I have often read that while training you should run your slow runs slow and your fast runs fast to maximize race day performance. How slow is lsow and how fast is fast? I run at a 8:30 to 9:00 mile pace and am training for IMTX. Can anyone shed light on how fast those fast/slow runs should be based on my average. Thanks, Derek
Fast runs at your lactate threshold (you can guesstimate this with a heart rate but better to have lab tested). You also can approximate it with your 10k pace. Slow runs at whatever pace needs to happen for the run to feel super easy. This will promote blood flow and recovery rather than damage. It also helps build your aerobic fitness.
I have often read that while training you should run your slow runs slow and your fast runs fast to maximize race day performance. How slow is lsow and how fast is fast? I run at a 8:30 to 9:00 mile pace and am training for IMTX. Can anyone shed light on how fast those fast/slow runs should be based on my average. Thanks, Derek
go find a 10km race and run it as fast as you are able. then go to Mcmillan or other type pace calculator and plug in the 10km time. The calculator will generate paces for most nearly all workouts that you might do. After some time you can self regulate on the paces by perceived effort. I dont think you should go too slow though. In my experience I have found that easier runs should still have a bit of tension…i.e. they shouldn’t just be plodding along.
You don’t run your slow runs slow. You run your easy runs easy. There’s a difference. Don’t go by pace. The pace can vary from easy run to easy run but they are all EASY.
As far as “fast” runs, I could suggest any of a dozen training books on the subject. Daniels Running Formula is a popular one.
Give yourself 2 hard running days a week. The rest are easy. On the hard days, pace matters. On the easy days, not so much. Just don’t start kidding yourself about what’s easy. Don’t race those easy days. Dont start looking at a pace for the last mile (assuming you’re wearing a GPS) and think that you need to run faster. If you do the easy days right, you’ll feel hungry for the hard days.
My 10k pace is 7:30-45. Should I run this pace only for 10k or less distance? Secondly, I run with my wife once a week. She is new to running and runs at a 10:30 to 11 minute mile. I spend this time working on technique, but is the pace detrimental to my training?
If that’s your 10K pace then you can’t run it for more than 10K 
google mcmillan pace calculator. Plug that in. it will answer most (if not all) of your questions.
Just run with your wife. You can’t really work on technique running that slow, that’s not really how you work on technique. Run with your wife. Not doing so can be detrimental.
I have three key run paces,
Fast=5k pace ± :15sec per mile, zone 4-5
Moderate= 13.1 pace ± :15 sec per mile, zone 3 to 4
Slow= must be :30-45 seconds slower than IM marathon pace, most of the time 1-1:30 per mile slower, this is my zone 2 run.
I also have track workouts which are of course at a faster pace and some runs are quite slow.
… Run with your wife. Not doing so can be detrimental.
I beg to differ… (-;
yes, I guess it depends…but that’s probably up to his wife…not him.
Damned if I do, damned if I don’t…
Secondly, I run with my wife once a week. She is new to running and runs at a 10:30 to 11 minute mile. I spend this time working on technique, but is the pace detrimental to my training?
Not detrimental at all if it gets you out running more. Case in point, my 10km pace is around 3:30 per km. A couple of times a week I run with a buddy and we average around 5:30 per km. I come back feeling fresh and usually run again that evening. The rest of the time I run easy at about 4:30 pace. The difference in my 10km pace and the pace I run with my friend is over 3 mins per mile. The same for you and your wife. I’ve seen great gains by running more even if it is super easy sometime.
Based on a 47:13 10K (7:37 min/mile) Mcmillan says your optimal training paces should be:
Easy Runs 8:58 to 9:28
Steady-State Runs 8:02 to 8:16
Tempo Runs 7:42 to 8:02
Tempo Intervals 7:35 to 7:51
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/index.php/site/calculator
If you are comfortable running 8:30’s to 9:00’s and can complete all of your other workouts then continue with that pace for your easier runs.
Personally I think that running that slow with your wife would be wasted time for run preperation. However it may be good for other things.
jaretj
My 10k pace is 7:30-45. Should I run this pace only for 10k or less distance? Secondly, I run with my wife once a week. She is new to running and runs at a 10:30 to 11 minute mile. I spend this time working on technique, but is the pace detrimental to my training?
