If you've been following along with my Zone 2 running attempts you'll know that I've been struggling with it.
(For my non-running friends, a "Zone 2" run is basically a "very easy run" that's harder than a brisk walk but easier than most people run when you see them out and about.)
Firstly, I was struggling to run often enough to feel like I was making any progress.
Secondly, my watch kept giving me inconsistent readings. I would feel like I was running in Zone 2 and that my heart rate should be about 120 bpm (beats per minute) but my watch would say something bogus like 160 bpm. And when I'd take Brad's advice and check my heart rate manually (by putting my fingers to my neck and counting the beats I could feel as I watched the seconds on my watch) lo and behold it would be about... 120 bpm!
So my first win is that Brad convinced me to join him for a short easy every morning. I get up about the same time I used to, drink a tiny protein drink, pee, get dressed and get out the door by about 6 am with the aim of getting in about 30 minutes of Zone 1 or Zone 2 running (that often starts and ends with some walking). Then he keeps going to round out his usual 5km.
It's going well! The trick has been to make it as easy as possible. We aim to do as much flat as possible. We try to run in the bush as often as possible (because we love it). And I can walk as much as I need/want. I don't have to do a whole 30 minutes; I can stop at 20. But as I slowly do this more and more, I'm finding that the 2.5km has quickly and easily become 3.5km.
Don't tell Brad but I don't think it would take much for it to easily climb to 5km over a few months ;) Still, no promises. I can feel the muscles in my legs saying, "Hold up sister! This is a big increase in mileage in a short period of time. Take it easy, right?!"
The second easy win was something we picked up from a friend of ours who has a similar build to me (i.e. skinny and strong!) who was also struggling with her watch. She said she burned an extra couple of holes into the watch strap so she could make it tighter. Brad and I immediately thought it would be a good idea for me, so it doctored my watch that same day and voilà! my watch is finally tight enough that it records my heart rate correctly far more often.
Gold.
The third win has nothing to do with my heart rate but everything to do with my enjoyment of running and that is, I got a new pair of shoes. And when I say "new", I mean "as new".
See the shoes I love the most for rocky trails that sometimes get flooded and muddy are my chunky Altra Lone Peak's. I really like running in zero drop shoes (i.e. no drop in height from the heel to the toe) with a wide toe box (so my toes aren't squished and out of alignment) but most of these shoes have very thin soles.
This is fine for my (now) strong feet if I'm running on concrete or sand or any kind of even surface. But as soon as there's lots of big sharp rocks or creek crossings they're annoying and so I reach for the same style of shoe but with a bigger 'stack' height (as in, a thicker sole to protect from said rocks and water).
Altra (the brand) Lone Peak (the model of shoe) seems to be the only thing on the market here in Australia that gives me all the things I want. But brand new they're $270! And I just don't think they need to be that expensive!
So, I did a little digging. I asked the Universe for what I wanted and then kept my eyes open for it. And guess what? On Facebook Marketplace I found a pair of these shoes being sold by a woman who lives only 40 minutes away, in a colour I like, for $50!! She'd barely worn them; they looked brand new. But there was a catch: they were a half size bigger than my last pair.
Were they going to be too big? I went to find out. And the answer?
They're great!!!!
This feels like the biggest win of them all. Best of all, I love them. They should last me years. I can wear them running, walking and overseas when we travel. And I got to keep my feet (almost) totally dry when a group of us ran through the very wet bush, doing several creek crossings again this morning.
Win.
I've been finding certain aspects of life quite challenging at the moment, so it feels very helpful to notice what's working, to celebrate my wins - no matter how small, and be grateful for what I have.
Here's to more of that.
...pst
Great photos...
Why, Thank You, Sir!
I guess I should have mentioned: "Photos are my own."
Just so everyone knows. I tend to give others credit but not myself. 🤦♀😆
I like the look of those shoes. More of a natural toe box than a typical sneaker, right? Are they more of a barefoot-style shoe, or do they have a cushioned sole?
Yes, bigger toe box. That's a big part of the reason I got them specifically.
They do have a cushioned sole. I have two pairs of very thin ones I run in but they suck with big sharp rocks (which we run on regularly in the trails near our house) and also whenever it's been raining (because the single tracks and the thick grass hold the water and the thin shoes mean my socks get wet immediately and that ain't no fun!).
So these are my shoes for when I'm running somewhere wet and/or rocky. I try to wear the thin ones the rest of the time. But what I also love about the Altra Lone Peaks (these shoes) that other zero drop cushioned shoes don't do is there is no "arch support". As in, they don't mess with my freakin' beautiful arches doing exactly what they were designed to do :P
Do you have similar shoes, @jacobtothe? Are you on this train with barefoot/minimalist thinking?
I've been pondering taking the barefoot shoe leap, but I generally wear boots or shoes with a small heel stack and some drop. I've been happier with the shape of Jim Green boots and shoes due to their wider toe box. They make barefoot shoes, but not quite what I want to try. There are a few others that tempt me.
Let me know if you want any suggestions for how to approach this transition. I went from very rigid shoes with a lot of correction and orthotics, and being told I could never wear thongs (flip flops) or anything without arch support ever again, to being able to now (literally) run a 5km parkrun on concrete in bare feet if I want to. But I was careful and I took my time about it. Plenty of people think they can just magically change overnight and hurt themselves. It's a process.
I spend most of my time at home barefoot or in socks, so my feet are accustomed to some freedom. I spend less time barefoot outside due to sharp rocks and weeds though. My Red Wing Iron Rangers have no arch support to speak of, and no removable insole at all, but they are surprisingly comfortable for me, anyway.
Sounds like you've got it nailed =)
I haven't been following your Zone 2 adventures... so hopefully it's not too annoying if I ask what you've been struggling with? Is it that you want to go faster, or slower, or the length of time running? The tighter watch is genius! I don't know why they don't have an absolute abundance of holes, especially since the tightness can make a difference on the data it collects.
All good. Ask away :)
What am I struggling with, big picture?
I want to be able to run faster and for longer while also keeping my heart rate low. But I think I probably just need to keep doing more consistent running - which B now has me onto.
Is low heart rate running something you've playing with much, Adam?
I think for me I'm just interesting in running for longer. I've always been able to run fast... but 5K just feels so far for me and while I have done 10Ks in the past, that seems like a huge distance to me now.
Oh. Interesting! Our sense of 'long' seems to be different. Because when you say run long I'm thinking ultra marathon (longer than 42.2km) not 5k. Perception - fascinating.
And I get you. I have a top end speed while sprinting that still surprises me but with my current run fitness 5k feels okay but 10k? Too far for me to currently run easily.
I think you just have to be willing to build slowly. Lay the bricks, one at a time.
This was such a wholesome read, lol. I was really smiling from the beginning to the end, now, I'm blushing, lol.
It feels like a little journal entry from someone truly finding joy in movement again.
I love how you're leaning into ease instead of pressure. The early runs, the tighter watch strap hack (genius by-the-way), the secondhand shoe win… it all screams sustainable progress. It's brilliant!
Your honesty makes it feel so doable too. Rooting for that sneaky 5k arc (don’t worry, I won’t tell Brad 😉)
Ah, what a wholesome, genuine comment. I like you already, @whatmidesays :)
Thank you!