Diastra A series in 5 parts
Zone 2 training, explained
Zone 2 is the easy running that builds most of an endurance athlete's base. Studies of elite endurance athletes find that most of their training is easy, and the research on why goes back decades.
The common chart puts Zone 2 at 60 to 70% of a max heart rate guessed from age. Blood tests on 165 people put the top of easy effort higher than that, and higher for women than for men.
This series starts with a calculator for your own numbers. Then it explains where the idea came from, why it can feel absurdly slow, how to set it on an Apple Watch, and how the 80/20 split fits a real week.
Zone 2 and Easy · CalculatorZone 2 heart rate calculatorType your age and sex to see your Zone 2 heart rate in beats a minute. The top edge comes from blood lactate tests on 165 runners.Zone 2 and EasyWhat is Zone 2 heart rate?Zone 2 is easy, steady effort right below your first lactate threshold. See where blood tests put it and why the 60 to 70% chart stops early.Zone 2 and EasyWhy is Zone 2 running so slow that I have to walk?If Zone 2 makes you walk, the chart may be the problem. See why heat, hills and drift push you over, and what the research says to do.Zone 2 and EasyHow do heart rate zones work on Apple Watch?How Apple Watch sets its five heart rate zones, what the default is based on, and how to type in zones drawn from your own max heart rate.Zone 2 and EasyWhat is 80/20 running, and does polarized training work?Where the 80/20 rule came from, what the polarized training trials found, why sessions and minutes give different weeks, and how to run it.