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Heart Rate Zone

Former Member
Former Member over 8 years ago
Wondering if there is some advice some people could give. I use a Forerunner 235, and have started a half-marathon training programme. I have decided to use one of the Garmin Connect heart rate based plans and have the training plan synchronised to my device.

For an 'easy run' as an example, the target HR zone is '2' - when I did this run, I averaged 13 mins per mile, and spent 63% of my time in zone 3, and 32% in zone 4 - my normal race pace is approx. 8:45 per mile. I like the idea of training to HR zones, but unless I have an abnormally high heart rate I cannot see how I will be able to hit the zone targets - I know I can change them, but am not sure if I should do that, or just revert to a non-HR based plan?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 8 years ago
    So if I understand this correctly, even if I do make changes to my baseline HR ranges they won't successfully sync. to the calendar due to the bug?

    I haven't made any changes yet, but reading the thread it seems that it's pretty usual to do so.
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    Yes and no. Simply scheduling an HR-based training plan in Garmin Connect, and sending the workouts in your calendar as-is to your watch, will not use the HR zone settings (based on BPM) you have specified in your Garmin Connect account. If you ‘edit’/touch and then save an individual workout before sending it to your watch, it will use your settings for the HR zones. (That may mean having to touch dozens of workouts in Garmin Connect before sending them to your watch.)
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 8 years ago
    Still not sure I am understanding this correctly.

    I have not made any changes to the default HR zones / value in my Connect account. So are they still being translated incorrectly to the training plan entries? If they are being translated accurately, my initial issue still exists which is that they are clearly too low - i.e. I can't run for 40 minutes in Z2 unless I am walking - and so I wonder if I need to edit the zone values, which if I do I have no idea what to update them to.

    Once I update them I think I understand from the below that I would need to edit each entry individually as that is where the bug exists?
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    Still not sure I am understanding this correctly.
    Never mind what I said before; I was (partly) wrong. I've since cleared things up for myself with a bit of experimentation earlier today.

    I have not made any changes to the default HR zones / value in my Connect account.
    The default HR zones are just:
    • Z1 = 50%-59% of MaxHR
    • Z2 = 60%-69% of MaxHR
    • Z3 = 70%-79% of MaxHR
    • Z4 = 80%-89% of MaxHR
    • Z5 = 90%-100% of MaxHR


    and, when you turned on and set up your FR235 on first use (or after a factory reset), you'd have directly or indirectly changed the MaxHR value that applies to your account.

    my initial issue still exists which is that they are clearly too low - i.e. I can't run for 40 minutes in Z2 unless I am walking -
    I can't stay in 60%-69% of MaxHR while running/jogging either.

    and so I wonder if I need to edit the zone values, which if I do I have no idea what to update them to.
    Try https://google.com/search?q=heart+rate+zone+running

    Once I update them I think I understand from the below that I would need to edit each entry individually as that is where the bug exists?
    Actually, I've now discovered that you don't.
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    Still not sure I am understanding this correctly.

    I have not made any changes to the default HR zones / value in my Connect account. So are they still being translated incorrectly to the training plan entries? If they are being translated accurately, my initial issue still exists which is that they are clearly too low - i.e. I can't run for 40 minutes in Z2 unless I am walking - and so I wonder if I need to edit the zone values, which if I do I have no idea what to update them to.


    You would not be the first person to begin training using HR and feel they cannot go slow enough in Z2. That is usually because training has been at a too high intensity before. If you have determined and set your max HR correctly, then trust the zones and train accordingly. You may well need to alter your perception of how hard you have to train in order to gain benefits.

    Ensure your max HR is determined properly - lots of advice on the interweb.
    Enter your HR zones accordingly.
    Train to the HR zones as programmed.

    Note that HR will drift as you tire, get hot or get dehydrated.