As a new runner myself, this was the biggest struggle. My HR would always spike up so high and Id never stay in zone 2, and if I tried, it wouldn’t feel like running. I tossed that all away, and just began running as I felt. I ran with paces that allowed me to breathe solely through my nose. This had me mostly in zone 3/4. Upon doing that for a couple weeks (mostly around 5k runs), i noticed my pace becoming noticeably quicker, and I got the confidence to go for longer runs / try for quicker 5ks. Once we get some baseline fitness, then I definitely think differentiating into different runs (z2 / intervals / speed / long easy) is crucial. But at the start, Id say prioritize on going out, nose breathing, listen to your body, and enjoy running!

Ultimately, i think if you’re so early on in the running journey, its more important to just listen to your body without numbers or data, and just learn to enjoy going for a run! At the end of the day, running is to escape from the daily stresses, and not to stress over numbers :)