30-Day Zone 2 Heart Rate Training Challenge

What This Challenge Is & Why I Did It

The Inspiration

It started with my Putaleng mountain hike last March. Reaching the summit was a real physical challenge - on the steep sections, my heart rate spiked too high and I couldn’t maintain the pace I needed. A clear sign I had to work on my cardio fitness and endurance.

A while back I had saved an article about a 100-day animation learning challenge (link), where the author documented their entire journey. It got me thinking - why not try something similar myself?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xexu0RY9z0o&ab\_channel=MikeDee

Introducing the Challenge

I’ll train consistently for 30 days straight, starting April 12, 2024 and ending May 12, 2024.

What will I do?

• At least 30 minutes of training per day, 5 sessions per week.
• Focus on Zone 2 heart rate (114-133 bpm).
• Track metrics throughout the 30 days and log daily updates via Facebook Stories.
• Evaluate results once the challenge is complete.

Workouts in the Challenge

• Main workouts:
  • Running: focus on Easy Run (running at Zone 2 heart rate, where you can hold a conversation without gasping)
  • Incline walk: treadmill walking at 6-12% incline at moderate speed
• Supporting activities:
  • Badminton: weekend games with friends and colleagues
  • Cycling

Gear: Apple Watch SE (gifted by my uncle)

Challenge Goals

• Build cardiovascular fitness and endurance: be able to sustain continuous running/walking at a moderate pace without my heart rate going too high (target: under 140-150 bpm)
• Learn new things and optimize my training schedule: knowledge around running types (Easy Run, Tempo Run, Interval Run, etc.) and heart rate training
• Test my own discipline: see how long I can keep the streak going
• Train to improve for upcoming trail runs and mountain hikes (target: complete a Half Marathon 21km and Dalat Trail 55km - no DNF)
• Lose weight: carrying extra weight puts more stress on knees and thighs, which increases injury risk

The Theory Behind Zone 2

I went through several YouTube videos and this one by Shervin Shares covers everything you need to know in a concise package.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAsYTcBdtOg&ab\_channel=ShervinShares

Another solid and to-the-point video from the YOGABODY channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib5ga-vL5VY&ab\_channel=YOGABODY

• Zone 2: heart rate range of 114-133 bpm
• Why focus on Zone 2:
  • Research shows that spending more time in Zone 2 produces a higher fat-burning ratio compared to carb-burning, relative to other zones
  • Lower heart rate means your body can sustain the effort longer without hitting a wall (low-intensity workouts)

Challenge Record

I’ll update metrics and notes in this table and do a final review at the end of the challenge.

Metrics being tracked:

• Longest Streak: consecutive days trained
• Zone 2 Time: time spent with heart rate in Zone 2
• % of total Workout Time
• Average heart rate: to see whether it improves over time
• Distance covered (for running and cycling sessions)
• Calories burned (mainly for a relative comparison across different workout types)

Challenge Results

• Completed 45.16% of my original target.
• Endurance improved - I can now sustain a continuous 3km run without stopping (at pace 9). Not an impressive number on paper, but it is a significant improvement from where I started.
• Weight didn’t drop much, probably because I was focused purely on endurance and didn’t cut calories much.

New Knowledge & Lessons Learned

This section is where I note down my observations and takeaways throughout the challenge.

• Incline walking is genuinely effective for burning calories without putting too much stress on the knees.
• The Apple Watch’s default workout app doesn’t really support serious training well - switched to Workoutdoors (which has proper Apple Watch support).
• The first few days I was diligent about logging into the table, but skipping just 1-2 days was enough for the habit to slip - the key to maintaining habits is keeping the momentum consistently going.
• Sticking to a training schedule became an exercise in mental toughness too. Even when my mind was telling me to be lazy, just showing up at the scheduled time and heading out to train was a win in itself. “Do it enough and it becomes second nature.”
• Building a habit has two phases: “Starting” and “Sustaining.” Starting can be done with something like this challenge - inviting friends to join or witness. And to keep momentum going during the process, here’s what I found necessary:
  • Stay focused - actually think about what you’re doing while doing it
  • Remove as many friction points as possible: I picked a gym close to home, locked in a consistent 7-8am morning slot, and combined workouts with watching videos to avoid getting bored