How to master “easy” running

What is zone 2 running and why might it impact your calves?

Zone 2 running means running at a heart rate that’s roughly 60–70% of your maximum heart rate. A quick and simple formula to estimate your max heart rate is 220 minus your age. So if you're 30, your estimated max heart rate is 190 beats per minute - meaning your zone 2 range would be between 114 and 133 bpm.

At this intensity, your run should feel sustainable, and like you could carry on a full conversation with your fave running pal, without gasping for air. Focusing on effort and how the run feels, versus your overall pace is key here.

But here’s where it gets tricky: running “easy” isn’t always so easy, especially if you're dealing with tight or sore calves. Although zone 2 should feel comfy, it can come with discomfort for some. It’s important to note; more often than not lower leg discomfort is not happening directly as a result of the pace that you are running. Instead it is occurring as a flow on effect due to a change in your running technique and form, as well as a possible lack of strength or endurance in your calf muscles themselves. We will address how to improve that soon.

The benefits of zone 2 running

Zone 2 running is great for building your aerobic base (endurance) without putting excessive stress on your body. That means quicker recovery and more consistency in training.

From a physio perspective, zone 2 running also helps with injury prevention. The harder the session, the greater the strain on tissues like tendons, bones, and muscles. Therefore keeping the majority of your runs easier not only improves aerobic capacity, but also lowers your injury risk.

Most running coaches and training plans follow the 80/20 rule - about 80% of your weekly runs should be at an easy (zone 2) effort, while only 20% are more intense. This balance allows for performance gains without burning out your body.

Why running easy can actually be hard?

The truth (that most of us don’t realise until it’s too late), is that our bodies need time to adapt to running, and this is often a slower process than we might anticipate. In fact, it can take at least 12 to 18 months of consistent training for your aerobic system to become efficient at these lower intensities.

So if your heart rate seems high during what feels like an easy run, don’t stress - it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It may just be that your body hasn’t yet built the efficiency to keep your heart rate lower at that pace.

Instead of getting too caught up in staying in a perfect heart rate “zone,” I would suggest reframing your focus slightly.

Ask yourself:

• Does this run feel easy to me?
• Could I talk to someone for this whole run?
• Do I finish my runs and feel like I could keep going?
• Do I feel recovered later on that day and OK the next day

If you’re answering yes to these - great! You my friend are doing an easy run, whether or not your heart rate agrees.

The above subjective cues can be incredibly valuable. Being able to tune your body is one of the best tools we have as runners.

What else could be affecting your heart rate?

If your heart rate still feels strangely high, you could consider some of these other contributing factors:

• Hormonal fluctuations- your heart rate may be slightly elevated during the luteal phase due to increased progesterone levels
• Fatigue - poor sleep, a hard session the day before, or general life stress can all raise your baseline heart rate
• Running technique - it’s amazing how much this can affect how hard a run feels. Small improvements in your running form can make running more efficient and help reduce your heart rate and overall effort, it might even improve your calf pain, more on this to come
• Breathing - shallow or fast breathing can increase stress and heart rate, so being mindful of this can help
• Heart rate devices - wrist based monitors aren’t always the most accurate. A chest strap will often provide more consistent readings so you could consider trying one of these

What about calf discomfort?

Without assessing someone in person, it is really hard to say exactly what they should be correcting, however I have listed below some of the most common areas that I would be looking at as a starting point.

1. Calf strength/endurance - running is a lower limb dominant sport and a lot of this load ends up going through the calf muscles. Ideally you should be strength training your calf muscles 2-3 x per week as a runner.

• Aim for single leg calf raises where you can, and ideally include some straight knee (targets the long calf muscle called the gastrocnemius), and some bent knee (targets the shorter calf muscle called the soleus) in your routine
• You should easily be able to complete x 25 single leg body weight calf raises on each leg.
• Once you can do this then you can gradually start to add some weight to these exercises
• Adding in plyometric training (jumping/hopping exercises) is also a great way to strengthen your calf muscles for running

1. Cadence (speed of leg turnover) - even when running ‘easy’ this should be sitting between 160-180spm. If you are running ‘easy’ and this has resulted in a slower leg turnover than normal then this could be overloading your calf muscles. Focus on short, fast steps.
2. Foot placement - aim to land roughly under your midfoot as opposed to your forefoot or heel when running ‘easy’. This will help to minimise any calf overload.
3. Leg swing - often when someone is running ‘easy’, there is less attention going towards the push off phase of the stride as naturally there is less power needed here.

• If your calf muscles are feeling overloaded, check in and make sure that you aren’t just moving your legs from the knee down and essentially ‘bouncing’ on your feet
• Ideally your hips should still be moving forward/back meaning that you are still using your gluteals and hamstrings to help with the push off phase

Conclusion

So, if you’re struggling to keep your heart rate down during an “easy” run, don’t panic. It doesn’t mean you're unfit, broken, or doing it wrong. It might just mean your body is still learning. If you are struggling with your calf muscles while running easy - try to take note of your running form, and if you aren’t already make sure to do those calf raises or book in to see a physio who works with women who run!

Keep showing up, keep tuning in to how you feel, and remember - easy running should feel, well... easy. Trust the process. Your heart (and lungs, and legs) will.