Is it okay to run my long runs faster than my regular easy runs? Usually do my long runs 10-20s/km faster and also add in about 5-8km at mara speed.
Is it okay to run my long runs faster than my regular easy runs? Usually do my long runs 10-20s/km faster and also add in about 5-8km at mara speed.
In a word, yes it's totally fine. Long runs are quality sessions, so you can start at a jog and build up to marathon pace at the end if it helps you enjoy the run more since you'll probably be doing a recovery run the next day. You can shuffle on your easy days too if you feel that's what necessary to help you kill it on your hard sessions.
If you're training for 5k-10k and under, then mixing in marathon pace running two-three months from your goal/peak race/time trial should do good, but lay off it a month before the race because it simply impedes recovery when your that close to a race. If you're training for 15k, half-mary, marathon type race then it's just practicing race pace.
From my understanding of running training, keeping a particular pace isn't important on easy days since easy days are used to keep blood flowing to the running muscles to not only help reduced recovery time, but to also get some running practice in. Running at marathon pace also provides similar training benefits to jogging, but perhaps slightly more fast-twitch fibers and the mental attitude that "I've ran faster than jogging pace on my long run days, so I'm definitely in great shape right now". It also depends on what you're trying to accomplish with your training.