Ease back in with pacing mode
Pacing mode swaps the morning call for a daily strain budget that starts low. It's for easing back after being sick or run down: you raise the budget one step at a time, when your mornings say it's going well.
Steps
Turn it on
- Ease back in? After you tap I'm recovered, Today and the Sick period screen ask once if you'd like to ease back in. The card shows for the 2 mornings after, with your usual day and where you'd start. Tap Turn on pacing, or Not now.
- Any time. Tap +, then Sick period, and tap Turn on pacing mode on the Pacing mode card.
Your daily budget
Your budget starts at 60% of your usual day's strain. Your usual day comes from the 28 healthy days before you got sick (or the 28 days before you turn it on, if you haven't been sick in the last 60 days). It never goes below your usual rest day plus 1, so just living your day doesn't put you over.
ZONAL needs about 2 weeks of your usual days to work out a budget. Until then, the Pacing mode card says so and can't be turned on.
Steps and days
The staircase on the Sick period screen has 4 steps. Each step is a budget level. Days are how long you stay on a step.
| Step | Budget |
|---|---|
| 1 | 60% of your usual day |
| 2 | 70% |
| 3 | 85% |
| 4 | 100% |
A good morning is one where yesterday stayed inside your budget and your resting HR and HRV are near your normal (within 1.5 bpm and 3 ms). Each good morning fills one of the 3 circles on your step. A morning that isn't good empties them, and you start again.
- 3 good mornings in a row: ZONAL offers the next step. Tap Raise to the new budget, or Stay here. ZONAL never raises it for you.
- 2 harder mornings in a row: it may offer a step down. Tap Lower to the lower budget, or Keep this step.
Going over
There's no penalty and nothing to make up. That morning just doesn't count toward the next step, and tomorrow's budget stays the same.
While pacing is on
- The orb on Today turns grey and the call says Pacing: "A pacing day. Stay inside today's budget."
- There's no Go, Caution or Swap and no Today's session suggestion.
- The Pacing mode card on Today shows today's strain against your budget, and your step and day. Tap it to open the Sick period screen.
- Pacing days aren't graded in Strain fit or Plan adherence.
Turning it off
Tap Turn off pacing on the Sick period screen any time. After 3 days on step 4, ZONAL asks if you'd like to finish. Starting a new sick period turns pacing off too.
If you're still on step 1 after 14 days, the card suggests talking to a doctor.
A guide, not medical advice. Pacing mode is a guide for easing back, not medical advice. Rest more if you need to. If you're not getting better, talk to a doctor.
Questions
Do I have to follow the budget exactly?
No. It's a guide. If you feel worse, do less. Going over on a day you feel good is fine too: that day just doesn't count toward the next step.
Why hasn't the next step shown up?
The 3 good mornings have to be in a row, on the step you're on. A morning with resting HR or HRV off your normal, or a day over your budget, starts the count again.
Will ZONAL send me reminders?
No. Pacing mode doesn't send notifications. Everything is on Today and the Sick period screen.