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Running Pace / Heart Rate

Hi, I've been running for about a year or two now. A comfortable pace for me is around 8:30 /mi however when I look at my heart rate zone I'm typically in zone 4 even though it doesn't feel that difficult. My garmin suggested pace for a base run is around 10 / mi which feels much too slow for me. Any recommendations as to what I should follow? Keep going with what is comfortable pace or try reducing effort based upon hr? Thanks!

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  • It sounds like your heart rate zones need to be adjusted. If zone 4 is easy for you, I would suggest increasing your max heart rate. You can adjust your heart rate zones by following the steps from Changing Heart Rate Zones in Garmin Connect

    How Are High Heart Rate and Max Heart Rate Values Calculated on My Garmin Watch? may be of help as well.

  • I have the auto detection feature on and it has increased my max heart rate a few times, is it common that it's not accurate and still requires further adjustment? 

  • I would need to take a look at your activity history to see when and why your max heart rate would have adjusted. Have you performed activities where you feel that you reached your max heart rate? If you give me permission, I can take a look. 

    Here are some more tips as well: 

    • Verify that your user profile settings are accurate (Setting Up Your User Profile).
    • Run often with the wrist or chest heart rate monitor.
    • Try a few heart rate training plans, available from your Garmin ConnectTm account.
    • View your heart rate trends and time in zones using your Garmin Connect account.
  • I recommend Setting up the zones by using %FTP. I had the same issues and Changed it.

    the Zone ranges are defenetively better matching now:

    z1-z2 with a wider band range, z3,4 & 5 with smaller Ranges.

  • Good max HR self test... give it a go when fairly fresh/rested.  or do a 5k and give the last .2miles a full gas sprint if yo8u can.

    Then set it based on that result (maybe add a couple bpm if you think maybe you could have went a hair harder). Visiion should be a bit grey, can't breathe, taste copper in mouth a bit... all those fun things :-) lol

    without a good true max HR in garmin most the results, training load, recovery time, paces... are not super helpful.  

  • I do not discuss/doubt the importance of a really exact FTP/HRmax Test/measurement!

    I know it.

    My only question was to update the Pace within my Garmin FTP itself - answer given: Not possible.

    Thread resolved. 

  • huh?  OP was 2951122... with nothing to do with FTP ... also OP's question also lead to the broad question of how max HR effects all of the settings/training values within the Garmin system.  Changing HR zones to % LT changes just that one aspect, but doesn't change how vo2/recovery/load is calculated / daily suggested workouts / Morning Report (much of it...based on max HR).  

    If OP is going to have a top end FR965, just trying to help them get some good value from it.