If you really want to run faster with a low heart rate, there are some secrets about low heart rate training that you must know to improve your running endurance. Today I’m going to dive deep into uncovering 10 of the biggest low heart rate training misconceptions.
🔴 WATCH NEXT
➜ How I Ran a 30 Minute FASTER Marathon in 6 Months:
➜ How to Set Your Heart Rate Zones Yourself:
➜ 20 Years of Running Knowledge in 27 Minutes:
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – How to Run Fast with a Low Heart Rate
01:33 – The Game Changer
04:24 – Heart Rate Control
06:41 – Ignore Your Pace
08:10 – Make it Less Boring
12:57 – Fat Burning Truth
15:54 – Fasted Running
17:56 – Running Form
19:59 – Your Target Pace
23:12 – 2 Plus Hour Runs
25:49 – The Golden Rule
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INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/jamesmgdunne
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ABOUT ME: I’m James Dunne, a runner, sports rehabilitation therapist (similar to physical therapist) and coach based in the UK (Norwich and London).
Since 2007 I’ve been working with athletes focusing specifically on helping distance runners and triathletes overcome injury and improve performance through developing their individual running technique.
Running biomechanics and physical therapy are real passions of mine. I love to help runners run strong and stay injury free.
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23 Comments
Just started low heart rate training following Boudicca Way Ultra. Going to stick to this for the next 6 months to see what happens. I'll still do parkruns hard plus have another couple of races this year to do. But the rest or just at this low intensity. Thanks for the video
Don't eat for 20 hours before you run, 30 deg C can be the daily minimum temperature. I have to do this where I live as its so hot and humid. Running on a treadmill means I can stay with an average of zone 1 (<100bpm average).
Never considered myself a running guy, did my jogs once in a while. 6 years ago, I never have run further than 12km. The last 6 years, I did not run at all. Out of a whim, I started running 4 months ago and built up: couple of 10 km, then 3-4x 12-14km. My goal was half marathon distance, which I successfully did couple of weeks ago (sub 1:50h).
Now I am looking into the zone2 runs. Following your advice to not neglect running form: To stay inside the zone2, the running form is beyond evil, I would not even call it jogging, it is more a "rocking over the ankle to kind of making it look like running". I can literally walk faster and stay in zone2. But whenever I try to actually "run" (or jog), I am instantly in zone3. I ended up under the impression that it is the vertical movement of my body that causes my HR to go up that easy.
Any advice here? Or does it come down to leave the ego at home and just go walking, walking and walking?
I do the watch trick, except my screen is HR and distance. I started around august last year and took around 6 months to adapt, but I did start losing speed, but a few months later started getting faster, and now my parkrun times are around 23min which is a speed increase of maybe 5min. I do strides at the end of a long run as well for the last k, and still achieve over 90% zone 2 on Strava. And, I’m nearly 50 and weigh 100kg, so if I can do it anyone can!
Based on a recent VO2 max test, I learned that my zone 2 was not 60-70% of heart rate. It was lower, so runs that I thought were in the upper end of zone 2 were actually in zone 3! I was burning through my carbohydrate stores… even depleting them at times. My zone 2, based on my ideal fat-burn zone, is at 54-64% of my max heart rate. I would highly recommend learning your ideal hr zones based on a VO2 max test if you are planning to do a lot of fasted training.
I started running in February. Normally I run three times per week. So I did 6 times a 5K.
A couple of weeks ago I did some sprints after an easy run and I got two muscles strained.
I see now that I lacked strength training.
Thank you for this video.
God bless you richly.
Good video. Another point about fasted running. Doing this in a calorie deficit won’t help preserve lean muscle tissue. Less muscle equals less storage for available carbohydrate. Two places carbs are stored as glycogen in the body – the liver but mostly in skeletal muscle. Runners (unless they’re hybrid athletes) are notoriously poor at strength training, which builds muscle. They also don’t consume enough protein (body breaks down muscle tissue in calorie deficit). Injuries occur when load exceeds capacity, another reason to strength train. Most runners don’t train weights whereas gym bunnies hate cardio! 🤷🏻♀️
You'll be running slow forever
Saw this through email. Just started running. Lots to consider here. Trying to start off slowly though.
