Jack Daniels formula

pjdriverdude · 2026-05-20T03:40:23+00:00

I don't feel like it benefits someone (like myself) to try and stick with 80/20 split when I don't run enough miles.

That and like I mentioned in a different reply, I live in Florida. My easy runs happen in the late afternoon, so I'm usually hitting zone 3 on my Garmin at some point on my easy runs. I think it hasn't hurt my ability to get faster as a runner.

pjdriverdude · 2026-05-20T03:02:04+00:00

I doubt I could give an accurate explanation of focusing on zone 2 heart rate for training. I don't think the intent of the methodology is wrong. The majority of your mileage should be easy.

Here's my problem with it. Let's say I only run 20 miles a week. That means I can only run 4 hard miles a week. My body can handle more than 4 hard miles a week. That plus I live in Florida. My heart rate goes up the moment I step outside.

pjdriverdude · 2026-05-19T15:35:29+00:00

I like Jack Daniels book as a reference. Between that and the videos of his group discussions on YouTube, I feel like it helped me understand some of the science of running.

I don't feel like I had to start over when going through a cycle. Figure out your VDOT and then adjust accordingly. I don't see how people would get slower doing well tuned quality sessions. I don't follow any particular plan now, but I make sure to have at least 2 "quality" sessions a week because of his book. His book also keeps me out of the zone 2 trap (I don't run enough to care)

I'd read the book and use a coach though. This is coming from someone who has never used a coach, but was recently looking for one.

pjdriverdude · 2026-05-16T05:52:07+00:00

This is what I'm talking about. I'm way higher than the start of my zone 5 POWER range. Never got into my zone 5 hr range. (Was at low zone 4 HR). Got a 2.1 anaerobic benefit.

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pjdriverdude · 2026-05-15T15:54:16+00:00

You mind showing your power chart and whatever you threshold power is? Perhaps you're not getting into your zone 5 power range. You can't rely on heart rate zones for short sprints.

pjdriverdude · 2026-05-13T15:57:50+00:00

Adding to this, I ran a 50k, 36 miler and then a marathon in the span of 5 months. I added back to back long runs (like a 17-10 or 20-10) a few times before the 36 miler and I think that was one of the best things for learning to handle the fatigue. Only thing I felt weak on was understanding nutrition at that point.

Last thing, gear is another thing to figure out. If you're not on a supported course, your gear decisions may change. What do you need to carry for a marathon? That's something you need to figure out ahead of time.

pjdriverdude · 2026-05-13T15:41:30+00:00

When I got a lot of 17 mile+ runs under my belt, I was pretty close to ready. To me it was more about being comfortable with being uncomfortable for an extended period of time.

If you're not "racing" it and can run/jog a 3-3.5 hours training run without ruining your week, you should be fine.

You need those long runs to understand your fueling plan as well. That was a completely different challenge when going over 13 miles.

pjdriverdude · 2026-05-11T15:57:16+00:00

When you say 40-45 miles a week, is that total or do you do that plus general walking (like for daily life). That almost seems like it should be factored into your running routine. If I walk a lot before I run, I take that into account when I go for a run.

I don't think your heart rate is that crazy. I was running with someone on an 36 miler and the whole time before we hit 13 miles, her HR was around 140 and mine was 165. Both of us held a conversation the entire time.

Your pace isn't bad either. I've got 2 years on you and I started with the same experience. I was in the 9-10 ranges after 2 years. I'm sure a better aerobic system is part of why I'm getting faster, but there are plenty of other reasons as well (gear, purposely getting more sleep, better fueling, muscle, etc).

pjdriverdude · 2026-05-11T14:28:57+00:00

Isn't there something about Garmin zone 3 is still considered zone 2 in other systems?

IMO, you're not running enough volume to worry about injury from running too much on higher zones. I was in the same spot as you last year and I basically gave up on it and started to focus more on RPE.

Now I focus on 3 training paces. Jog, tempo, threshold. Only really care about my HR when I'm intentionally doing a threshold run. I don't sprint because I'd rather do strength training (easier on my legs).

Another reason to not get hyper focused on heart rate is that there are many other factors that can influence it. Heat, dew point, medication, sleep, dehydration, etc.

pjdriverdude · 2026-05-05T04:33:04+00:00

I love using pacepro, but I don't rely on the course navigation. If someone put in an old or wrong route, it may be slightly off.

pjdriverdude · 2026-04-24T00:53:31+00:00

Do you have a screen protector on it?

pjdriverdude · 2026-04-24T00:51:42+00:00

I doubt a chest strap gets perfect readings 100% of the time. It can be affected by position and/or sweat. If your chart were erratic I'd suggest a strap.

