[ryanoelke]

Hi Everyone 🙂 I just did a fresh time trial to set my threshold pace and LTHR. My TP was just about spot on from what I had already, but my LTHR was previously set too low, clearly 😛 I hadn’t done any test, just ballparked it from an old test on the bike (super silly in retrospect). Anyways, I had set my LTHR at 168, but TT today has me at 178. This is going to make my zone 1 and 2 runs SO much better! More breathing room.

My only question is that, I see it puts my Zone 5 starting at 187, and while I haven’t done any official test to get my max heart rate, I pinged 189 on my whoop and garmin last year, so probably around there. But does that seem ok, that zone 5 is almost max hr?

Really doesn’t matter for zone 5 since I’ll use pace/RPE for that anyways, but just kind of double checking my test as a whole. Followed the instructions pretty well, so think it should be ok.

[ryanoelke]

Actually, I do have a question about TP from this 20 minute test. I assume the result is threshold pace, and in the 8020 Zone Calculator, I would choose ‘threshold pace’ and put in my avg pace for that 20 minutes. However, I see you can also choose ’20 minute test’ in the calculator and it looks like you put in avg pace for the 20 minutes, but gives a different TP as a result. Which is correct?

Thanks!
-Ryan

[leyla@8020endurance.com]

Hi Ryan,
If you did the 20min test and took your results form that test then I recommend using that drop down option in our calculator. YOu can also enter that info straight into TrainingPeaks. Be sure to not just use default for this – but create specific run Heart Rate and Run pace zones in TrainingPeaks. This will then set your zones in the workouts. I wouldn’t worry too much about Max HR as it’s not something we have as a distinction point in our zones system. Our main focus is that threshold data – HR, pace and power which set the rest of the zones. When developing your fitness its also not uncommon to struggle to run in the lower zones and the higher zones. Sort of think of your fitness like developing range in singing – in the beginning you have a smaller range of effort (notes you can sing) and as you get fitter and more nuanced in how different zones feel you will find new lows (especially HR when you run easy_) and new high as you learn to push yourself when appropriate.

L

[ryanoelke]

Thanks, Leyla! That metaphor singing range really helps 🙂 With my new LTHR, I felt I could ‘just run’ today on my easy run, without having to check my HR so much like I did before (and my pace just naturally lined up as well). Feels nice! Even if it was 35 degrees with a 14mph wind 😛

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