Judd Spitzer

Tag: Running

  • šŸ—£ļø Waitā€¦ WhatĀ Is Ā Zone 2 and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?

    šŸ—£ļø Waitā€¦ WhatĀ Is Ā Zone 2 and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?

    So, itā€™s weird, right? All of a sudden thereā€™s this huge wave of people on the internet talking about Zone 2 training, and if youā€™re like I was, youā€™re thinking:

    ā€œWhat the heck is that all about?ā€

    The way I stumbled into Zone 2 was kind of accidental.

    Iā€™d been using my Nike Run Club app for a while, usually guided runs with my Apple Watch. Coach Bennettā€™s voice in my ear, keeping me going. Itā€™s a great system. But after a while, I wanted more than just ā€œdistanceā€ and ā€œpaceā€ ā€” I wanted to actually understand my performance. So I started taking screenshots of my stats after every run with my iPhone and poking around for patterns.

    Thatā€™s when ChatGPT said:

    ā€œYou should try doing your runs in Zone 2.ā€

    I laughed. I meanā€¦ who lets a computer coach them on running?

    But then I did the research ā€” and yeah, turns out, it was right.

    šŸ’” The Zone 2 Revelation

    Zone 2 is the sweet spot for endurance training. Itā€™s where your heart rate is elevated but still aerobic ā€” which means your body is burning fat, not gasping for air. If youā€™re looking to improve your long-distance performance (or even just feel better running), this is where you want to hang out.

    Before Zone 2, my typical run was a quick 5K or maybe 35 minutes on a good day. I thought I was doing fine. But get this ā€” I almost never closed my Apple Watch rings with a run alone. It wasnā€™t long enough.

    Then came the mental shift:

    Zone 2 isnā€™t about distance ā€” itā€™s about time and heart rate.

    The gold standard? 45ā€“90 minutes in Zone 2.

    That was a game-changer.

    No more chasing miles. No pressure on pace. Just me, my legs, my breathā€¦ and keeping my heart rate in check.

    I started walking when it spiked too high. I listened more to my body and less to my watch. And something beautiful happened ā€” I could go farther. And I wanted to.

    That 8-mile run I used to dread? Itā€™s now a regular, even relaxing effort. My minimum run these days is about an hour. I donā€™t even think in terms of miles anymore ā€” I think in minutes and zones.

    šŸ Fast Forward: Iā€™m Now Six Weeks In

    Iā€™ve stuck to mostly Zone 2 runs ā€” with a few fun speed sessions at the local track ā€” and Iā€™m seeing real gains.

    Hereā€™s what Iā€™m going to show you:

    • šŸ§  A simple guide for how you can find your Zone 2
    • šŸ“Š My personal data from recent runs
    • šŸ”— Links to legit experts who break it all down even more

    Letā€™s dive in. šŸ‘‡

    šŸ§® How to Find Your Zone 2 (And Let Your Watch Help)

    Hereā€™s the cool part: you donā€™t need a lab or fancy equipment to get started.

    šŸ’­ The Easy Estimate:

    Take 220 minus your age = max heart rate

    Zone 2 = 60ā€“70% of that number

    If youā€™re 55 years old:

    • Max HR = 165 bpm
    • Zone 2 = 99ā€“116 bpm

    This works for most people as a starting point. But hereā€™s the thing ā€” a lot of us overestimate how hard we can go. If your Zone 2 run feels like a tempo workout, itā€™s probably too fast.

    šŸ“² Let Your Watch Be Your Coach

    Most smartwatches (Apple Watch, Garmin, Coros, etc.) will:

    • Estimate or allow manual setting of your heart rate zones
    • Show real-time heart rate with zones color-coded
    • Track how much time you spend in each zone
    • Alert you if you go too high

    šŸ’” Pro Tip: Customize your heart rate zones in your watch settings if you know your true max or threshold.

    And if you want to get more precise:

    • Some athletes do lactate threshold tests
    • Or use the MAF method: 180 āˆ’ your age = max aerobic HR

    But honestly? The best rule is:

    If you can talk comfortably while running ā€” youā€™re probably in Zone 2.

    šŸ“Š My Zone 2 Results: Real-World Progress

    So hereā€™s the fun part ā€” the actual data from my past few runs.

    DateDistanceAvg PaceAvg HRZone 2 TimeWeight
    June 226.2 miles12:20/mi133 bpm~50%145.6 lbs
    July 15.2 miles11:35/mi124 bpm44:35 (Zone 2)143.6 lbs
    July 108.0 miles12:18/mi127 bpm57:19 (Zone 2)143.4 lbs

    šŸ”„ Key takeaways:

    • Iā€™m running fasterā€¦ at a lower heart rate
    • Weight is trending down naturally
    • My recovery is faster and my energyā€™s higher
    • Iā€™m finally building real endurance ā€” without burning out

    šŸ›£ļø Soā€¦ What Comes After Zone 2?

    Once youā€™ve built that aerobic base (usually 6ā€“12 weeks of consistency), you can layer in intensity. Think of Zone 2 as the foundation. Hereā€™s what comes next:

    šŸš¦ The Build-Up Plan:

    1. Strides: 4ā€“6 x 20s accelerations at the end of easy runs
    2. Threshold Work: 10ā€“20 mins at ā€œcomfortably hardā€ effort (Zone 3ā€“4)
    3. Speed Intervals: like 400m or 800m repeats in Zone 4ā€“5
    4. Race Prep Blocks: combine all systems (aerobic + anaerobic)

    šŸ§  Want to learn more? Check these out:

    Behind the Paywall:

    Zone 2 Running: A complete beginnerā€™s guide

  • runDisney Disneyland 2025 Recap

    runDisney Disneyland 2025 Recap

    Last weekend, I participated in the Disneyland Dumbo Double Dare, a two-race challenge consisting of a 10K through California Adventure and Disneyland, followed by a half marathon that extended through the parks and the streets of Anaheim.

