Zoning Out

Pushups: 15
Core:  Eric Orton's Strength Circuit for Runners

One of my goals this season is to break out of the rut of just doing junk miles.  Yes, I've been saying this the last four years and have never been disciplined enough to do it.  I got the wake up call last winter, though, when I did a bit of classic skiing early in the season and noticed that even on flat terrain, my heart rate was shooting up.  Similarly, I am the person that's red-lining during warm up while everyone else is comfortably skate skiing along.   I think this is a sign that I need to pay attention to working in different heart rate zones to get the most benefit from exercise. Quality over quantity!

I was introduced to the 5 zone system in our local women's nordic ski group -- VAMPS.  It goes something like this:
Zone 1:  Grandma speed; recovery
Zone 2: Aerobic/Endurance ---> a lot of training should be in this zone
Zone 3: Tempo ---> but also a danger zone, not good for building endurance or speed
Zone 4: Lactic Threshold
Zone 5:  Red line!

Using one of the handy calculators out there (and knowing my resting and max heart rates) here are my zones:

Z1: 112-144
Z2: 145-155
Z3: 156-162
Z4: 163-173
Z5: 174-188

For me, the most difficult thing is staying in Z2 without creeping into Z3.  It's so hard when you're just wanting to get out and cover some ground.  This weekend I plan to try some different activities (hiking with poles and road biking) with my heart rate monitor and see what might be some good alternatives for spending time in Z2 this fall.   I am curious to find out!!