Are you a runner or a jogger? Setting target heart rate ...

[MuirWannabe]

One thing I’ve learned the hard way about running. You better stretch frequently. Achilles, calves, and quads for certain. And hams, and even hip flexors is also a good idea.
I hate stretching cause I’m about as flexible as an iron rod. But it’s essential or injury is certain. I surmise that many folks who give up running due to joint pain or other chronic injury maybe just didn’t stretch enough. I’m not sure most older people like to stretch.

 

[Lsbcal]

Yep, I've added stretching to my gym routine. Also do some stretches at a mid-point in the run. I can't touch my toes (not even to within 10 inches) and never have been limber.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

I don't monitor my heart rate but I have a 3 mile run tomorrow.

 

[Chris7]

I think a jogger would be more casual about the exercise regardless of pace. A runner probably has a mindset to beat their own pace or the person in front of them.



I'm currently dealing with some injuries and do a run/walk. But every week I am to either increase my pace or duration. I give myself internal high fives when I beat a previous mark.



If I was just jogging, I don't think I would care.



As to injuries, the greatest thing I did was adding strength training to my regimen. It has helped keep many injuries on the sideline.



cd :O)

 

[TheRunningMan]

Been running for decades but never worried about targeting my heart rate...I just try to enjoy the run.

 

[braumeister]

I think a jogger would be more casual about the exercise regardless of pace.

True, but heart rate "zones" can be used in a variety of ways. For example, are you interested in improving your conditioning or just maintaining it?

You can use a percentage of your max heart rate to adjust your activity. Here's one site that explains it:
Heart Rate Zones

• Light intensity, 50-60% of MHR
• Moderate intensity, 60-70% of MHR
• Intense, 70-80% of MHR
• Very intense, 80-90% of MHR
• All out intensity, 90-100% of MHR

 

[bjorn2bwild]

The only time I resemble a jogger is on the rare occasions when I am working through an injury or not feeling well.
Otherwise, I need the intensity that comes with running.
I have never monitored my heart rate but know from experience when I am pushing the lactate/anaerobic threshold.

 

[Lsbcal]

The only time I resemble a jogger is on the rare occasions when I am working through an injury or not feeling well.
Otherwise, I need the intensity that comes with running.
I have never monitored my heart rate but know from experience when I am pushing the lactate/anaerobic threshold.

I remember some races in high school where on that last half lap I'd "hit the wall" and my body just would not respond any further to my brain. We didn't train to increase the anaerobic threshold in those days as I imagine race people do now.

 

[eytonxav]

At what speed do you go from jogging to running?

 

[Lsbcal]

At what speed do you go from jogging to running?

If you are at your running speed then you are running by definition. Slow down and you are jogging. Then there is walking and sitting which we will cover in the next thread.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

At what speed do you go from jogging to running?

There is nothing official about it, mostly semantics.
Call a jogger a runner they won't mind, the other way round might fetch a comment.
During my gym days, I used to see people mime a workout, those are the 'joggers'.
If I represented Tobago at the Olympic Games, I would look like a jogger..... So, I'll add a third category - racer.

 

[Running_Man]

At what speed do you go from jogging to running?

At 11 feet per second

 

[eytonxav]

At 11 feet per second

OK, that's 7.5 miles per hour. The reason I ask, is that I am rehabbing my knee that I injured a few weeks ago. At PT they put me on a zero gravity treadmill and set it to 60% body weight. Then I had to alternate between walking and jogging. All they told me is to adjust the speed control myself. So I ended up walking at 3.5 MPH for 1 minute and then jogging at 6 MPH for two minutes and that cycle went on for 20 minutes. After that I was wondering what constitutes jogging speed vs running. I play softball, so when running the bases, it's more like sprinting vs what I would consider running/jogging. I've never had a knee injury before, so hoping I can recover soon and go back to full speed. Ortho said I had some wear behind my patella which was causing me some pain.

 

[HFWR]

Anyone familiar with downtown Dallas, and/or the annual Turkey Trot? Start at City Hall, run east to the “edge” of downtown, north a couple of blocks, back westward, over the bridge into Oak Cliff, then eventually back over the Trinity to City Hall.

I “raced” the Trot twice, as I recall, and I would note that about the time I crossed over into Oak Cliff, at 3-4 miles, the eventual winners were already crossing the other bridge, and nearing the finish (8 miles, IIRC). Was I running, or jogging? [emoji12]

My “race” times were around 8 min/mi, sometimes in the sevens, though the first few minutes was usually jogging in place, waiting for the pack to move.

 

[RunningBum]

OK, that's 7.5 miles per hour. The reason I ask, is that I am rehabbing my knee that I injured a few weeks ago. At PT they put me on a zero gravity treadmill and set it to 60% body weight. Then I had to alternate between walking and jogging. All they told me is to adjust the speed control myself. So I ended up walking at 3.5 MPH for 1 minute and then jogging at 6 MPH for two minutes and that cycle went on for 20 minutes. After that I was wondering what constitutes jogging speed vs running. I play softball, so when running the bases, it's more like sprinting vs what I would consider running/jogging. I've never had a knee injury before, so hoping I can recover soon and go back to full speed. Ortho said I had some wear behind my patella which was causing me some pain.

OK, that's a valid reason for wanting to know. The problem is, Running_Man's jogging speed is probably not yours. Are you a 25 year old ex-college track athlete, or a fairly sedentary 75-yr old? Or something in between? Don't you think that jogging for one will be a different pace than for the other person?

I would ask the PT for guidance on pace.

