conversational pace
i wonder about pacing a lot.
in the fitness world, especially the endurance space, the last several years have seen a shift from prioritizing high intensity training, to emphasizing the importance of what’s been categorized as “zone 2 training”:
“Zone 2 training, often referred to as aerobic training, is characterized by a low-to-moderate level of cardiovascular exertion and power output that can be maintained for a substantial amount of time. Think of an ‘easy run’ or a moderate bike ride. During this type of training, the body has enough time to synthesize sufficient amounts of energy to keep up the given level of effort that muscles are demanding without inducing too much fatigue.”
in simple terms, fitness enthusiast are learning: to go farther, you don’t have to crush it every day, in fact better to train slower and longer.
low and slow.
it’s base building training.
with a more expansive base, come stronger fitness gains and greater capacity over the long haul.
assuming not everyone has the access to heart rate monitoring or finances for testing various aerobic thresholds, the term on the street for the weekend warriors and endurance-curious trying to find their zone 2 is Conversational Pace.
the idea being that as you run (or cycle, row, hike, etc), if you are able to hold a conversation, you are maintaining a heart rate in this golden range of zone 2.
too fast or too hard - you will be too out of breath for chatting.
conversational pace is a personal metric. mine is different than the runner next to me. it varies based on training, experience, among a host of anatomical influences.
in addition, my conversational pace changes. it fluctuates with season, environment/terrain, incline/decline, elevation profile.
so all things being equal…it’s really never always equal…the continuous gauge is finding conversational pace for each run at a time, each mile at a time, each step at a time.
too fast and the body has to adjust its energy systems, nutrient processing, and muscle utilization. in short - too fast and the pace won’t last.
conversational pace ensures i have the stamina and fuel for running my race.
too fast is striving and not sustainable. too slow lacks momentum or forward progress.
base building. running this ultra-marathon of life.
my training on this mile today affects my pace on the mile i face tomorrow.
"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Heb 12:1,2a
Jesus modeled changing paces for changing seasons and assignments. Yet almost always slower than expected. For every “go therefore” there was probably several more “wait”s than was comfortable for those he traveled with.
conversational pace. waiting for a word.
never outpacing conversation with God.
never too fast to miss a whisper, a touch.
never rushing the appointed time.
for the Lord goes before me.
He will show me the way, as i walk in it.
trusting my pacer for the current demands of the terrain, season, and race plan.
and maintaining proximity for conversation.
so i dont burn out.
so i can take on more miles.
so i can enjoy the mile i’m on.
"Isn’t it obvious that all runners on the racetrack keep on running to win, but only one receives the victor’s prize? Yet each one of you must run the race to be victorious. A true athlete will be disciplined in every respect, practicing constant self-control in order to win a laurel wreath that quickly withers. But we run our race to win a victor’s crown that will last forever. For that reason, I don’t run just for exercise or box like one throwing aimless punches, but I train like a champion athlete. I subdue my body and get it under my control, so that after preaching the good news to others I myself won’t be disqualified."
1 corin 9:24-27 TPT