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Training on heart rate

Smartwatches have made heart rate monitoring accessible, but it’s essential to interpret that data correctly. That means defining your personal heart rate zones, which can only be done in a lab. The Start 2 Run app encourages novice runners to train by feel initially, while offering heart rate based trainings for runners who have visited a sports lab.

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Since the rise of smartwatches, our heart rate is literally within reach. A huge improvement … provided you can correctly interpret your heart rate and take advantage of it during your workouts. In the article below we discuss training based on heart rate, the factors that can influence your heart rate, the correct setting of your heart rate zones and the interpretation of your heart rate graph in the Start 2 Run app.

NOVICE RUNNER? TRAIN BY FEELING FIRST

In the Start 2 Run app we consciously choose to train purely by feel in the first schedule. In the 24 other schedules you can choose to train based on feel or based on heart rate. You cannot just blindly follow your heart rate. Always keep listening to your body!

When you train by feel in the Start 2 Run app, you get an indication of the training intensity with each lesson. This can range from walking over and a pace that you can easily follow for a long time to a pace where the intensity is experienced as heavy for a couple of minutes.

YOUR PERSONAL HEART RATE ZONES

There are many formulas to get an idea of your personal heart rate zones. In our app we opt for the Karvonen formula, which is based on your resting heart rate and your maximum physiological heart rate. However, you need to know your maximum heart rate, which means getting a lab test. Or you could use the calculation 220 – your age to approach your maximum heart rate but this is just a very rough guideline.

If you want an accurate measurement of your heart rate zones based on your fitness level then visit the Golazo Energy (formerly known as Energy Lab) sports labs for a fitness test. More details about this test on the treadmill can be found on the www.golazo-energy.com website.

So... our heart rate zones are very personal. Therefore, you should never guess your zones (even if your smartwatch thinks it knows them) or compare your zones with others.

5 ZONES

In the app you will find 5 heart rate zones on which your training sessions are based. Zone 5 is not actually used in our schedules as this form of training is reserved for individually supervised runners.

zone 1	grey	very relaxed running with a very light to light feeling
zone 2	blue	run slowly at an intensity that you can easily sustain for a long time, you can still talk easily
zone 3	yellow	running at a slightly higher pace, with the intensity perceived as somewhat heavy, your breathing gets heavier
zone 4	orange	running with pace, but don’t go all the way into the red, your breathing gets heavy and follows your running rhythm
zone 5	red	firm acceleration and going into the red, we do NOT use this in our trainings

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The majority of your workouts, up to 80-90% of your training volume, you will train in zone 2. In this zone you train aerobically. These are longer training sessions at a lower intensity where your body uses more fats than sugars to continue to supply energy. A well-developed aerobic endurance is the basis of your running condition.

YOUR HEART RATE ON SCREEN

Do you have a heart rate monitor at home? Then quickly check whether it is already compatible with our Start 2 Run app. Any heart rate monitor that can send the heart rate via bluetooth can be connected. As a reference, you can use...

• Garmin watches like the 245, 745, 945, vivoactive 4, 165, Fenix,... and later.
• Garmin HRM-Pro heart rate monitor
• Most Polar fitness watches since 2023
• Polar Verity Sense, H9, H10,... heart rate sensors
• Wahoo Tickr and Tickr X heart rate sensors

Once you’ve finished your workout, you’ll get a detailed picture of your heart rate. In the graph you can see in which zone you trained, at the bottom of the graph your target zones are displayed - the zone in which it was proposed to train. This way you can compare and estimate immediately to what extent you have completed your training correctly. Via the handy slider you can look up your heart rate at a specific time or distance point.

YOUR HEART RATE AND FEELING

Your heart rate says a lot, but not everything. Always keep in mind that your heart rate can be influenced by several factors, including fatigue, weather conditions, stress, , coffee, tension and atmosphere at a sporting event, health factors and medication,…

Always listen to your gut feeling & allow yourself enough rest when your body asks for it!

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