Daniels 2Q Training Plan - Am I running too slow?

Daniels does prescribe easy paces in his VDOT tables, although I find them to be a bit fast (at least for faster runners). For a runner with a marathon pace of 8:15 he suggests you run 9:00 - 10:00 pace on easy days, so you are hitting right in the middle of this range.

I'd say don't worry about what pace you are running on your easy days - run as slowly as you need to feel comfortable and to be well recovered for your next quality workout. If anything, try to increase your volume by keeping these runs easy - it looks like you might be running fairly low volume for marathon training. The main benefits of these easy runs are going to be pure aerobic conditioning (which isn't necessarily enhanced much by running 30s/mile or even 1min/mile faster) and durability / endurance.

As another option though, within your schedule I would use Friday as an optional medium effort day - make it longer than your other easy days but shorter than the quality workouts and run it on the faster end of easy if you want, but still keep it easy. Personally I tend to make it a few miles longer but at the same easy pace.

No need to run fast on non-workout days. Easy distance running will effectuate positive adaptations (increase mitochondria size and count, increase number of capillaries, strengthen muscles and connective tissues), and running harder will not materially improve those adaptations. Instead, they will increase the likelihood of injury and increase fatigue, which may negatively impact your ability to perform your workouts properly.

I don't mean this to sound obnoxious, but your question seems to suggest that you are looking at his plan, but have not read his book. I would suggest reading the book - tons of great info in there and it will help you perform your workouts better on the Q days.

You can also calibrate using a heart rate monitor if you don't think you know what "easy" should feel like. You might have to run VERY slowly to keep your HR low at first but it's a good process to go through if you haven't done it before. If you do this though, keep in mind that HR can be pretty heavily affected by factors outside of fitness like weather and hydration etc - having tracked HR for a long time I tend to trust perceived effort and breathing rate more, but I still find it to be useful at times to ensure easy runs are kept easy.

Smoove beating me to it again

Anyways, the primary reason for an easy run is to increase the heart's stroke volume. There are other reasons but this is the primary one for not going faster on easy days.

After a certain point during exercise, the heart's stroke volume levels off. This is roughly around the faster end of the easy pace range, but if this is the point of the easy run, it does not make sense to run harder than this point and get no benefit.

Easy runs also stimulate mitochondrial and capillary growth/development but this also happens at paces from roughly 50%-75% of vvo2max.

Plus there is the mental recovery aspect that needs to occur between hard workouts and that is best done by slowing down and enjoying the run.

So to answer your question, no

anyone who uses terms like Daniels 2Q or Pfitz 18/70 etc. is a newb or a hobby runner

Thanks for all the helpful replies everyone!

Re: Being a newb - Yup, I didn't claim to be anything more with a projected 8 min/mile marathon time. What's your point?

famous American clock cleaner wrote:

Smoove beating me to it again

Anyways, the primary reason for an easy run is to increase the heart's stroke volume. There are other reasons but this is the primary one for not going faster on easy days.

After a certain point during exercise, the heart's stroke volume levels off. This is roughly around the faster end of the easy pace range, but if this is the point of the easy run, it does not make sense to run harder than this point and get no benefit.

So to answer your question, no

Great information, thanks for explaining what the easy run helps develop. Do you think you could explain physiologically why easy running helps increase heart stroke volume? It sounds like hard running does too and it just doesn't make sense to run hard on your easy days when an easy run will accomplish the same thing, so I suppose my question is more directed towards why running in general increases heart stroke volume, and also exactly why increased heart stroke volume is beneficial for runners? Thank you! Uninformed HSer whose school didn't have anatomy/phys classes.

Increased stroke volume means that with each beat, your heart is passing more blood through your circulatory system. That system includes your lungs, where the blood picks up oxygen, and your muscle fibers, where it drops that oxygen off. The more blood you can move through your system with each beat of your heart, the more oxygen that you deliver to your muscles with each beat.