Not very fast,as i try to warm up by a brisk walk of about a mile, then run 1.50 miles (this takes apprx 18mins the terrain is compacted gravel alongside the river lee) so not very fast,i keep a check of heart rate as i run,but towards the last half mile hr picks up and normally max out to 164-168.Then i walk the return route home and maybe run the last half mile,and normally average 129-138 when i stop hr monitor to log runs on grg.Legs tend to feel heavy after exercise,and making concerted effort to trim my weight,my resting hr is on av 52-54.Considering my lack of fitness when i started,December last year,i am pleased with my progress,altho its been slow!!,due to smoking,which i gave up 2 weeks after starting to exercise.I am trying to stick to a training plan,that should after 23 weeks,make me capable to run a 10k,as i have been lucky enough to get a ballot place in the olympic park run.Any advice will be much appreceiated.thankn you.

Hi Phil, how fast are you doing your run element? Are you putting a lot of effort into it or just plodding along and as Mike says what terrain are you travelling on.

Phil In an ideal world the run element should be within the range. It's tough when you first set out but my advice would be to run and then walk when your HR hits say 145 until it's back down to 128 and then run again and so on. Over a week or two you will find you can run further without bursting through the limit and then eventually you will be running miles at 139/140.

Stick with it because the pay back is huge - you will actually speed up at 140. How cool would that be?

P.S I assume you are on relatively flat ground?

IF I GO OUT AND DO MIXED TRAINING EG. TOTAL OF 4.5 MILES CONSISTING OF 1 RUN OF 1.5MILES AND REST SPEED WALKING,AND MY TRAINING ZONE FOR EASY RUN = 128-139MHR,BUT MY HEART PEAKS AT 168 AT END OF 1.5M RUN,AND MY AVERAGE HR FOR WHOLE 1HR SESSION IS 133 IS THIS CLASSED AS AN EASY SESSION,THANKS SLIGHTLY CONFUSED :-)