Feel like an idiot but....
I know my zones pretty well. At this point I can pretty much guess my HR within a few beats when I'm running - so I have a good understanding of what level I am generally working at. I know what my outputs should be for the bike and the swim, but I am lost on what zone I should be in during the run. What is the generally accepted theory? Z1? Z2?
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Are you running with a heart rate monitor or garmin/pace device? What are you training for right now? Generally the zone you should be running in is relative to the type of workout you are doing, what you are training for, and where you are in your season. Have you done a run threshold test to set your zones?
http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Race+Execution+(Ironman)
Sean - to the specific question of "What HR should I be holding during the IM marathon?":
For most of us, the best strategy is to start the run in mid-high Z1. This should be at or a tick above the HR you saw on average in the last hour of the bike. During the run, that HR should VERY gradually drift up, finishing the last few miles in low-mid Z2. If you can accomplish that, your pace (min/mile) will probably be holding close to steady during the course of 26 miles. If your HR stays in the mid-high Z1, or even starts dropping, you will be slowing down.
There is a small group of athletes, in general elite races like our Coach Patrick, or some younger (under 50) athletes with several successful (i.e., not slowing down) IM marathons under their belts, who will be able to hold a steady HR in low Z2 all day, slowly drifting up to mid Z2. Don't try this unless you are one of those 5% to whom this applies.
I believe that HR is an *excellent* way to pace an IM marathon. It smooths out the environmental issues of temperature and terrain changes, and lets you race at the effort level your body is capable of on the day. You can think of the HR as a rein (helping you to go slowly) in the early part of the race, and as a whip (helping you to increase your effort when you really don;t want to) towards the end.
How would you translate that for a 58 year old doing a half ironman?
Kevin
What worked for me last year in St George 70.3, 85 F hot with terrain either up or down about 4% was: first two miles @ 130, then held 134-138, peaking @ 140 at top of final hill. My max HR is probably something like 162. I'm using raw numbers here instead of zones, to make sure I'm clear. Going from 80 >> 85% of max HR. Key was to keep the effort up going downhill and in check going uphill.