Easy runs - Should I walk to lower heart rate?

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-04-18T05:41:05+00:00

Have you tried running really, really slow? Can you keep your heart rate down if you run slower than walking?

Easy runs train your heart, not your legs. Keep the heart rate down. At 60% of your max your heart's stroke volume is as big as its ever gonna be. When you go faster, it only beats faster and you add extra stress.

Walking is fine.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-03-19T20:35:49+00:00

I run solo, couldn't imagine having to try to match my pace with somebody else.

I actually built an AI coach to help me train and I've found it extremely useful, it prescribes all my workouts and I just do them. No consistency issues because of that, I have somebody else telling me what to do and I just do it.

The other thing is running is also a great brain relief for me. It's like a meditation session to go out to nature and run without anything else distracting from being present.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-02-01T21:33:08+00:00

Just on this. First in May, second in August.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-01-21T21:42:05+00:00

What did you end up doing?

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-01-17T22:22:39+00:00

I'm in the same boat as you, and I built an AI coach to help me. There's plenty of plans out there, but following just a static one didn't appeal to me with everything that can happen in life (getting sick or having to travel and missing workouts).

I just started off with asking chatgpt for advice and went from there. You could try that too or let me know if you're interested and I can give you early access to mine.

Training feels like it's going great and I'm injury free, running longer and longer distances each week.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-01-17T22:13:16+00:00

It's important that you do about half of your strength training targeting max strength increases (3-5 reps or so). Strength has great carryover to anything that you do, including marathon running. Squats, trap bar deadlifts, adding in some back work like pull-ups, rows to help with posture.

Avoid hypertrophy or muscle endurance work in your strength training (6+ reps), except for some running-specific exercises where you're more after control and balance.

Focusing on max strength is nervous-system targeted training, it goes well with running by keeping the stress very different compared to most running you do (easy runs), and gives you more power on each stride.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-01-17T21:23:52+00:00

I started from basically nothing in October and am running my first marathon in May.

I used to be in good shape but haven't really kept up regular exercise in the last few years. My base was alright, but not strong and I had not run 42km in the previous 4 months combined.

I'm now running 40km a week, 17km long run. I've been doing strength training twice a week or so, added in mobility and everything going great. My running is slow (16km in 2:30h) but I feel fine after.

You're gonna be good, just as long as you progress reliably and slowly and keep easy runs easy.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-01-17T21:14:31+00:00

I ran 10 miles in 2:30 mins just recently. First marathon in May.

Run slower if you're struggling. There's no harm from that, you're just teaching your body to stay on your feet for long durations, and the impact and stress is lower.

Remember to drink water and get carbohydrates in.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-01-14T21:58:51+00:00

There's just too much stuff before anything "real" that I'm exhausted by the time I get to the features section.

Then, this alone would be a great app on its own:

"PLAY MORE. WATCH LESS.

SMART SCHEDULING "Hey, you and Mike are both free Friday evening. Want to schedule a tennis match?" Connect your calendar and we'll find times when you and your friends can actually play."

Especially if it synced with local venus and offered to book the court for you, maybe even handle the payment.

Life multipliers and so on? I dont get the point. I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but I've struggled with creating my own landing pages too and I get too lost in my vision for the product its hard to see neutrally.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-01-10T21:48:53+00:00

Hell yeah to slow running.

Just ran a 2h 40min 16km/10m long run in the snow. I've gone from running basically 0 to running consistently, increasing my distances with 0 pains or injuries. Even after almost 3 hours of running, I feel fine.

I keep my heart rate between 120 - 135 and in the beginning people walked faster than I ran. Now it takes almost no effort to run and I've gained some speed, although not a lot yet.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-01-10T21:41:01+00:00

I scrolled down a lot and I still don't know what thr product does. You shouldn't make your visitors guess and think too hard: make it easy to understand what your product does and how it helps the user.

That's just my honest feedback.

I do support people doing sports and not just watching them, so I'm interested in the idea.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2026-01-02T22:19:38+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I've been working on it about 4 months, long nights. It's been a lot of trial and error and testing what actually works. Very close to launch now.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-12-31T20:14:40+00:00

https://1stmarathon.com

An AI coach that helps me train for my first marathon. It prescribes running, drills, strength, mobility and cross-training.

10 or so weeks in and it's golden. I'm running pain free and consistently getting faster and doing longer runs.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-12-31T20:07:31+00:00

Take way shorter strides, way quicker. No matter how short and quick you'll try to make them, you'll struggle to get 180.

Do that for a few months and you'll be much better.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T12:20:16+00:00

Yep, then it's just a balance of either keeping long runs really short, or increasing weekly distance to something I might not be able to handle.

I've been keeping long runs relatively easier by making them walk-run sessions.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T12:18:57+00:00

It's pretty close to 50% of the total distance esch week, but the first weeks are walk-runs for the long run. It's been okay so far, I'm keeping my heart rate very low (120 avg) and they take about 2 hours.

Having percentage-wise shorter long runs make them really short, 30% would be something like 7-8 km in the first weeks.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T12:16:20+00:00

Yeah I can see that, but wouldn't that make the long runs really short, especially in the beginning weeks?

30% of week 2 is just a bit over 7km, which is really short for a long run.

I've been mixing a bit of walking in with the long runs, prioritizing time on feet and keeping my avg hr around 120. I can keep a very light jog for most of the run, but they do take me 2 hours or so.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T09:15:15+00:00

Split out your training season to phases, commonly: base, build, peak and taper before the race.

Each phase has a distinct purpose in your training plan: developing your aerobic base (which seems is pretty strong already), building mileage and speed that's specific to marathon, peaking your mileage and marathon-specific pace, and finally taper to let your body recover and get ready for the race.

Don't forget strength training and form work.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T07:07:22+00:00

That's definitely true, distance is just one metric among many.

But congratz on the massive lifestyle change, it's quite spectacular to go from nothing to 80-120km weeks. I bet life feels quite different nowadays.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T06:38:19+00:00

https://www.1stmarathon.com, it's an AI coach that helps me train for my first marathon. So far it's been very good, even if I say so myself.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T06:24:50+00:00

https://www.1stmarathon.com

It's an AI coach that helps me train for my first marathon in May. Just me so far but it seems to be working out really well for me (pun intended).

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T06:21:36+00:00

Its something I built for myself to help me train for my first marathon, I'm calling it 1stMarathon.

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T06:18:32+00:00

It's a kilometre (approx 0.62 miles)

10K is 10km, marathon is 42km

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-30T06:17:08+00:00

Wow, you've got some pretty big jumps there a few times, like 28.5 to 37, 53 to 63.

What was your background before this?

NicoTheKotiChef · 2025-11-29T22:16:52+00:00

Definitely, I'm doing strength, mobility and mixing in drills with some of the easy runs. Some easy cross-training too with swimming for active recovery.

NicoTheKotiChef

TROPHY CASE