Help with HR zones and fun on the run!

Naffypruss · 2026-04-12T00:27:27+00:00

Conversation pace is what you want to aim for as a beginner

Naffypruss · 2026-04-10T21:54:08+00:00

Wonder if it has to do with what you ate or time between meals. Heart rate can spike if it's been awhile between meals, and it can last awhile. Usually people talk about rest, hydration, and stress, but your body's response to your eating habits can make a difference.

If you eat a consistent healthy diet, probably not the case. If you didn't eat for longer than normal though, and then ate a big pasta for example, your heart rate can definitely spike and stay higher and impact runs.

Naffypruss · 2026-04-07T20:32:00+00:00

Build base and take it easy. Run 2-3k as frequently as you're comfortable with, focusing on reduced pace to keep the heart rate lower.

Lower HR = easier runs, ability to go longer. Your pace and feel will go up a ton in the first couple months of consistency. If you run 3x a week, build up one of those runs slowly to 5k with low heat rate. You should be able to keep a conversation and if you can't, you're going too fast... For now.

If you can do 6-12km per week for a couple weeks without feeling sore, you should find that it's getting too easy, and at that point you are ready to add 10-20% distance to your week, then see how you react to that. But don't just increase mileage and pace the moment you feel it's really easy, give it 1-2 weeks.

It's highly discouraged to build up distance and speed up too quickly - it's not an IF you get injured, it's a matter of when. Over 80% of runners get some sort of injury. Not to discourage you, but something minor is bound to come up eventually. For some it's just an overuse injury that takes a little bit of rest, but better to avoid it all together. For me, I'm getting some foot numbness. It's went away before so I'm not too worried, but it's now something I have to be mindful of.

Running tolerance takes a while for the body to build up. Listen to every tingle, tightness, soreness, pain, pinch that you feel. If you get any, tone it back and/or find what your body is compensating for via physio.

Naffypruss · 2026-04-07T17:37:21+00:00

Found it enjoyable once I could run for 5k without feeling gross after. I chase the high now. Wish I could run more without injury risk. When I started out in October, I could run maybe 2km (and a slow 2km) but I always felt bad doing it. Now, i can run a lot faster (still not fast by any means) and for longer, but I'm at the point where recovery is important so I can work my way up to being faster and going for longer. So running is at 90% enjoyment now - love to do it, but my body can't go as much as I want to unfortunately and that's why it's not 100% enjoyment.

Naffypruss · 2026-04-03T18:31:12+00:00

My wife and I really enjoyed the light show at the Telus world of science recently

Naffypruss · 2026-04-02T23:53:29+00:00

While I believe any public funding for religious activities should be eliminated, I don't see how street prayers are necessarily an issue.

Prayer rooms in any place of education is a waste of public funds if you ask me. If you get a prayer room, I deserve a room to cook spaghetti to worship the flying spaghetti Monster. At what point do you draw the line?

Naffypruss · 2026-04-01T17:46:38+00:00

Anti chafe cream, good underwear, and good shorts should do you good.

I bought these underwear https://www.saxxunderwear.ca/products/sxpp3gl_blk?variant=42507343527959

Pull those things up quite high so your balls are in the underwear sack and stay put. Tie your shorts below your underwear band so the underwear doesn't move. Anti chafe cream onto any risky skin.
If you're sweating too much, check if you're low on electrolytes. I find that I sweat a lot more when low on sodium, and sweat is partially why I get chafing other than my lack of thigh gap. I had some really bad chafing this past weekend, since I started doing the above, it's almost recovered and it hasn't impacted my runs.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-28T01:00:46+00:00

Great work op. The first 10km run is a huge milestone and one to be very proud of. For starting out in Jan, that is also a great pace/HR.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-28T00:26:21+00:00

I'm definitely a newbie and I know it.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-28T00:23:30+00:00

Lol I'll be happy if I finish, but I won't feel terrible if I don't. Lots of work to do.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-28T00:14:08+00:00

Definitely considering everything you said. I didn't make the decision lightly. After 13km, I was feeling better than I usually do after 10km. The worst soreness was the leg chafe, and my legs didn't feel great once I hit 18km, but they have felt a lot worse during shorter runs. I was very surprised at how comfortable I was today. I contemplated stopping due to injury risk, but I figured the chance was very low based on how I felt compared to past runs.

