Easy run pace relative to 5k pace discussion

Nowadays I hover around 70-75% of my 5k pace on easy days. When I was younger, it was probably more like 80-85%

It's amazing to see such a non-consensus with respect to the best training methods. It's all over the board. Recognized, credentialed and experienced expert, coaches and athletes say one thing. Others with equal cred say the opposite.

It just goes to show how complex the human body is as a whole. We don't know s#it. Not because we're stupid, but because it's really complicated and all it's interrelated. There is a lot going on in the body from the cellular level up.

As such, it's probably best to go with a results-based approach (i.e. what's working), but even then, there are so many external variables that can impact results. But still, are you ever on the right path if you're over-thinking things?

NERunner053 wrote:

I'm usually around 2:00 +/- :30 slower on easy runs. Like others have said easy running is by feel. I start most easy days slow & the pace naturally gets a bit faster without me pushing it. My 5k is 5:10. Sometimes easy runs average sub-7, 7-flat, 7:30, 7:45 if I did a hard workout or hard long run the day before. You can usually tell if you're pushing too hard on an easy run. I think heart rate can be helpful too. My easy runs usually are in the 130s-140s range. I don't think it's doing much for me if I catch some miles in the 150s/160s on an easy day. It's basically just prolonging recovery without giving me a stimulus.

Shut up, democrat.

Road Racer wrote:

I think it changes (difference grows) as you get older. When I was 20 and ran 15:40 (5:03) my easy days were 6:30-7:00 (1:30-2:00 slower). When I was 35 and ran 16:20 (5:16) my easy days were 7:00-7:30 (1:45-2:15 slower). I'm now 45 and 17:10 shape (5:32) and I run easy days 7:45-8:15 (2:15-2:45 slower). I don't know if this is just because I don't feel as good as often as I used to or if I am just wiser now, but it seems the spread between race pace and easy pace grows as you age.

You have to think of it in percentages instead of absolute time. You can't just add 90 secs to your 5K pace. In percent, they're probably comparable.

Multiple paced training is best.

I once got injured running several minutes slower than I usually ran because

I decided to slow down for a friend on a YMCA indoor track.

Too often we forget to build different training in gradually.

It really depends on the person, and your overall condition/fitness. At my peak (5:30 5k pace) I ran easy days between 7:30 and 8:00 pace, so 2-2:30 slower thank 5k pace. Right now, after just beginning running again, I ran a 5k in 20:06 (6:25-ish) and have been running between 7:45 and 8:15 pace, though I can probably run about 19:00 or 6:10-ish pace, so it is close to 1:30-2:00 slower than 5k pace. Since it sounds you are early on in your running career, easy pace is something that can be best found out through experience, which you do not have a lot of yet - and at this point in your career, it is probably better to be on the slow end than high, so as to avoid burning out and lack of recovery. Just make sure your recovery or easy runs truly feel easy.

I do my easy runs 2:00-2:15 slower than 5k pace.

I think that the primary benefit of easy running is to improve heart strength (blood stroke volume) and you get the max benefit of that at around 60-65% of max heart rate. If you run faster than that, you might get the placebo effect of thinking you're running great, but in reality you're just over training. You could be getting the same benefit at a slower pace and be more recovered.

Good article that speaks to both sides of easy runs too easy and easy runs too hard.

http://www.logicoflongdistance.com/2013/01/what-is-easy-run.html

deleuze wrote:

Good article that speaks to both sides of easy runs too easy and easy runs too hard.

http://www.logicoflongdistance.com/2013/01/what-is-easy-run.html

Interesting. If I run my regular easy/steady runs at the sort of pace I ought to in theory, say using a heart-monitor, other than on days where I'm really tired, I would have to consciously hold back.

It might be a bit different because of age (62), and years of training (45+), but if I'm fit and don't look at my watch my 5 mile steady run is going to be in the 7:30 region. If I'm just doing steady running and no 'workouts' I can pretty much do that day in day out. I do run a lot slower on long runs, as I switch them from road to trail, specifically to slow things down and not focus on pace. If I go on the local trails and do an hour and 30 minutes, it might be more like a glorified hike.

I was always more a fast-twitch guy - 3000m was probably my best distance, and I could hold on and run a reasonable 5000m or 10000m (17:30, 37:04 in my mid-50s), but my half-marathon and marathon were very slow, with my marathon being about 1:15 per mile slower than my 10k pace (and that was an even paced marathon, not blowing up).

Consequently, all the stuff about easy/steady pace relative to marathon pace is way off for me, and I's say I'd be about 1:15 per mile off my 5k pace. At that, I'm generally about 80% of HR reserve at somewhere around 125-127.

I recently did 6 miles with a 3 mile tempo at 6:50 in the middle and the HR only went to mid 140s (max of 165).

I think it's part of the old guy thing of LT pace and Vo2 max pace getting close together with age, and part being a fast-twitch guy with a big cardio.

The slow days are not meant to "stimulate" the aerobic system. They are to help your body recover from the hard workouts so you actually get stronger. You also build mitochondira & increased capillary adaptation at the "too slow" pace.

I’ve always took it pretty easy on easy days, but I’ve also had a very high HR as well.

5k+2:30 is usually around 160 BPM

This summer I jumped from 60 MPW to an aggressive 78, and was running 5k+2:50 some days when the mileage was hitting the legs pretty hard. Now, I’ve for the most part adapted after a month at 75-78 and easy pace has been back down to +2:30

I run by feel but do like looking at my splits while running easy to see where my legs are at

A very good easy pace is about 1 min 50 sec per mile slower than 5 k race pace .

-Magic calculater -

I guess y'all don't hit the hills enough.

When I was in my 20s and early 30s I typically did easy runs at 90s or so slower than 5k race pace.

Now in my 50s it's a little closer to 2 minutes slower.

^ agree

Man Overboard wrote:

When I was in my 20s and early 30s I typically did easy runs at 90s or so slower than 5k race pace.

Now in my 50s it's a little closer to 2 minutes slower.

I'm finding out slowing down my EZ runs since training began on 2/6 is paying off big. Up to 930 miles and about 50-55 mpw easily since mid-May without an issue, plus I'm able to either take Fridays off and/or run a simple 3-4 EZ before my big runs on Saturday.

1) I'm able to run longer and stronger.

2) Workouts don't kill me.

3) Doing them after workouts allows me to feel fresher for the day after the EZ run (whether it's another workout, a long run, a tempo, whatever).

4) Even just staying truly EZ by feel (not by watch), the times themselves are getting faster. I won't look at splits during the EZ run, just the finishing time and divide it by mileage. I'll run it with a basic wristwatch and not my Garmin. On more specialized workouts like my tempos, workouts or LR I'll switch to the Fenix 5S.

Based on my strava observations, "easy" pace has no correlation to race pace. Plenty of 20-24 5Kers running 7 minute miles whilst I do 17:20 on 8 minute miles. Seen a few others who run 18 5K on 8 minute miles.

It depends. If I’m fresh, I’ll run at 6:00-6:05, but if I’m tired I’ll run at 7:00 or slower.

My 5k pace is only 5:10, but my 3200 pace is a tiny bit under 4:30.

20:02 5k and I do 9:15-9:30 for easy stuff. HR is usually avg in the mid 140s