That budget now can get Pegasus 37

Hi,

I believe you are following MAF? If yes, you need to run/walk regularly.

Say you used to run 3 times a week, 1 hour each run. When most people try to do MAF, they calculate their MAF HR and run below that.

You will need to do more frequency, recommended is 8 hours per week. But you may cross train - I am assuming you are recreational.

Some may take 3 months, others take 6-8 months. You may want to do fasted runs, or adjust to keto diet.

There are certain people who saw initial gains, but it plateau for a period. Then some amount of high aerobic or LT workout need to factored in weekly till you see some gains; when you see the benefits of such stimuli, then you stop such high intensity.

Hope it help you.

Hi,

I am assuming you are 30 years old, and using MAF 180 - age formula.

Assuming you are running 5 times weekly for week volume 25 km, 1 hour each run makes it 12 min/km for 5km?  Yes?

Is your pace consistent for the 5km, Is your HR consistent? If you can maintain a consistent HR... that is very good di, no matter the pace.

Say 1km, 120 bpm, 2km 140bpm, 3km 141bpm  4km 139bpm and 5km 140bpm. That is good. Normally, most people avg HR will continue to drift higher and higher as you run longer.

What improvements are you looking for?  Generally, first sign is lower avg HR, then your HR will be consistent, the range may be big at start, but over time, you will find a small range. That will happen if you continue running regularly long period. Then over time, some 6 months, some 8 months, pace comes faster but HR still the same.

Some people get both pace faster and HR lower at same time. Some both at 2-3 months, 6-12 months are normal, you dun decide, body decide. So be patient.

The most important thing is keep heart rate low or/and within "aerobic threshold". Whatever you want to do, if you want to increase duration is this... you are fit for a certain point... any run beyond that, HR will start to drift, once you passed 30% HR drift, pointless to increase duration. So no point to run each run 2 hours, you will deplete muscle glycogen, and HR past a certain point, will not be consistent, it will float to LT HR. However, having said that, those with big aerobic endurance, can run 1 hour or 2 hours or 6 hours at consistent HR below MAF HR - these people take years to train.

If you want to increase duration: start with 2nd set concept ... either you wait or rest till HR recover, may be 10 mins, or reach 100bpm. Then you attempt 2nd set with same effort but watch your HR, keep HR low, it will be hard. What you will find, at same HR, it will take you much longer; but at same pace, HR will be much higher. Eventually, boths run will have a smaller variance in HR: First time say, 1st run avg HR is 140bpm, 2nd run is may be 155bpm. It will go down  say 135 bpm for 1st run and 2nd run is 140bpm, which is very good di.

I tried the "duration increase", using 2nd set concept, each run is 30 mins. Each set is about 30 mins or 4K according to my fitness . Took me at least 6 months to minimize variance between 2 sets. Today i run 60 mins sometimes, not 2 set of 30 mins.

At a given certain duration, you will start with X km. Once you get fitter, at same HR, you will be able to run faster. Normal people just keep same effort: HR will drop when effort and distance is the maintained. Some keep same HR, pace will increase. Most important thing, keep HR below aerobic threshold.

You are doing 5 runs di per week, you are spending 1 hour each run. Not much parameter to tune. Not sure if you should run 6 days per week, only you know, not sure if you should do double volume ie run 2 times in a day. But whatever you do, do have a "downer week" at the start: say "3 weeks upper, 1 week downer", or/and every 10-12 weeks or 3 months deload. Body cannot take continouosly increase, it will break.

Upper and Downer week: some do 3 weeks upper 1 week downer, fitter will do 5 upper 1 downer. One example - 30km for 3 weeks 25 km for 1 week.

Maybe on weekend, say sat you do more set repeats, say 3 sets of 30 mins. It is ok to have slower and slower sets. 90 mins is a good limit to start.

Why dun i say do "speed workout" or "theshold run"? At 25 km weekly volume, it may be high for some. May be low for others. If you want to race 5k, i think 25km weekly is ok volume. If you want to race marathon, it is not enough. It depends, i took the high milage route, and build the weekly volume, i think there is a point, we will reach a plateau, then you tune again. If you do "speed workout", some just add once a week, a faster 30 mins run at below LT heart rate: others do a slightly faster last km segment of each run, but HR still below LT point.

