Can you run training runs too slow?

Battery Kinzie

I notice that other runners who have similar times as me (just under 19 min 5k to ~1:35 HM, etc.) run their easy runs faster than me. So for example, most of my runs would be at about 5.30 min/km pace, whereas others would be in and around 5 minutes per km. I was curious, so I checked a few training pace calculators, and most recommendations would have me as running my easy runs too slow.

I don't mind going this pace, it's what I've been doing for a while now, but I'm wondering if I'm doing myself harm in the long run by doing this, injury wise? Or is the only 'harm' that I might not improve as fast as I could if I ran that bit faster?

Battery Kinzie

Yeah, most of these runs would be at about 70% of max HR, or 60odd % of my heart rate reserve, which seems to be on the lower side when compared to the heart rate calculators.

Edit: I could've sworn there were two replies to this thread before I posted this which were talking about heart rate. I swear I'm not talking to myself!

Murph_D

I tend to trust the calculators - MacMillan, Daniels. How far off are you? Your times are a little faster than mine, but my default easy pace is about 5:40 and it tends to work out ok for me. Sometimes I'll go faster depending on the specifics of the plan (if there is a plan) and what it says - P&D and other marathon plans sometimes specify long runs that are a little spicier than that: my steady pace would be about 5:10 for example. Take your recent race results, work out the relevant recovery/easy/steady/MP/tempo paces and take it from there.

tang1

I run my 'easy' runs considerably slower than any calculators recommend based off my race times and it has done me zero harm from a racing/speed point of view running PB's fairly consistently the past two years since I adopted that training approach. Bare in mind though that I was coming off 2-3 years of injury, it works for me and would take something pretty drastic for me to move away from this approach as it's the longest injury free period I've had as a runner.

Tramore Tilly

This always confuses me. But I think that is not a matter of pace for easy runs, but how they feel. So if they dont genuinely feel easy, slow down. But then you hear pacers who have to prepare to run slower paces for long races as being left having to pull themselves back to their regular paces. That makes me wonder whether Im going too slow.

I'm not sure if what I'm doing is right, but on the back of the above, Sundays I take it very easy and by definition do a long Slow run. Monday is easy, but not as easy as Sun and it drains the rest of Sundays efforts out of my legs. Wed, speed day. Flushes all the crap out of the legs and Fri I can do no more than a recovery run. I think whatever my paces as long as the legs feel like that, I'm doing it right? I could be very wrong, but it's the strongest and most painfree I've felt since doing it that way so I'll give it a chance.

ultrapercy

The focus for easy runs should be recovery not pace. What effort level allows maximum recovery but is still valuable as some sort of training stimulus? The best way to monitor and controll recovery runs is with heart rate ie a beat per minute that you don't exceed. More experienced runners can gauge it by feel but even for them the hardwired "faster is better" mantra can trigger ego to push too hard.. Recovery runs are really only a consideration for those training 4 times a week or more or those who include intense workouts in their training.

ger664

Are we talking your Long Run or Easy Run after a session ?

Myles Splitz

ultrapercy wrote: »

Recovery runs are really only a consideration for those training 4 times a week or more or those who include intense workouts in their training.

+1 on this caveat when talking about paces of easy/recovery runs.

definition of easy paces would be based on

a) how much volume you are doing in your week and
b) intensity of the work volume

If you are following a plan with very little in the form of sessions or very low mileage the effort of easy runs should naturally be a bit faster in order to provide some sort of training stimulus. Likewise if you are running heavy mileage with workouts the easier pace might have same stimulus due to cumulative fatigue.

robinph

It is way more likely that the other people you are comparing with are running too fast in training if you are comparing like for like claimed effort levels.

Battery Kinzie

Cheers for the thoughts.

I'll continue going at my pace, I was just curious if there were disadvantages.

I do think the people I know are running a tad too fast for their race times, which is one of the main reasons why I'm reluctant to join a club. I'd be afraid of being in a group of similar race times, but one that runs too fast for me.

Mc4hire

Hi, I used to be in a club a while ago and a coach there encouraged us to do what I suppose is a version of fartlek by getting us to push hard towards the end of each kilometre or uphill stretch then recovering with similar to a warmdown pace and slowly getting back up to normal pace over a comfortable distance.

This would take the same time more or less but add a little more intensity Probably not very scientific but less monotonous.

Fast twitch muscle fibres were mentioned a lot, but I don't remember if you can improve them through this kind of training or not.