Another cracking video packed with golden nuggets of advice. Thanks!
I like to stride at the end of a long run. I use a Garmin watch paired with Strava. As Strava results have a 400m distance in its “best efforts” list, I made my last 400m a recognised segment on Strava website. It’s a bit of fun but I can compare the results. Sometimes I don’t challenge it, it depends how I’m feeling at the end.
I’m not altogether sure about “building” this aerobic base. When I’ve “built” this base, is further zone 2 work needed just to maintain it? If so, is it still 80-20 or can it be maintained by less zone 2 work?
I mean, I’ve had a few weeks off at times without seeming to lose performance once I get back to it. There seems to be a reserve which needs less topping up than it did to build it in the first place.
What would you say is the minimum time requirement in a zone 2 session to create a proper stimulus? Doing two sessions a day due to time constraints (or otherwise) might be an interesting experiment
Thanks for sending the link for this through in a BPR email 🙏 I'm restarting after a 10 month break so it's all slow easy running at the moment (NHS Couch to 5k) – low heart rate sounds like a great idea & I like the 'focus on form' tip – strides are great fun 😊👍🏻
started brand new to running with the MAF method 3-4 months ago. was in a really bad shape and couldent "run" quicker then 17min/mile to not blow my HR limit. now my PB at maf HR is around 12min/mile, so meaning ive improved by 5min/mile since i started, and feel great about it. low heart rate training dosent only work, but it works really well. on another note regarding the fat burning portion of the video. when i started out, and my body learned to use fat as fuel, the result was that i got a much more stable blood sugar during the day, and my overall hunger lvl went way down, and as a result of that i started eating way less, and felt overall less hungry as well so kinda weird combination. as a result of that, ive dropped about 40 lbs since i started running, and feel great about it.
Frankly, it's does not work for everyone. Tried it for 6 mths, did the test every mth on the track as suggested in MAF. I didn't lose any fitness but neither did I gain any. Just stay the same. Felt I have wasted all my time. How nice if it's true, train very slowly and race fast. But it remains a fairy tale for me at least.
Wonderful video.
Found it in my email inbox
Is it just me or does James sound kinda sad in this video?
@JamesDunne do half my runs in a fasted state. Have done for a few years. Sometimes struggle to get breakfast for an hour after my run too. By the sounds of it perhaps I should avoid this. Unfortunately it's the only time I get to do my midweek runs so a bit stuck. Any advice. Aged 57 and following the BPR work.
New runner, can you guys keep your cadence high while jogging in zone 2? Im just doing couch to 5k and im in zone 3 or 4 at every jogging split
Not sure what I should focus on tbh
I've tried low heart rate training and it works…takes time and patience. I usually run around 6m/km for easy runs…when I started doing Zone 2 training, I had to run at 7:05min/km consistently, no run walk, just went out slow and stayed there…was demorilazing at first…ran 5-6 days a week for 45mins and 2hours on weekend, had to walk the uphills as well. Just had HR and time on my watch, so the ego can't take over and ran on flat routes during the week and tried to keep the hills on weekends not to steep. Within 4 weeks I was runinng 6:35min/km. Set my watch to beep 5 beats before I go out of Zone 2. For last 2 weeks I did 30sec/100m hill reapeats once a week, and walked them down. After 4 weeks moved to 80/20 training, where 80% is still Zone 2 and still getting faster and faster each week in zone 2. Can go check out my Strava Therese Mitchell for confirmation that Zone 2 training works
This is a very interesting idea! Is this a case of there is only a benefit if all your running is in zone 2 or can you mix it up? I’ve been really enjoying some interval workouts, would be a shame to not do those. Thanks for the great informative vids!
Hi James, useful tips. I found link to this video thru’ BPR email. I’ve been trying to slow down but it hasn’t worked for me. Slowing down caused my running form to suffer and the ITB pain became so bad that I had stop for a week or two. I’m back to running at my normal pace but really looking forward to strike that balance between running slow without losing running form.
Top content again James and back on it this week. It’s gonna be tough in Lowestoft today 💨💨🌬️🍃🍃🌬️