Why does Dave make me run with such a low HR?

I thought it time for a mail to decipher the reason behind those low heart rate runs… It will hopefully slow down the stream of swear word ridden texts I’ve been receiving!
Good morning Peeps

Most athletes run too hard. Our sport has 3 areas to be active in. Easy is EASY. Hard is HARD. Race is RACE.

But… we go harder than easy, easier than hard, and race slower and slower… the dreaded PLATEAU!

So we need to phase our training. Track is HARD. Hills are HARD. Progressive runs get HARD. Races are FAST. Everything else is EASY!!!

So…

The Basics:

• The bulk of this kinda running is for the ‘off season’
• The run is set at 73-78% of your maximum heart rate
• The maximum heart rate is pulled from all your workout data loaded
• This should put you in zone 2 (zone 1 for the uber runners – zone 3 for the lazy bums)

The Challenge:

• Trying to increase your pace while staying under that heart rate (we all want to go faster)
• Trying to increase your cadence while staying under that heart rate (aiming for 180)
• Trying your best to not walk the hills (small steps uphill are less taxing than walking)
• Learning how to tummy breathe so that you exhale more (expelling CO2 lowers HR)
• Repeating the same routes to try complete them faster at same low HR

The Benefits:

• The body oxidises (burns) fat for energy at < 75% of Max HR
• Body builds a bigger endurance engine running at low HRs
• Quantifiable fitness gains: if you running at same effort but going faster, you are getting fitter
• More efficient running: forcing cadence at low speeds will get you striking the ground under your hip eventually andhopefullyyou will start transferring energy backwards instead of straight into the ground
• Better recovery: I guarantee when you finish a long low heart rate run, you will feel amazing as you’ve mostly
• stressed the heart, not the muscles, and the heart recovers quickly!
• Exposes weaknesses: if its sore, its weak, and then you know you have to fix it!

The Downside:

• Your Strava looks sad
• Who has time for patience
• How do I stroke my ego
• No more running with stronger friends
• Exposes weaknesses: if its weak it means you have to do some gym

The Conclusion:

We all have speed. Just get chased by a dog once to see how fast you can go. But we don’t all have the endurance to hold that speed. We need to go slow to go fast. Go slow in the offseason so that you can hold the fast in the season.
Endurance sport rewards the patient. Those who hold back at the start, always finish stronger. Treat your season as a long race. Patient start means stronger finish!
Staying in the fat oxidizing zone means the body learns to fuel itself. I can’t sell that to peeps so let me sell you on this… It makes you skinny!!! Fuelless for runs and hold it in the zone and smell the fat burn!
Running easy gives you time to think about your run form. Try different things. Lean forward. Strike forefoot. Strike midfoot. Pump your arms. See what gives you speed or cadence. Repeat it.
Trust the process. Fight your urges. Focus long term. Build. Build. Build.
Understandably, no one believes me when I say or program these things but I do promise, I didn’t thumb suck all of this. This internet has it all well documented… Just ask Phil Maffetone!

So if you have read this far down, which you haven’t, please reply if you would like reference articles for the above… I have them all ready!

That is all. Bye.

DS
WM