Big gap between my easy run paces and Race/Tempo/Rep paces

it is hard to run a pace that you are not used to. there's a thread here where people say that their legs 'hurt' if they run slower than, say six thirty pace. You can push a little bit to run six fifty five for awhile and it will get easier. But the pace is probably a bit ambitious for your fitness and you aren't recovering adequately from workouts to run that pace. The best thing for most runners is to hit the workouts hard and recover at whatever pace allows them to run consistently excellent workouts.

I'm even worse, I start most of my runs out around 10:00 pace and by the end I'm down to 7:50 or so. In no way though does anything below 7:00 feel easy, yet my PR's indicate otherwise.

Same here. My easy runs (usually 8-10 milers) always start at 8:00-8:30 and progress to 7:20-7:30, but my PRs indicate I should be running much faster on my recovery days. After years of trying to hammer out 6:30s or faster on "recovery" days, and many injuries later, I've finally learned that recovery days are just that, for recovery. Go at the pace that feels comfortable, so you can get the most out of your workouts/hard days.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say something a little different. I have the same PR as you and used to do my easy runs around 8:00 pace. As the mileage grew, I would say the bulk of it was over 7:30 pace.

This had negative consequences for my racing. So I switched to more quality, tried to make those "easy runs" closer to 6:30-6:45 pace, and now I'm racing and feeling better.

It's not going to come naturally at first. You have to force the issue until you're neuromuscular system adapts. But if you're goal is to eventually run faster times, the body must be trained to do exactly that.

So what do I do.

Don't worry about it. Getting in the miles and recovering is really all that matters on easy days. Save the harder efforts for workouts and the hardest ones for races. As long as you aren't completely slogging, you will be fine. I have seen many people with faster PRs than you run much slower than 6:55 on easy days.

I'm in faster shape than your PR, and I've done most of my runs this year in 8:00-12:00+ range, though the slower paces have been on hilly trails. I admit I'm a hobby runner who is more concerned with running with my old dog and enjoying the outdoors than getting into good shape, but still, your easy run pace sounds completely reasonable to me. My regular runs when I was in sub-31 10K shape (at about half my current age) probably averaged only about 7:40 pace.

Bingo!Most HS/College guys would be better if they didn't get into the easy day dick measuring contest where everyone runs too fast to recover for the next day's hard workout.Additionally, gains only come when you recover. Stress, recover, stress, recover, stress, recover.

zzzz wrote:

http://www.letsrun.com/2006/collegesuck.php

I'm in faster shape than your PR, and I've done most of my runs this year in 8:00-12:00+ range, though the slower paces have been on hilly trails. I admit I'm a hobby runner who is more concerned with running with my old dog and enjoying the outdoors than getting into good shape, but still, your easy run pace sounds completely reasonable to me. My regular runs when I was in sub-31 10K shape (at about half my current age) probably averaged only about 7:40 pace.

Plugging into McMillan's calculator gives "Easy Runs" from 6:40 to 7:10, "Long Runs" from 6:40 to 7:40, and "Recovery Jogs" from 7:40 to 8:10.

It's true, 7:25 to 7:35 may seem a little slow for "Easy Runs", but still not slow enough to be considered a "Recovery Jog". I wouldn't worry about it.

I'll echo a few other posters. I've always heard that you make easy days easy, and hard days hard. Easy days are for recovering in-between the hard workouts.

Daniel's vDOT "easy pace" is an UPPER aerobic run limit, NOT an "average" easy pace. This is a pace you might hit for a steady run/long run (at 70-80% heart rate max). Recovery pace is going to be a lot slower (60-70% heart rate max). You should go at whatever pace feels most comfortable for your legs so they can recover.

Just a thought. Easy day pace depends upon the individual runner and what their current training/fitness is and other variables that could impact that day's run.

I just looked back at Daniels' Running Formula 1st edition and 2nd edition. For the VDOT 62 (16:34 5k) it appears that the easy run pace changed from 6:56 per mile in the 1st edition to 7:11 in the 2nd edition.

Looking at my own personal situation, my easy pace is much closer to what appears in the 2nd edition than the 1st edition.

I don't know if there is an explanation from Daniels or the editor as to the changes in the easy pace for the tables between the 1st edition and 2nd edition. Perhaps there was some re-calculation or additional research that changed the values for the easy pace in the tables.

Maybe jtupper is out there to explain. Hopefully wellnow is on vacation.

I am a 15:30 guy and almost never get below 6:45 pace on an easy day. I think a good rule of thumb for easy day pace is 5k pace + 2-2.5 minutes.

I've always thought that the "Easy" pace on the VDOT tables was to be considered a maximum speed (as in, "do not go faster than this"), rather than a pace that you were supposed to be constantly hitting.

RunningNow wrote:

So what do I do.

Run for time on your easy days and forget about pace or mileage. An example would be 45 minutes rather than 6 miles. Don't worry about the pace you run. Actually I think it is better to approach your weekly duration goal in terms of time rather than distance. For instance, make your goal 7 hours of running rather than 50 miles. Now I still do fast workouts at certain distances because it helps me focus on what I need to do to run a certain pace. But all other running should be soley by feel. Your body knows what pace it should be running.

Example Week with a goal of 7.5 hours of running

Mon: 60 minutes @ whatever pace feels comfortable

Tue: 15 minute warm up

5 mile tempo @ half marathon pace (takes 30 minutes)

15 minute cool down

Wed: 90 minutes @ whatever pace feels comfortable

Thu: 60 minutes @ whatever pace feels comfortable

Fri: 15 minute warmup

6 x 800 @ 10k pace (takes 15 minutes)

15 minute cooldown

Sat: Rest

Sun: 120 minute (2 hour) long run @ whatever pace feels comfortable

My opinion is that most of these calculator's easy pace are not very accurate at the extremes. For slow guys, like me, I can't run slow enough to get to the easy pace.

RunningNow wrote:

So what do I do.

You just set a PR. Keep doing what you're doing.

10 min. miles... whatever- it's working.