Definition
The moderate-intensity training zone between comfortable aerobic work and hard threshold efforts, also known as 'no man's land' because it's allegedly too hard for easy days and too easy for hard days. Every endurance athlete's accidental default pace.
Example Usage
My coach says I spend too much time in Zone 3, which is his polite way of saying I run every workout at the exact wrong intensity.
Origin
Developed from heart rate training zones popularized in the 1980s-90s
Fun Fact
Zone 3 training is nicknamed 'junk miles' by coaches because it's stressful enough to require recovery but not intense enough to drive significant adaptation—the worst of both worlds.
Source: Endurance training and exercise physiology terminology
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