 

[eytonxav]

OK, that's a valid reason for wanting to know. The problem is, Running_Man's jogging speed is probably not yours. Are you a 25 year old ex-college track athlete, or a fairly sedentary 75-yr old? Or something in between? Don't you think that jogging for one will be a different pace than for the other person?

I would ask the PT for guidance on pace.

Yes, I need to ask at my next appointment. I realize everyone is different, but was wondering what the runners/joggers on here would have to say. Never was a track athlete, only a baseball player, IIRC as a twenty something was ~ 10.5 sec 100 yd, but a relatively slow 5:25 in the mile. Never was a distance guy and that is still the case as a 70 yo.

 

[RunningBum]

I would probably advise 5mph (12 min/mile). 6mph is more like my jogging pace as a 57 yo marathoner. It should feel very comfortable, not pushing at all. If 6mph fits that, go ahead, but it sounds like they just want to get some movement, not a pace that you really getting in shape or strengthening yourself at.

 

[eytonxav]

I would probably advise 5mph (12 min/mile). 6mph is more like my jogging pace as a 57 yo marathoner. It should feel very comfortable, not pushing at all. If 6mph fits that, go ahead, but it sounds like they just want to get some movement, not a pace that you really getting in shape or strengthening yourself at.

Makes sense, thanks!

 

[Dd852]

I know I can’t have it all - of the variables consistency, time and speed my absolute priority is consistency. I love running every day; I hate taking rest days. I think I’ve missed one day in the last year (food poisoning!). I also like to go between 5-10k each run. My average is seven. I simply couldn’t do that at a fast pace. In the last two years I’ve slowed from six minutes a km to between eight and 8-1/2. That bugs me a bit but I simply couldn’t stay injury free at a daily fast pace, and it is the daily bit that I love.

 

[RunningBum]

I almost never run every day in a week, and often take 2-3 days off. I find I need the recovery. But I am usually training for a longer race so I'm doing long runs and sometimes faster paced runs. Different goals and different methods for different people. Sounds like you've found what works well for you. I have friends who have run every day for years, even the day after a 100 mile race. "Streakers" is what they are called. Some are so obsessed they would've run at least their mile even with food poisoning. I can't see how it's healthy to be that obsessed, but like I said...

 

[karen1972]

well 12 minutes or slower you are a walker.. ok I can't run or jog because I'm so slow I miss the cut off. Though I did find a turtle group and we still consider ourselves joggers as its about the type of motion, not your time.

I do remember years ago, when I was at my fastest, i was running full out on the treadmill, I'm 5'4" and my 6'4" friend gets on next to me, he speeds up to match my speed and he was barely at a brisk walk at which point he laughed so hard he fell off the treadmill. He's like your legs were going so fast but you were going so slow.

 

[Aerides]

well 12 minutes or slower you are a walker.. ok I can't run or jog because I'm so slow I miss the cut off. Though I did find a turtle group and we still consider ourselves joggers as its about the type of motion, not your time.

I do remember years ago, when I was at my fastest, i was running full out on the treadmill, I'm 5'4" and my 6'4" friend gets on next to me, he speeds up to match my speed and he was barely at a brisk walk at which point he laughed so hard he fell off the treadmill. He's like your legs were going so fast but you were going so slow.

Hey wait I'm a 12.5 mph jogger, and yes there are speed walkers who are faster, but I'm definitely not walking!

And yes as a 5'3" woman myself... All these averages and numbers are designed around the average male (as are most things medical and fitness). Leg length and stride length are big impacts on speed.

 

[Amethyst]

Running is excellent exercise and a nice hobby, but I got sick, early on, of conceited runners. As a gym-goer and general-fitness pursuer, I never hear general-fitness people bragging about their fitness. I certainly don't hear them taunting less-fit people. No doubt some do, but it doesn't seem like the level of conceit that I've observed in many who run for exercise.

I can jog short distances on the treadmill. With a one-centimeter leg length discrepancy, running or jogging on terrain causes back problems. As a young woman, I walked fast for exercise and took all kinds of scornful cr@p from people who ran by me, splashed sweat on me, yelled things like "Why aren't you running?" "You're too slow!" "Get a bicycle!" (In addition to the usual cr@p all young woman take when they appear alone on a public street).

I remember calling the local "striders" club to ask about programs for fast walkers. Instead of a courteous "sorry, there aren't any at this time, maybe you could start one," I received a haw-haw-haw horselaugh from the guy at the other end of the phone.

For a year, I shared an office with a man who believed it made you special to run for exercise. Talked about running all the time. Because I was in shape, he would try to draw me into conversations about how superior we were to people who don't exercise. Yech.

 

[braumeister]

well 12 minutes or slower you are a walker.

Hey wait I'm a 12.5 mph jogger, and yes there are speed walkers who are faster, but I'm definitely not walking!

My usual pace (run/walk) is about 13 minutes per mile, which I think is what Aerides meant, rather than mph. That's very slow, but good enough at my age.

DW belongs to a walking group. While her personal pace is more like 16 min/mile, there are quite a few members at 13 minutes, some even less, and they are definitely walking. Highly trained racewalkers can do 7 min/mile.

ETA: Probably the best distinction between running/jogging and walking is that a walker always has at least one foot touching the ground. Runners/joggers are generally airborne for a part of each stride.

 

[Lsbcal]

I think it is true that runners feel somewhat superior to walkers. Probably because they are passing walkers. On the trails I run on cyclists regularly pass me. Do they feel superior? Then there are the horse riders who look down on me and the younger pretty fast woman runners who glide by.