only stay there for a few minutes and back off to bring heart rate down. I'm a little confused on the whole "zone" thing. Any help is appreciated.
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Heart rate zones
- Thread starter tracyclang
- Start date
Hey everyone, quick question. I am a runner, run about 4 times per week anywhere from 5K to 8 or so miles each day. I wear my heart rate monitor each run and I am always in zone 4. I know this zone burns carbs and very little fat. I'm not overweight, about 109 lbs. 5'2". But I'd like to spend a little more time in the 3rd , fat burning zone without compromising my time. I can't seem to figure out how to do it. Is it okay to always run in zone 4 oreven 5? When I see my heart rate monitor going to the 5th zone I only stay there for a few minutes and back off to bring heart rate down. I'm a little confused on the whole "zone" thing. Any help is appreciated.
you are not confused at all. you are just like most of us. You want to have your best run, every time you run, verses actual training.
and as you get in better fitness condition, you will get faster and it will just feed you more.
Try having some training days, and some speed days, so you can get your speed fix, and accept trainign days for what they are.
pace is discipline- the hardest thing for any runner is discipline. The chemicals our brain gives us feed us to "over rev." It take a mental training focused effort to control yourself.
Be proud though! few ever run enough to have the3 problem you are having.
Welcome to the site!
Sweat Daily
FF
Hey everyone, quick question. I am a runner, run about 4 times per week anywhere from 5K to 8 or so miles each day. I wear my heart rate monitor each run and I am always in zone 4. I know this zone burns carbs and very little fat. I'm not overweight, about 109 lbs. 5'2". But I'd like to spend a little more time in the 3rd , fat burning zone without compromising my time. I can't seem to figure out how to do it. Is it okay to always run in zone 4 oreven 5? When I see my heart rate monitor going to the 5th zone I only stay there for a few minutes and back off to bring heart rate down. I'm a little confused on the whole "zone" thing. Any help is appreciated.
This article explains the diferent heart rate zones simplistically: and Joe Friel has a book that covers this topic in much more detail.
And here are some suggested running training programs
Have a couple of days where you run for distance rather than time, the further you run the slower you'll go therefore being in the fat burning zone.