I’ve had videos on the past few days while re-working my training plan and I kept hearing the phrase “zone 2” or “zone 3” and “heart rate.” This was a bit frustrating because they were said as if it was common knowledge their viewers would know what the heck they were talking about. Admittedly, I had some vague recollection of these terms together, but nothing in my initial research really said much about it.

So, when it comes to the “zones,” they’re about heart rate (so I at least had that much down). But what is the deal with the “zones”? I see there’s a lot more than minimum and maximum heart rate like I’d learned years ago. I didn’t know there were 5 of them until I did some deeper digging.

The biggest thing I heard about was “zone 2,” which if you go by perceived exertion means you should be able to have a conversation while you run. Your own physical ability and stamina, however, help determine if you can be in “zone 2”.

Zone 2 seems to be the place most folks want to be because a lengthy amount of time in that zone helps lead to fat loss. I did manage to find some handy guides online and the site Marathon Handbook that gives some great details.

Of course, it’s not as easy as just putting some math together and seeing what the results range is, but it’s another tool in the toolbox.

There’s still a lot to learn, and as I get back into my run schedule for real (starting with walking and jogging the next couple of weeks), I’m going to start using my heart rate monitor on my fitBit. I’ve pretty much ignored it til now, but if I have any hope of increasing my endurance steadily rather than sporadically, it’s something I’ll have to practice implementing.

This is the streamlined version from the same site about the zones and making those calculations on a basic level. I just hope I can keep all this up and figure out a good system for recording my results. There is just so much I’m learning.