Slow Slow Fast

Wednesday 7th September 2011

Running
7.00 Miles - 01:07:44 (9:40 per mile / HR 150bpm Z2 83% Max)
Although the pace on this run was very slow, I am really pleased with it as I am now starting to get the hang of being disciplined about running within a particular heart rate zone. Each of the 7 miles were in the right zone.

Believe it or not, it is actually quite hard to run slower than you want to or what your legs are used to. In my case I would normally do 7miles in around 58-60 mins.
The purpose of staying in Zone 2 for Heart rate is to train my body's aerobic engine and learn to burn stored fat rather than the energy which has just recently been ploughed in to it. The benefits are twofold - you burn stored fat and lose weight and you build endurance with the eventual outcome that you can run faster for the same lower level of effort expended. This of course is really important for an Ironman - because if you expend all your energy early on - you will be blowing out your arse and struggling badly later on- as if it is not hard enough anyway.

So basically I am learning to run slower in order to eventually run faster and longer.  Bizarre but true.