Ever go out on an easy run only to find yourself huffing and puffing up the neighborhood hill. Who put that thing there?! This was supposed to be an easy run at a conversational pace. You can’t even think to yourself let alone talk out loud.
When going out for an easy aerobic run, you should either have a heart rate monitor or a friend to run with. Either can keep you in check to make sure you are hitting the goals of the workout rather than slipping into that dreaded grey zone that does nothing for your performance.
If using heart rate monitor, keep your heart rate under your Maximum Aerobic Fitness (MAF) heart rate. The formula to calculate your MAF heart rate is 180 minus your age. I know. You’re going to tell me this is ridiculous and that you can run way faster than this. Yes, I’m certain you can run faster than this, but hear me out. We’ll discuss the importance of low heart rate, or polarized training, in a different blog post. For now, let’s say you buy into this premise.
If using a friend, keep the conversation going the entire run. You should never get to a point where you are gasping for breath or struggling to get out a full sentence. That means you are out of your aerobic zone and have strayed into the no benefit zone. Make sure that your friend is not monopolizing the conversation and it is a two way, not one way, conversation. Don’t purposely ask your friend an open ended question when you begin the ascent of the hill. 😉
Why is it that you will go out and begin your run at this ideal intensity, but then find yourself above your heart rate zone and not able to carry on a conversation anymore? I’m going to argue that it is almost all mental. Going fast has mental components to it, but again that’s a blog post for another day. Today is about the mental fortitude and confidence to run slow.
I can tell you from experience that the slow run will become a faster slow run if you put in the time and volume required to properly build this aerobic base. My very first MAF test was at an 11:05 pace. I was so frustrated because this WAS NOT my pace. It was so hard to run at at such a low heart rate after having been accustomed to running in that grey zone for so long.
I’m happy to say that my MAF test got down to a 6:55 pace. I’m glad that I stuck with the MAF method of training because running that faster pace is so much easier now that it ever would have been if I hadn’t stuck with the method. Not to mention the health benefits it provides over chronically taxing your heart in that grey zone where it’s too hard to recover from, but not hard enough to reap the full benefits of high intensity training.
So next time you climb that neighborhood hill, grab a friend and slow to a pace where you get to monopolize the conversation up the hill. Then with a smile and a MAF heart rate, take off as you crest that hill and start going down.
MN Health and Wellness Coaching 