My easy pace was consistently about 1:30-1:45 slower than my race pace. Unfortunately my hip, back and ankle make it near impossible to run never mind race anymore. Last race pace in 2022, 8:05, training pace 9:30-10:00/mi.
My easy pace was consistently about 1:30-1:45 slower than my race pace. Unfortunately my hip, back and ankle make it near impossible to run never mind race anymore. Last race pace in 2022, 8:05, training pace 9:30-10:00/mi.
This is only halfway relevant if you specify which race (distance) are you talking about.
Mid-D perspective for a road heavy thread-
I'm a postcollegiate trying to squeeze out a few mildly competitive years and maybe sneak into a weak indoor USA field
Easy pace 7:30-8:15 on roads, 10-12'+ on trails
Last season indoors 1:51 800 / 2:26 1000 / 4:12 Mile. I split a 16:05 5k in a continuous 200/200 workout, maybe I could've ran 15:30 in a TT
9:00 / 6:40
Easy pace between 6:50-7:20 with the occasional days closer to 8. Long runs were typically a more moderate effort around 5:50-6:30. Race pace was 4:36 for 5k (14:20) and 4:24 for 3k (8:13). I feel like easy pace is directly correlated to the type of training you do, if you’re doing mostly Vo2 sessions then easy days have to be easier than if you were doing loads of threshold.
30M currently running anywhere from 50~65 MPW
Easy pace has been 7:10~7:50/mi
Last week's 5k race pace was 5:10~5:15/mi
M26
Easy pace from 6:35-7:10 (I know 6:35 is probably too fast, but it's a bad habit)
Most recent race: 2:36 @Chicago (5:50ish pace)
5k pace: 4:40
easy pace: 7:00-8:00
I notice as I get fitter, my easy runs slow down, usually from residual fatigue from hard sessions and more mechanical stress
28M here:
2:29 marathon, 32:20 10K, 1:11:40 half
Easy paces are 6:40-6:45 on good days or lower mileage; 6:50-7:10 on the majority of runs; and 7:20-7:30 on hot/humid days here in DC, or if I’m feeling particularly tired at peak mileage of ~115mpw.
Honestly, I think that one of the best things you can do for your running is to make easy days truly *feel* easy. HR has too many day-to-day fluctuations for it to be a reliable metric for me—your mileage may vary, as it were—but RPE is trusty as long as you don’t lie to yourself; you *know* deep down if a run is really feeling easy or not.
I went through a period where I ran all my non-workout mileage between 6:05-6:25, and all it got me was mediocre workouts/races and multiple overuse injuries. Now, I’m content to set the Strava ego aside and have my first mile on a cold, dark recovery run be 7:45 if it needs to be 7:45z
When I was doing {marathon: 2:38 , half: 1:14} on 90-100 MPW, easy paces were 8:00 - 8:45. I remember seeing a lot of 8:20-30s. Sub-8:10 was a peppy day.
I'm not in as good shape now (but also fewer mpw), and easy paces are about the same.
SethJamesNoMore wrote:
28M here:
2:29 marathon, 32:20 10K, 1:11:40 half
Easy paces are 6:40-6:45 on good days or lower mileage; 6:50-7:10 on the majority of runs; and 7:20-7:30 on hot/humid days here in DC, or if I’m feeling particularly tired at peak mileage of ~115mpw.
Honestly, I think that one of the best things you can do for your running is to make easy days truly *feel* easy. HR has too many day-to-day fluctuations for it to be a reliable metric for me—your mileage may vary, as it were—but RPE is trusty as long as you don’t lie to yourself; you *know* deep down if a run is really feeling easy or not.
I went through a period where I ran all my non-workout mileage between 6:05-6:25, and all it got me was mediocre workouts/races and multiple overuse injuries. Now, I’m content to set the Strava ego aside and have my first mile on a cold, dark recovery run be 7:45 if it needs to be 7:45z
why was that even downvoted? Pretty sound advice.
I run my easy runs slower than 9:00 minutes. Usually around 9:30. Only running 10-15 mpw.
I ran a five mile turkey trot at a 6:23 average this year.
AstroRun wrote:
Easy pace: 7:00-9:00+/mi (rarely faster than 7:30)
Last race pace: 73 min half = 5:35/mi
I used to care how fast I ran my easy days, but as I've gotten faster I've actually run my easy days slower. Currently training for a sub-2:30 marathon and during my peak mileage weeks I never ran faster than 8:00/mi on my easy runs, but obviously workout days were much faster. Now that I'm tapering my easy days are closer to 7:30/mi as I'm starting to feel fresher. In my opinion, easy should be a feeling, not a pace.
Update: Ran a 2:25 marathon yesterday and double-checked my easy paces over my 12 week build: 90% of my easy runs were slower than 7:30/mi and more than half were slower than 8:00/mi. I often ran 9:00/mi on days after workouts.
My easy runs are around 11 minutes a mile and my last 10k was at 6:45 pace.