I’ve often heard that most people run their slow runs way to fast. What is the rule of thumb then for slow runs?
This will calculate various training paces based on your goal times:
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm
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80% of ftp
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The Mcmillan calc “slow” paces are meant for runners doing 70 or more miles per week. At that volume, you will find that your legs are beaten down enough that even those slow paces aren’t too easy.
If you’re running 25 mpw though, and only doing 1 fast session for week, you’ll probably feel that you’re wasting your time running those uber-slow miles when your legs aren’t hitting cumulative fatigue.
You shouldn’t be doing slow runs, you should be doing easy runs instead. The easy pace should be just that easy, both in pace and length.
Styrrell
I have a problem with slow runs, or more exactly i can’t ever seem to go slow. I get too caught up into making everything “quality” and I get dead legs. Recently I have been forcing myself once to twice a week to take is really easy to try and freshen up my legs a bit, running 7:30 min miles for 6 or 7 miles vs normal 6:50 min pace. I also noticed every-time I’m on my bike I am hammering, and now I’m trying to incorporate easier rides where my legs don’t feel like they are on fire the whole time.
Another thing I have found is if I run with someone, and talk the whole time, I end up running a tad slower and it seems to help.
Regardless, and easy run or slow run, whatever you want to call it, should be a run where you feel like you are running comfortably, and essentially could just keep going and going.
You shouldn’t be doing slow runs, you should be doing easy runs instead. The easy pace should be just that easy, both in pace and length.
Styrrell
x2
Definitely agree on the easy run thing.
For me, my 5k is ~18 minutes, and I find myself doing easy mileage at 7:40-8:10, depending on how I feel that day, and how long the run is.
Also, in keeping with the “easy, not slow” theme, if you run with a watch – particularly if you run with a Garmin – don’t look at it. Definitely don’t look at the splits. Not until you are done. Otherwise you have the tendency to start racing yourself.
I find when I do this and then check out things afterwords, I will have long stretches - 5 to 7 miles - in which the pace of every mile turned out to be just a few seconds apart. That’s usually the sign of a good easy run for me.
A coach once told me “Your easy day should be so easy you wonder ‘Why did I bother with that?’ but your brain should know that the goal is active recovery, not adaptation on those days. You’re letting your legs recover from the last hard effort and get ready for the next hard effort.”
65-79% of max heart rate.
I remember reading a quote from a Kenyan distance running coach when asked about North American marathoners…“they run too hard on easy days and too easy on hard days”. Bill Rodgers used to do long training runs at a 7 min pace. Food for thought!
I’ve run behind some top 1500m runners to marathoners here in Tucson a few times. We were clicking along at 7:25.
Exactly!
To the OP - pay attention to your body and listen. That controls your pace for the amount of fatigue you are building up whether you do 25, 50, 70 mpw.
I will use a HRM and not exceed a certain HR. Works for me.
your brain should know that the goal is active recovery, not adaptation on those days. You’re letting your legs recover from the last hard effort and get ready for the next hard effort."
Yeah, good post!
I’ve often heard that most people run their slow runs way to fast. What is the rule of thumb then for slow runs?
I once ran a long distance run near a big training centre, and ran towards a big group of athletes. So I wondered how it was possible for them to dress up so much. It was not bad weather at all. So I ran past them, more like they did not run at all. I looked side to greet them and 20 skinny black guys looking at me with a big smile from under their hats. Now i do not recognize no kenyans by face, but here the top runners ran and I passed them. They went so incredibly slow, but I am sure they could kick most white boy triathletes big time on their hard days. Even on their normal runs. But apparently they do their easy runs really easy.
A coach once told me “Your easy day should be so easy you wonder ‘Why did I bother with that?’ but your brain should know that the goal is active recovery, not adaptation on those days. You’re letting your legs recover from the last hard effort and get ready for the next hard effort.”
I tend to do my weekly long runs very slow, and I always wondered about the actual training benefit.
If they are used primarily for recovery, would you do as well by doing a long easy bike ride to get the juices flowing?
Not directly at anyone in particular but:
As long as you can complete all of your weekly workouts as planned, why not run faster?
I’m only running 30 to 40 miles per week in addition to my swimming and biking. Why not add the training stress of a quicker run?
As long as my fast stuff can be done at the prescribed levels, I’ve been running at my “however I feel” pace which is much quicker than Mcmillian/Daniels easy pace.
My first test will be this weekend at TTT, I suppose I’ll know if it’s working.
jaretj
As long as you can complete all of your weekly workouts as planned, why not run faster?
Yeah, run faster! but maybe not on your recovery runs but on your true training runs.