Ok, so many of you may have noticed that I've been complaining about how much I absolutely loathe running and how hard it is, even after the first five minutes, no matter how far I am able to go.
Well...while talking with a friend who is also a personal trainer about how to get in better shape because I didn't seem to be able to push through past 4.5 miles, he told me to still do my 4 miles, but instead of going at the speeds I'm used to doing, I should let my heart rate dictate my speed. He instructed me to go whatever speed would allow me to maintain a heart rate of about 145 beats per minute and record how long it took me to do 4 miles. Normally when I jog, my heart rate has been at around 175 for most of the duration. I'd always thought the target heart rate zone thing was a bunch of hooey, but it turns out that at the speed and rate i was going, I was not significantly improving my overall fitness and just burning lots of energy in the process. And hating life along the way.
According to my friend, I need to keep a lower heart rate and workout more often and this should yield better results. Over time I'll eventually be able to go faster while still maintaining a low heart rate.
So I tried it on Friday. Turns out that it's impossible for me to keep my heart rate at around 145, but I did keep it mostly within my target zone by going much slower than usual. And you know what?? IT WAS SO EASY! I kept going to just over 5 miles and the only reason I had to stop was because I had to shower and meet someone for drinks. And yesterday I did nearly 5.5 miles and was significantly less tired afterwords than I am after I do 2 miles at my usual speed. AMAZING!!
So now I'm wondering, is this what it's supposed to be like? So if I'm in shape and can go quickly while still keeping my heartrate in the zone, will it always feel that easy?? I've been going about this the wrong way for years. YEARS!

Hmmm...so basically you were just running too fast this whole time!

That's awesome that you figured this out! yay!

I don't know what my heart rate when I run is because it keeps saying "70" when I put my hands on the bar and it measures me (on the treadmill). Why does it say 70?

~Choirgirl~

YES! I was running too fast! for my whole life. i was just pushing too hard to quickly. i didn't realize i needed to gradually step it up. i'm only two workouts into this new strategy, but so far so good. i don't burn as many calories (though i do go the extra mile to try and make up for it), but i feel 150% better than i did before. now i'm just bored. not bored and dying, like i always was before.
as for the heart rate thingy, i don't know. i was never able to measure my heart rate on that bar while i was actually running. i would usually measure it right after i finished and was walking to cool down. i have since bought a heart rate monitor to really help me keep be precise about things and to kick more butt. it was pretty expensive, but i actually am thinking it's gonna be worth it in the long run.

i was getting stuck on c25k and i tried slowing down like you did and nailed 3 miles straight without too much trouble. thanks for sharing!