Solely Zone 2 training

Hey everyone,

You may have seen my post that I’ve been suffering with a host of injuries the last half of last year.

With this in mind I’m looking to move solely to Z2 training for london marathon and challenge roth to alleviate too much impact and chance of injury.

Also a 2nd reason is I don’t think I ever really built a big base in the last year and a bit as have been on and off a bit with injuries.

Feel like I have short term speed and strength but see a huge drop off in this as the distances increase.

So I’m wondering:

  1. With my low base, is just Z2 going to be better than a full program of Vo2 max and speed etc…
  2. Is there a huge difference in results between a full program and just 6 months of Z2?
  3. At my level - 3 hour bike 70.3, 2hr 15 Half Marathon - is the difference between a proper program and just Z2 going to be negligible?

Thanks

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Others here are better qualified than me to comment on the above but to my mind if the injuries rule anything else out then z2 it is

Will be following your progress with interest - Mrs T also doing London

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Zone 2 will get you most of the way there, and if you’re prone to injury it’s probably your best form of attack, along with addressing your injuries.

High intensity will always run a higher risk of injury in amateur athletes. :v:

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Have you seen the Don Fink training plans? They are mostly Z1 and 2 & I know a lot of people over the years have had success with them

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The second reason… “I don’t think I ever really built a big base in the last year” isnt a reason to do Z2 only, its a myth you build a big base with Z2 ‘only’*, some people think that. Zone 2 is a major element though.

Injury is a very good reason to stick to easy running (Z2) only.

When injured I stick to easy runs only. I then do intensity on the bike or swim assuming that doesn’t aggravate any injuries or niggles. That might be an option? Its still a compromise as you dont load the muscles in the same way on the bike, but it is much better than only Z2 for all activities.

As you will probably know, the load on the muscles, bones, joints and tendons significantly increases the faster you run, so it is best to manage this load with slower runs.

I might have been given bad advice but I was told, if 24 hrs after a run your niggle or injury it feels worse the damaged area has been loaded too much. I.e. too fast or for too long. (This was specifically for a calf and Achilles injury, but I’ve used the same advice for a quad strain.)

I don’t think anyone can really answer the difference between all zone 2 and optimal training with speed work, I think it will be very specific to the individual.

Getting to the start is the important thing… not getting there is infinitely slower.

Good luck :+1:

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Which one are you thinking off?

^ This has adapted plans for people that aren’t durable against injury.

I think I have almost every endurance / training book under the sun. lol.
Sad thing is I think I have read all of them.

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Was thinking of “Iron Fit”, didn’t know there was a pensioner version, that looks good too (if a bit homespun in the graphic design :grinning:)

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This bad boy

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I can relate to this post.

Pretty stoked to do some decent … ish tri/ endurance stuff this year ( in between running in circles with no clothes on).

I can swim and bike as hard as my old body will allow and the chance of injury is pretty low I would guess.
I don’t swim often enough to get the rotor cuff issue and I don’t put that much effort in the water anyway.

One of my favourite tri coaches said something like this in a outside v inside cycling debate a few years ago
“ as long as your adequately rested its set up properly for YOU … you have sufficient water and nutrition before, during and after the only way your going to injure yourself indoors on a bike is is you fall off the fucker”

Running is different I’m kind of doing z2 running only at the moment due to niggles/ injuries/ risk of injuries.

I see lots of people entering 70.3”s and most of there training seems to be lots and lots of hour sessions, can be done but surely not optimal.

For a full distance race …?!?
That could be very very painful towards the end.

I hope the OP goes well in two iconic races.

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I’ve got that one as well.

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It really depends what you mean by zone 2, and whether you really will never leave zone 2.

Regarding injury risk, you can get a lot on intensity on the indoor bike and the swim without much risk at all.

Conversely, keeping all running in zone 2 could be really tricky particularly if you’re fairly heavy. But hill work has relatively low injury risk.

Never doing any exercise outside zone 2 will not be optimal, but you will probably finish both events so I wouldn’t be particularly worried about times.

Keep on truckin’

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It depends…

not usually…but without knowing what you are doing, it is impossible to say…
However, as london is only a matter of weeks away, then Z2 is probably the way to go if you are not well prepared.

Yes…but i assume you mean a balanced 6 months programme and a 6 month of Z2

Is thia your current level or your target level? what are your targets for LM and roth?

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104 days the same as Manchester :slight_smile:

15 weeks yesterday.

If anyone follows the training plans the events publish (I dont) and started today, you will have missed week one of their 16 week plan.

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you need to get to the root cause of those issues and address them, unchecked they will likely just get worse

Which Zone 2 :wink:

Going below the first threshold is likely a good place to do the majority of your training for endurance events, but see point 1 above.

this will need work at those paces over increasing distances, see points 1 and 2 above though

it depends :wink: but without sorting out point 1 you might not even make a start line so results wont matter

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I was going to open that can of worms but backed away… :bomb: :see_no_evil:

^^^^ Totally agree.

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what is a threshold?

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Have you ever been able to really buy a can of worms? Were they opened like a cab of beans with a can opener? Seems odd, particularly if they were alive.

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just picturing a cab of beans too :thinking:

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1950s fishermen used them.

We just watered the lawn, picked them up and put them in a tub.

I didnt want to open that tub of worms.

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The internet is pretty sure that there were actual cans of worms being used in 50’s fishing bait shops.

I suspect that it’s the US meaning of can which is normally wider than ours including paint pots etc. with the lid rather than needing a can opener.

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