Day Two of Marathon Training: Running in Heart Rate Zone 2 on the Last Day of Holiday

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Day two of my training for the London Marathon 2023 was a 40-minute run in heart rate zone 2. It was challenging to maintain this lower level, as I naturally wanted to run faster. However, I'm aware of the risks of overtraining and the importance of following a training plan. At times, it was difficult to gauge how hard I should be pushing myself, so it was helpful to check my Garmin Fenix 6s Pro to see when I could increase my pace or when I needed to slow down to stay within zone 2.


Training in heart rate zone 2 can be very beneficial for marathon training for several reasons. It helps you build endurance by running at a lower intensity for longer periods of time, which can help develop the stamina needed for a marathon. It also improves your aerobic fitness, which is crucial for endurance running. Additionally, training in heart rate zone 2 can help you recover more quickly from your workouts, allowing you to train consistently and avoid overtraining. I expect to spend a lot of time training in zone 2 over the next 16 weeks!

Heart rate zones

Since I'm currently on holiday from work, I was able to go for a mid-morning run near my home in Sittingbourne. I find it easier to run at this time because I've had a good night's sleep, breakfast and a coffee. Tomorrow, I'm back to work and will have to wake up at 5:15am and commute to Rochester for my morning run. I'm not looking forward to the early starts, but I do like the feeling of not having a training run hanging over me for most of the day.


Overall, I'm feeling good about my training so far and am excited to see how my endurance and speed improve as the weeks go on. The real test will be balancing the demands of training with work and home life, as well as getting less sleep.

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