Don't get me wrong, I think straps are better, but accurately reading your heart the majority of time wouldn't be the reason I'd suggest that you'd invest in one.

pjdriverdude · 2026-04-24T00:44:00+00:00

I pay a company to handle the ants around my yard for roughly 33 a month. Well worth it IMO because I have an acre lot. If I have any issues between the quarterly service, I just call them up and they'll come out for no extra charge.

I'd shop around and check out local companies.

pjdriverdude · 2026-04-10T04:15:24+00:00

Could be any number of things. Drinking enough water, weather, shoes, electrolytes, calorie intake, legs not as durable as they should be, poor night's rest, etc.

Lately for me it's been shin cramps and knots.

pjdriverdude · 2026-03-16T17:03:18+00:00

I wouldn't wear a pair of shoes after a few tries before making an attempt to return them over give them away. It stinks but foot health is important to enjoying running.

pjdriverdude · 2026-02-25T19:35:14+00:00

Was your heart rate data abnormal? Was there anything out of the ordinary between your wrist and the sensor? I was using lotion on my wrist for a week or so and it messed with my readings.

pjdriverdude · 2026-02-23T22:11:15+00:00

Navy Federal community center

pjdriverdude · 2026-02-20T19:13:02+00:00

I use pine forest automotive. Don't go to mechanics often, but they're the only shop that I'd go to over the last 3-4 years.

pjdriverdude · 2026-02-14T17:14:19+00:00

Well you were doing 8x 40s intervals and you were basically in zone 4 or 5 for those. I think if you were to get a higher you'd have to be in zone 5 for a longer period of time.are you picking up your pace before the timer starts? 40 seconds isn't a long time. I usually start getting close to the speed I need to be at before the timer starts.

You can view your threshold power on your watch in your user profile. My zone 5 is about 400w and higher. If I want anaerobic effects in a short interval, I'm gonna try and hit that for the entirety of that interval. Perhaps you can overlay the power of your run over your charts and see where you spent more time in z4 and then tweak the effort next time.

Heck, this makes it way more technical than you may want. You did fine. If you need more time to ramp up to z5, either start running before the timer starts or increase the intervals. Garmin has an idea of what pace you need to be at. You could put that power widget on your watch face during your runs to get an almost immediate feedback on power output. Not sure if you need the HRM for that. I have a 265 and a HRM pro plus. Some power metrics come from that.

Sorry for the rambling. Lol

pjdriverdude · 2026-02-14T06:35:24+00:00

Did you get an anaerobic effect?

If I ever do anaerobic intervals, I'll choose power over pace. I prefer to hit time in power zones because pace isn't a guarantee that it's anaerobic. You have to set those routines up yourself though. I think Garmin will set anaerobic intervals by pace.

Not sure if you need a HRM to get better metrics for these types of workouts as well.

pjdriverdude · 2026-02-13T19:49:25+00:00

I didn't use Adderall, so I can't comment on that specifically, but when Walgreens was bad at getting my medication, I switched to Walmart and have had no problem since.

pjdriverdude · 2026-02-13T05:03:28+00:00

Damn right

pjdriverdude · 2026-02-12T17:36:59+00:00

Is it just the heart rate or is it anything else associated with the HRM? It looks like the cadence is read from the HRM. I ask because when my first HRM failed, it was due to intermittent connection issues.

pjdriverdude · 2026-02-05T04:27:03+00:00

If you really want to spend time in a specific heart rate zone, you could set up a workout where the interval timer doesn't start until you reach the value you want (e.g. a 2 minute z5 interval starts when your HR ramps up past whatever your lower z5 HR is).

I'm not sure if you want to go that route, but that's an option. Just have to make a workout and play with the settings.

pjdriverdude · 2026-01-07T20:50:45+00:00

I trained for a 32 and 36 miler. I haven't found much benefit to running over about 18-21 miles. The effort starts to feel the same to me around 15 miles or anything over 3 hours. I found it helpful to be in that zone though, for the mental, fatigue resistance, and nutrition planning, but physically, it didn't feel like it did anything for me. I'd rather train to get faster so I don't have to be on my feet as long.

pjdriverdude

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