    I had an amazing time, but it was definitely a challenge, especially since Iā€™m not a fan of cold weather. Some people laugh when I say 44Ā°F is cold, but for a Floridian, it definitely is! I layered up, but the chill still got to me.

    In terms of preparation, I had trained well for the weekend, though in hindsight, I probably should have scheduled my longest run one week prior instead of two. I felt ready to perform better, and overall, I was in the same zone as past runs. However, I was aiming for a sub-2:15 half marathon, and a few small factors slowed me down. I usually donā€™t stop for photos, but I had to take a bathroom break in both races, and I also paused to adjust my shoes during the half. On top of that, Disneylandā€™s course is more challenging than Disney Worldā€™s, with more hills, twists, and turns.

    What I Loved About the Race

    The corral system was fantastic, there were no staggered heats, so once your corral was up, everyone started together. This made for a smoother, more efficient start.

    The course design was well thought out, with plenty of water stations along the way.

    The race itself was so well organized that thereā€™s very little to critique!

    Room for Improvement

    The pre- and post-race party could have been better, especially with more character interactions like at Disney World. Adding character meet-and-greets would enhance the experience for those who donā€™t stop during the race but still want that Disney magic moment.

    Other than that, it was a fantastic event, and I had a great time!

  • Fitness Challenges

    How are you keeping your fitness in check during the home quarantine? Are you getting out for a walk or a run? Are you doing activities with your TV, such as Yoga, Crossfit, or maybe using something like a WiiFit? Whatever you do, I hope that you are motivated to keep moving.

    Social Running in Port Canaveral

    Social Running

    I think that one thing that has motivated me as a runner is social running. Before we were lockdown in our homes, I was out one to two nights a week, running with friends. There are social groups for running. We joke, they are drinking clubs with running problems. Socialized fitness activities can bring a person a lot more than just a good workout. These types of groups create an atmosphere that allows us to develop healthy exercise habits depending on how you leverage it.

    Not Just for the Social

    One thing that I experience in the beginning of being part of a running club was that these folks were actually training. They weren’t just getting out for a quick 5K, drinking a beer and going home. Many of these people are serious about doing more. As you talk to people, they are concerned about their performance, their health, injuries, and they are COMPETITIVE.

    It is pretty typical to hear someone during the cooler race season months to say, what race are you running this weekend? Are you doing that 5K or 1/2 Marathon? What was your time? Did you get a PR (Personal Record)? What do you eat before you run? What kind of shoes do you like? The questions go on and on, and before you know it, you are part of a community.

    Over the last decade, the idea of an individual getting personal electronic metrics has taken off. The first device I had was an iPod with a pedometer in my shoe that counted steps that connected with a system that Apple and Nike developed known as Nike+. I’ve been doing that system for a long time and found that there were a lot of other people using the system as well. It’s come a long way, and is now software based using GPS and gyros built into phones and watches, particularly the Apple Watch.

    This all brings me back to my friends in my running group.

    A Little Friendly Competition

    Since we are all “Social Distancing” or really physical distancing and not meeting up like we used to until this virus threat passes, I decided to employ a feature on the Apple Watch that allows for a 7-Day competition with friends that have Apple Watches.

    Apple Watch Activity

    You can see this week I have three competitions going with various days left of the competitions. You score up to 600 points per day. Both people can get the 600 points. There are three rings of activities that you try to close and exceed as you can see.

    Move Goal

    You set your move goal, and each person can have their own personal move goal. This determines your active caloric burn beyond your resting calorie burn. So as you are more active throughout your day you can get Move Calories. As of right now I’ve gotten 82% of my goal. When I reach my goal, I will get 100 points. Double that goal and get 200 points.

    Exercise Goal

    Here is where everyone is equalized. 30 minutes is the goal for 100% exercise for the day. That will get you 100 points. You can exercise however works best for you. Do Yoga, Walk, Run, Bike, Swim, Kayak, you name it. Every 30 minutes of exercise will get you 100 points. Exercise for 1 hour, get 200 points and so on. Technically you could max out every day with 600 points on exercise alone, but you will mostly get 200 points just on your Move and Stand Goals. so if you exercise for an 1-1/2 hours a day, you should get close to getting all your points.

    Stand Goal

    The dreaded stand goal. There is this concept of move throughout your day. We tend to do our exercises and then be sedentary throughout the rest of our day. The stand goal gets you up once and hour and moving about. Step away from the computer and get that goal. Get 12 stands (once per hour), and you complete the circle. Also you get 100 points. If you do the math, you can get more than 100 points for stands, maxing out at 200 points for stands if you are up for 24 hours. Not likely for most people, but 18 hours isn’t unreasonable for many.

    Competition Keeps Us Moving

    So it’s this competitive nature that keeps us moving, keeps us stronger and healthier. It keeps us connected to remind us that we’ll all be running again soon, racing, training. No one hates to lose, but it’s all friendly. And that’s the spirit of this type of event. Get out there each day, do your best, and have fun.

    I hope that no matter what people are doing, they are moving around and staying active, even as people feel isolated in their homes. The opportunity to feel more connected is there for those who enjoy that. But no matter what, take some time out of each day to maintain your physical fitness.