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Heart Rate Zones
Rating
Heart rate zones are intensity ranges (usually 5 of them), expressed as a percentage of maximum heart rate, each corresponding to a specific type of training effect.
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Heart rate zones
In detail
Zone 1 (50-60%) — recovery, Zone 2 (60-70%) — base aerobic endurance (the foundation of volume for most runners), Zone 3 (70-80%) — tempo work, Zone 4 (80-90%) — threshold, Zone 5 (90-100%) — maximal/anaerobic power. Training should mostly be concentrated in Zones 1-2 (the "80/20" principle — 80% easy training, 20% intense).
How to use it
If you're not sure which zone you're running in, use the talk test: in Zone 2 you can speak freely, in Zone 3-4 only in short phrases, in Zone 5 you can't speak at all.