Hey runners, how’s it going? I was 62 the first time I tried Zone 2 training. I was running around our popular lake trail — and it was embarrassing. I was shuffling so slowly that walkers were passing me. Then my heart rate crept above my zone and I had to walk to bring it back down. That was supposed to be my easy run.
If that sounds familiar, here’s what’s going on.
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Two Formulas. Neither One Works.
I tried a couple of different ways to determine what my training heart rate should be. First, I tried the Maffetone Method formula. That’s where you take 180 minus your age to get a conservative maximum heart rate for aerobic training. For me, that was 180 - 62 = 118 bpm. I couldn’t even start to run at that heart rate. What I found was that the Maffetone formula breaks down after 60. The only advice is to add 10 points. For me, that made it 128 bpm — better, but still not runnable.
So I went looking for another way. Zone 2 training uses a different formula called the Karvonen Method — it factors in both your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate to calculate your personal training zones.
My maximum heart rate is 185. I know this because I had a medical treadmill test, and my resting heart rate is 42. When I enter those numbers it gives me my ranges, and the most important one is Zone 2, which for me that comes out to about 128 to 143 bpm. The midpoint of my Zone 2 was around 135 bpm — but that seemed too high.
This is useful, but one problem is you may not really know your true maximum heart rate. The safest way to get it is through a medical stress test. You can estimate it by doing a hard 5K effort and pushing at the end and checking your watch — that gets you close. Your resting heart rate is easier: just check it first thing in the morning before you get out of bed.
Both methods have issues. I had two formulas, two different numbers, and still no clear answer on how to actually start running. There had to be a better way.
The Experiment That Changed Everything
I decided to try an experiment. Warm up on flat ground, then run three miles at the slowest pace I could maintain — keeping my posture upright with short steps and a higher cadence. I didn’t look at my Garmin till the end of my run.
I found that I was running at a 10:30 min/mile pace rather than my normal 8:30 min/mile pace, and my heart rate was at 132 bpm. It felt awkward running that slow, but I was on to something. If I got better at running slow, I could lower my heart rate without having to take walk breaks. I called it my Minimum Viable Pace — or MVP.
“Stop chasing the formula. Find the pace your body can actually run — and start there.”
(That’s the MVP approach.)
Instead of tracking how my pace increased while holding a steady low heart rate, I started tracking how my heart rate decreased while holding that 10:30 pace. And it worked. Within about a month, I got my heart rate down to 126 bpm running slow and not walking. Then I switched back to standard Maffetone training, working on running faster at that 126 bpm heart rate. Within another 60 days, I was comfortably running 9:30 min/miles at 126 bpm. That I could work with.
How to Find Your MVP and Get Started
If you’re frustrated with Zone 2 training as an older runner, here’s how to get started with MVP.
Step 1 — The MVP Run: Warm up on flat ground, then run one to three miles at the easiest pace that feels very comfortable. Don’t look at your watch — just run by feel. At the end, check your heart rate on your Garmin.
Step 2 — Find Your Number: Look for the maximum heart rate you were at, not the average. It should be fairly constant during your run. Note your running pace. That combination is your MVP.
Step 3 — Stay There: Your heart rate might be 130 or 135, or even higher. That’s okay. Start there. Now you can actually run and not walk all the time — which is the key to improvement with Zone 2 training for older runners.
For best results, you want lots of easy runs — four to five times a week, 30 to 60 minutes in duration. The goal is consistency, not intensity. That’s what builds your aerobic engine. We want to get your heart rate down while you hold your MVP pace.
Don’t expect massive improvement in the first 30 days. Building your aerobic capacity is a slow, steady process. But you should see your heart rate drop at your MVP pace after a couple of months — and that’s when running starts to feel effortless again.
Getting started with Zone 2 training as an older runner is the best way to ensure you enjoy effortless running without pain and injury as you age. That’s the foundation of my Forever Runner Method — and MVP is how you get through the front door.
Have you struggled with Zone 2 training as an older runner? Let me know in the comments — I read every one.
Have a great week!
-Herb
“Run Smarter, Live Longer”
P.S. If you want to run smarter and longer with older runners just like you…
No one uses 180 minus age to predict max HR. It's 220 minus age (225 for females). 180 was never a part of the equation
This is awesome! Thanks for providing such clear and helpful information, more people should hear about it. We’re creating a page dedicated to wellness and physiology, so be sure to check it out!