Make sure that pace is fast enough so she can’t hold a conversation.
Not detrimental at all if it gets you out running more. Case in point, my 10km pace is around 3:30 per km. A couple of times a week I run with a buddy and we average around 5:30 per km. I come back feeling fresh and usually run again that evening. The rest of the time I run easy at about 4:30 pace. The difference in my 10km pace and the pace I run with my friend is over 3 mins per mile. The same for you and your wife. I’ve seen great gains by running more even if it is super easy sometime.
+1.
My easy run pace is 2-3 minutes slower than my 5k pace. It should feel stupidly slow and relaxed. Most people run their easy runs too fast, leaving them shelled for the big workouts. Running faster than needed also increases your chances of injuries without much added fitness benefit.
Not detrimental at all if it gets you out running more. Case in point, my 10km pace is around 3:30 per km. A couple of times a week I run with a buddy and we average around 5:30 per km. I come back feeling fresh and usually run again that evening. The rest of the time I run easy at about 4:30 pace. The difference in my 10km pace and the pace I run with my friend is over 3 mins per mile. The same for you and your wife. I’ve seen great gains by running more even if it is super easy sometime.
+1.
My easy run pace is 2-3 minutes slower than my 5k pace. It should feel stupidly slow and relaxed. Most people run their easy runs too fast, leaving them shelled for the big workouts. Running faster than needed also increases your chances of injuries without much added fitness benefit.
+2
If you are running 33.5 min 10K’s of course your easy pace is going to be 2 to 3 min slower than your 5K pace.
If your 10K pace is high sevens, high 9’s or 10’s is too slow.
jaretj
I am running my easy runs at 9:00 to 10:00 pace right now. I guess i am doing it all wrong then and have no idea what I’m doing…
What should someones easy pace be whose 10k pace is 10:30?
From post 12
I am running my easy runs at 9:00 to 10:00 pace right now. I guess i am doing it all wrong then and have no idea what I’m doing…
What should someones easy pace be whose 10k pace is 10:30?
Easy pace would be somewhere around 12:30 to 12:50.
http://www.attackpoint.org/trainingpaces.jsp?dist=10000&units=meters&time=10500
This is what came up when i plugged in my numbers. I can not even come close to those speed workout numbers, which tells me the chart is not accurate and therefore am suspicious with the rest of it. The main problem with using this chart is it asks for PR numbers. I can only maintain PR fitness 4 to 8 weeks out of the year. So the rest of the years training and paces need to be based on current fitness level. I think we can agree that easy should be conversation pace. This is probably the best way to describe ‘easy’. Right now my comfy talking pace is 9:00 to 10:00 pace. I think that if someone has a 10k PR of 10min pace then 12:30 or just slower is just right. Much faster than that and they woud be at tempo pace HR.
our Optimal Training Paces
Endurance Workouts
Pace/Mi
Pace/Km
Recovery Jogs
7:45 to 8:15
4:49 to 5:07
Long Runs
6:45 to 7:45
4:11 to 4:49
Easy Runs
6:45 to 7:15
4:11 to 4:30
Stamina Workouts
Pace/Mi
Pace/Km
Steady-State Runs
5:55 to 6:06
3:41 to 3:48
Tempo Runs
5:40 to 5:55
3:32 to 3:41
Tempo Intervals
5:36 to 5:47
3:29 to 3:36
Cruise Intervals
Distance
Time/Interval
mile
5:33 to 5:40
1200m
4:08 to 4:14
1000m
3:27 to 3:32
800m
2:46 to 2:49
600m
2:04 to 2:07
400m
1:23 to 1:25
SPEED WORKOUTS
Middle Distance Runners
Long Distance Runners
400m
1:12.2 to 1:15.3
1:13.6 to 1:17.9
800m
2:27.3 to 2:34.0
2:33.8 to 2:41.0
1000m
3:12.3 to 3:21.2
3:17.1 to 3:24.6
1200m
3:51.1 to 4:01.5
3:56.5 to 4:08.5
1600m
5:15.3 to 5:27.4
5:22.0 to 5:33.9
2000m
6:42.5 to 6:54.1
6:49.3 to 6:57.3