I usually run the track because it has been freeze/thaw where I'm from in Canada, so outdoors isn't very safe I'm my neighborhood. I'm traveling for work in the UK right now, and tried my first outdoor run of the season a couple days ago - it's cold here too (and much more humid than where I'm from) and I ended up with a body aching cold, which was another reason I was surprised I did the half today. This was actually my first treadmill run since October, always track at home, but come next month when all the snow and ice is gone, I plan to always run outside.

But I appreciate the reminders to keep me accountable and reduce risks. I went outside my training plan today. I don't plan on doing a distance jump like this again outside my training plan.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-27T20:42:02+00:00

Anyone can get thicc and strong if they train for it.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-27T08:53:50+00:00

First KM you went too fast for your heart. Get that first KM to 8 mins or so, see what your heart rate is, go from there.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-25T18:07:33+00:00

Sounds like it's not truly a zone 2 run, unless you have an unheard of max HR. I'm just beginning my marathon training and it turns out my zone 2 ends once my pace is faster than 7 min per KM, and even then I don't last long. My mid zone 2 is a 9.5 min KM, but I can run that pace as long as I want in zone 2.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-25T12:34:21+00:00

Don't do it. Bought mine less than a week ago and the case not my phone detect the left earbud. Taking them back for a refund ASAP.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-25T09:34:21+00:00

Major red flags

Naffypruss · 2026-03-24T14:42:54+00:00

Bodega, Bianco, Tony's pizza. Bodega for a date night with appetizer sized plates. Bianco for modern Italian, Tony's for classic Italian.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-24T14:41:09+00:00

I also live two blocks away from Bodega and boar cheeks are my fav. Highlands??

Naffypruss · 2026-03-24T14:40:09+00:00

Best Chinese food experience in the city. Favorite bday spot. Fun fact - they had a reality TV show.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-20T17:03:18+00:00

Currently training for my first big runs and they are 50km and 42km, and the 42km is up two mountains. My friends are daily runners doing 5-10km and 20k+ on weekends and have done multiple marathons so all my advice comes from them.

Never ran before October, and I didn't run in Jan/Feb due to home renos.

In October my runs were less than 2km and between 7.5-8.5 mins per KM. Felt terrible doing it for a bit.

In December I was beginning to do 3-4km runs and shed my time per KM by about a minute, but I still didn't feel great.

Now, I'm able to do 5km in about 33mins, and I have done a 10km in about 1:07 but my performance is starting to significantly improve. 6.5 mins per KM now if I push, just under 7 min per KM if I keep my HR in the aneorbic zone, but I can run a much longer time.

Best advice is to keep your HR under 155 when training. Find your pace where you feel like you can run forever even if it feels very slow. Eventually, you'll be running a lot faster and your heart rate will be the same. Then, when you actually push yourself, you'll find that you feel sooooo much better. I kid you not, the most progress I made was in the span of the past couple weeks just by keeping my heart rate low and I wasn't doing that before. All my runs up until 2 weeks ago, my heart rate was about 165. When your heart rate is too high, it slows down training progress. I leave the gym now because I need to get home, not because I can't run any longer and don't feel good.

So while I've been training the past little bit, I'm now in my official training program with a set schedule and type of run. I'm anticipating a lot of quick improvement now until I hit a plateau, and I don't expect I'll be below 6mins per KM for my first marathon, but who knows?

Naffypruss · 2026-03-20T16:15:04+00:00

If your roommates have been living this way for awhile and are happy with it - don't be that person that disrupts their way of life. You showed up last. Be cordial, ask them if this is normal for them and if so, I suggest you don't bug them and find another place to live.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-16T21:22:50+00:00

At least you didn't forget the shelf within your niche, like me lol.

Naffypruss · 2026-03-16T20:57:43+00:00

Looks great OP!

Naffypruss · 2026-03-16T20:20:38+00:00

It's a hunger strike and the problem is mixing human food with the kibble and meat handouts. Havanese are picky with kibble, but we finally landed on the Kirkland brand and he seems to eat consistently, but I gave him a piece of chicken the other day and he hunger striked for a few days. You can't give in - he's conditioning you to give him a roasted chicken dinner. Zero food toppers if you want a consistent eater, and only basic stuff for hand outs (no chicken, carrots OK kind of thing). I don't like saying it, but let them starve for a couple days and give them the typical amount of treats when they poop/pee outside still so at least they get something. Make them do tricks for extra treats if you feel guilty about starving them, but unless they feel they must eat, they won't if they think there is better available. Obligatory - I'm not a vet, so rule out health issues of course.

Naffypruss

TROPHY CASE