What is Zone 3 Really Doing to Your Running Fitness? [Remastered]
Tread Lightly Running Science PodcastShow Notes
Will running in the “grey zone” cause you to flounder - or appropriately dosed amounts let your fitness flourish? This remastered episode, originally from January 2024, provides a nuanced discussion on how moderate intensity running can be beneficial in the correct doses - but why you don’t want to train every day in this zone. ✨Join us on Patreon.com/treadlightlyrunning or subscribe on Apple Podcasts starting in December, when we’ll be releasing special subscriber-only content!
In this episode, you’ll learn: ✅ What is the grey zone in running? ✅ The benefits and detriments of running in the grey zone ✅ How to use the talk test ✅ When to use zone 3 training ✅ Should you do all of your long runs at marathon pace? ✅ What is polarized training (hard days hard, easy days easy) ✅ Marathon pace/zone 3 workouts ✅ Zone 2 vs zone running when you are a beginner runner If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like 🎧 Why 80/20 Doesn’t Work For Every Runner (12 Dec 2025) 🎧 Why You Need All Training Zones to Improve a a Runner (29 Aug 2025) 🎧 Does Zone 2 Actually Matter for Runners? (6 June 2025)
References: 🔬 PMID: 33344993 🔬 PMID: 36900796 🔬PMID: 35661059 🔬PMID: 26578968 🔬Skiba, Scientific Training For Endurance Athletes https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2019.00070/full
Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production and graphics by Laura Norris.
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