Overview

Heart rate training takes the guesswork out of your running. Instead of asking "am I going fast enough?" or "am I going too hard?", your heart rate gives you an objective measure of effort every second.

Golden Rule: Most runners run their easy days too hard and their hard days too easy. Heart rate training fixes this.

Finding Your Maximum Heart Rate

You need your maximum heart rate (MHR) to calculate your zones.

Method	Formula	Accuracy
Age-based estimate	220 minus your age	Rough guide — can be off by 10–15 bpm
Field test	Run a 3 km time trial flat out — your peak HR in the final km is close to your max	Much more accurate
Lab test	VO2max test at a sports lab (measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise — the gold standard of fitness testing)	Most accurate — but costs money

Example: If you're 35 years old, the estimate is 220 - 35 = 185 bpm. But always use a field test if you can.

The Five Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Name	% of Max HR	Effort	What It Feels Like
Zone 1	Recovery	50–60%	Very easy	Walking, gentle movement. Could chat all day
Zone 2	Aerobic Base	60–70%	Easy	Comfortable jog. Full conversation
Zone 3	Tempo	70–80%	Moderate	Comfortably hard. Short sentences only
Zone 4	Threshold	80–90%	Hard	Tough. A few words at most. This is near your lactate threshold — the point where fatigue builds rapidly
Zone 5	VO2max	90–100%	Maximum	Sprinting. Can't talk at all. This pushes your body's maximum oxygen capacity

Your Personal Zones

Calculate your zones using your max heart rate:

If Your Max HR Is...	Zone 1	Zone 2	Zone 3	Zone 4	Zone 5
180 bpm	90–108	108–126	126–144	144–162	162–180
185 bpm	93–111	111–130	130–148	148–167	167–185
190 bpm	95–114	114–133	133–152	152–171	171–190
195 bpm	98–117	117–137	137–156	156–176	176–195
200 bpm	100–120	120–140	140–160	160–180	180–200

Training in Each Zone

Zone	Purpose	When to Use	Example Session
Zone 1	Active recovery	Recovery runs, rest days	20–30 min very easy jog
Zone 2	Build aerobic base	Most of your running (70–80% of total)	Easy runs, long runs
Zone 3	Improve endurance	Tempo runs, marathon pace	20–40 min at tempo pace
Zone 4	Raise threshold	Threshold intervals, race-pace work	4 × 5 min at threshold with 2 min rest
Zone 5	Maximise speed	Short intervals, sprint work	6 × 400m flat out with full recovery

The 80/20 Rule

The most important principle in heart rate training:

Training Type	Percentage of Weekly Running	Zones
Easy running	80%	Zone 1 and Zone 2
Hard running	20%	Zone 3, 4, and 5

This is the secret. Most runners do too much Zone 3 — it's hard enough to fatigue you but not hard enough to trigger the best adaptations. Keep your easy runs genuinely easy.

A Typical Week Using Heart Rate Zones

Day	Session	Zone
Monday	Rest or 30 min recovery jog	Zone 1
Tuesday	Interval session: 6 × 800m with jog recovery	Zone 4–5 (intervals), Zone 1–2 (recovery)
Wednesday	40 min easy run	Zone 2
Thursday	30 min tempo run	Zone 3
Friday	Rest	—
Saturday	60–90 min long run	Zone 2
Sunday	30 min easy run or rest	Zone 1–2

Common Heart Rate Training Mistakes

Mistake	Problem	Fix
Easy runs too fast	Never fully recovering, always tired	Use Zone 2 as your ceiling on easy days — slow down if HR creeps up
Ignoring external factors	Heat, stress, caffeine, and sleep all affect HR	Note conditions — don't chase pace on hot days
Staring at your watch	Constant HR checking causes anxiety	Glance occasionally, trust the feel
Using age-based max only	Could be way off your actual max	Do a field test for better accuracy
Panicking about high HR on hills	Hills spike HR temporarily — that's normal	Judge HR on flat sections for a truer picture

What You'll Need

Equipment	Notes
Heart rate monitor	Chest strap is most accurate. Wrist-based (most GPS watches) is decent for steady running
GPS watch or phone app	Most modern watches have HR zone alerts built in
Patience	Zone 2 running feels slow at first — trust the process

What's Next?

Training smarter with heart rate:

Add Interval & Tempo Training to structure your hard days
Fuel your training with proper Nutrition for Runners
Try the Improve Your 5K plan using your new zone knowledge

Heart Rate Zone Training🔒

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