For your info, i am not a coach, not a pro runner. But i have done some trial and error in trying out low heart rate running. This month, my monthly volume should exceed 160km, used to be 100-120 km monthly.
What I did, i ran nonstop, say 4 days continuosly, then break 1 day. Slowly i started with 5 days continously then break 1 day.

I have also tried some speed work for 2-3 weeks after 6 months. My experience, it is hard. Your body is so used to low heart rate stimuli, then you go give it a shock. Downside - why i dun recommend "speed work", your heart now will easily go above MAF HR. Point of low heart rate training - run at low HR. So those middle distance runners, they do speed workout. Anyway, middle distance runner, when they race, HR float sky high.

Hi,

So you are 20+. How many years of running you have 2 years? 3 years? Were you a school runner?

5K - average timing? average HR? Fastest 5K?

Aerobic endurance takes time, but depend on fitness. Some are aerobic fit for 5k, some are for 10k. You can go check strava, you will find HR that are within range for first 5K, after that, it begin to drift. Some are fit for 10k, while others are HM.

Dun add too many stress levers - you are young, but still. Try playing with duration and sets, but keep below LT HR. It is ok to go up to 10 bpm MAF, but since you are 20, it will be 170bpm; therefore stay below 150bpm.

No worries about speed, you dun run fast to be fast. You run slow to be fast, sound silly. But just go read up Jack Daniel. The science is to accumulate time in zone below "aerobic threshold": sweet spot for capillaries growth, mitocondria development and slow twitch muscles building.

If you are a beginner, focus on 5K for aerobic development. Say your fastest 5K is X minutes at avg HR 190 bpm. Then with MAF regular training, 6-12 months, every month, take the 5K test: see if your best effort 5K, what is the timing and avg HR. You should be able to see some HR drop in 2-3 months.

Run early morning, say 7am or past 6.30pm. Dun run at 5pm, road will bake you🥵. HR will be 5-10bpm higher.

Focus on doing easy, stay at easy when you build volume (ie 25 km weekly to 30km weekly etc), dun increase every week till you hit 100 km... kaki patah ok. Many take years to run 100km weekly. When you begin to reach 30-40km weekly, time to cari runner kaki di.

You can also cross-train, it helps you minimize leg injuries.

Please don't buy into the MAF bullshit.  It's debunked science in running circles.  Any improvement to your body's  different aerobic systems come from applying the correct stimulus to develop a particular system.  10-11min/km pace is too slow to be developing anything apart from maybe heart stroke volume, at that pace its not even a fast walk.  Why did you decide to exercise at that speed? It it a body weight issue?

As a result your volume is too low for someone running 5 times a week.  20-30k a week is now just maintenance especially if you're not seeing any improvement especially if you're spending 5 hours on your feet.

Do you have a 5k PB? Mile PB?  If you don't have a 5k pb do a time trial by yourself.  You know you have done a 5k properly if you really have nothing left in the tank.  Use that time to calculate the proper training intensity.

HR zones don't mean anything - because there are a lot of different definitions of HR zones and every training plan is written to a specific HR zone definition.  The Z2 i use is based on LTHR whereas some people's definition of z2 would probably fall into a Z1 if they're using Max HR formula or some formula with HR reserve.  It's all gooblygook to any beginner runner.

HR going crazy can also mean that your watch is not accurate.  I've got an expensive garmin and even then sometimes i'll get cadence locked which means it's confusing my footsteps for my heart beat.  Solution: stop looking at your watch while running and try to get a good feel about how you're feeling when running.

You say your goal is to run a race range from 5k to FM - do you mean to compete or to complete?  Building an aerobic base usually applies to base building which means training your body to be able to accept a particular volume and intensity of training.  You say you want to run fast at lower heart rate.  The only way you learn to run fast is by running faster speeds then you're used to.  The lower HR will come from overall fitness from increasing your volume.  Just don't try to kill yourself by running fast all the time.

You didn't say whether optical (wrist) HR or chest strap? The former can show aberrant results if a loose wristband allows sunlight to leak in. The latter is not affected by sunlight and is more accurate, but will develop contact issue after ~1 year of use. Choose your poison.

The HR numbers obtained from those age-based formula are typical numbers, but there is a large spread among individuals of the same age. To know your actual max HR requires a treadmill test of progressively increasing difficulty, such as the 7-stage Bruce protocol in the cardiologist office. :-) His HR equipment is likely more accurate than the watch you are currently using.