The past year, I’ve had an on-again off-again relationship with running. I’d give myself two weeks to train for a 5k, run okay, and then stop running entirely for weeks. In January of 2025, I decided enough was enough. I wanted to figure out a way to run consistently, build mileage, and train for another half-marathon or marathon without burning out or giving up. I decided to commit to heart rate training.
I’d been seeing people talk about Zone 2 running and heart rate training online, and I was curious how it worked and, of course, if it would work for me. The final outcome remains to be seen, but so far I’ve seen improvement in my paces, recovery levels, and ability to build mileage.
January 21, 2025: The First Run
I started out with a 30-minute run on the treadmill and failed miserably to stay in Zone 2 range (which for me is about 125-140 bpm). I ran 3 miles at around 10-minute pace, feeling ungodly slow mind you, and my average heart rate was 155 bpm, putting me in solid Zone 3 territory.
January 23, 2025: The Next Run
Two days later, I tried again. Again, 30 minutes at, hopefully, Zone 2. This time I managed to keep the pace under control: 11:38 minute/miles, but my average heart rate was still a little high for that effort, at an average 146 bpm. My ego hurt too.
January 26, 2025: Maybe progress?
A 45-minute “long run” on the treadmill. I ran 11:32 minute/miles but for the same heart rate as the 30-minute run a few days ago, 146 bpm! I was thrilled. Was this progress?
January 29th: Nope
Oof, one steps forward, two steps back. Another 30-minute run on the treadmill at an average heart rate of 145 bpm, but this time my average pace was 12:12 minute/mile. I was a little disappointed to be getting slower (keep in mind, a month prior I had ran a sub-20 minute 5k, so I was like, where the heck is my fitness?) but I figured my body was just adjusting to the new regimen.
February 6th: Running on Vacation
I did 2.5 miles at an average heart rate of 145 bpm for a whooping average of 12:04 minutes per mile. Buttt I did this run midday in 80 degree weather (I was in the Caribbean), and I was proud of myself for just exercising on vacation at all.
February 17th: More of the same
After quite a long running break because of snow and other excuses, I hit the treadmill for a 30 minute Zone 2 run. I ran about 2.5 miles BUT I managed to keep my heart rate at an average of 135 bpm! I was stoked. My average pace was 11:44 minutes/mile.
February 18th: Long Run
Excited by the previous day’s progress, I ran 40 minutes on the treadmill for an average pace of 12:17 min/mile at an average heart rate of 136 bpm, managing to finally run more than 3 miles.
February 21st: One Month Later
My final run for the month was 30 minutes at an average heart rate of 135 bpm and 12:16 minutes/mile, plus some strides.
Looking at the Numbers
For the month between January 21st and February 21st, I ran 22.8 miles. I know this might seem incredibly low to some people, but for me, it was about average. Considering two weeks of that time I was on vacation and we were getting hit with snowstorms in Wisconsin, I’m okay with that number.
My average pace was 11:43 minute/mile, and my average heart rate was 142 bpm. I think you can really see improvements visually in this chart:
What’s Next
Spoiler alert: my Zone 2 journey did not stop after this month! My next Running Diaries post will be all about how I continued my Zone 2 training into the spring, plus a detailed look into how I’m training for my 13-day trek/run through the Alps.
In the meantime, happy sweating, in whatever form you choose to do so! 🙂