In the zone

Have you ever used heart rate training to improve your running?  It is excruciating.  The goal is to run (excuse me - walk for some of us) for a long time at a low heart rate in order to eventually go faster without working hard (as hard).  

http://www.gbiathlon.co.uk/GBiathlon/Training/Pages/Training_Zones.html

Zone 2 is where the magic happens so I have been working to stay in zone 2; but this typically means a combination of very slow running and a lot of walking.  This in turn means I never get a rhythm going and my breathing goes all over the place, resulting in anxiety, resulting in the inability to stay in zone 2, and so on and so forth.  

The pros of zone 2:

• It's incredibly easy to run (I mean walk) 
• I could run (walk) forever 
• No sweating = no need to shower
• You get to walk up every hill - wait I am already walking

The Cons of zone 2:

• I am walking in running form
• I look like a poser with all my fancy running gear moving at the speed of a sloth
• I am sure every car that drives by is thinking "Is she running? Give it up sister!"
• If this is as fast as I am supposed to go I will NEVER cross the finish line in time

I get the reasoning- I can't go all day with my heart pumping at full capacity or I will crash and burn early on.  This is going to be at least 7 hours of constant activity for me (probably closer to 8) and the body cannot sustain an aerobic pace for that long without some concessions.  Thankfully other Zoners tell me it improves quickly so here's hoping, given that I am around 12 weeks out from my half marathon.

So zone 2 here I come.  Yesterday I took Meryl with me on my zone 2 run and she kept me in check. She also logged two miles of running (for her- ruining and walking for me).  I am proud she kept going so I think on my shorter runs she'll be my new running buddy and that is a thumbs up!

(One final fact- if you google "In the Zone" all you get is pictures of Brittney Spears - so just avoid that)