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.
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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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