@SPG i know you're a big advocate of 80/20 running. I've recently started reading the book after having it on my list for ages.
One thing that i'm struggling with is trying to stick with it. I've mentioned it over previous posts but even though i feel like i'm taking it easy on runs, i'm still bouncing between Z3 and Z4 at 155-160bpm
Not sure if it's purely lost fitness, but i simply can't run in Zone 2, even zone 3 is hard to stay in when i'm out for an hour. My resting HR is around 45 which is fairly low by all accounts, however even the slowest of slow paces sends it up to 155-160 and that's currently around 11 minute miles which feels really slow.
My HR seems to sit in the following zones
Resting ~45
Stood up/pottering around the house ~80-90
Walking ~110
Running Starts around 140 and then creeps up to 160 whilst maintaining easy conversational pace. Spikes up to 170 when i go up any kind of incline, but then my all out sprinting HR tops out around 185. So i seem to have a really narrow window between easy level and the top.
I've been running around 5 years now, so even accounting for some lost fitness i would expect a much better base level of CV fitness, but this pattern has been largely true all the way through my running life. I don't really know what i could do to improve it. To stay in zone 2, i'd be stopped every minute or so to walk and recover.
Any thoughts would be good.