Should I run 9 minute miles on easy runs?

yes, way too fast for your level.

You should run easy days in the 9-10m per mile range.

What is your max heart rate?

What's your max heart rate pegasus2020? Your easy runs should not exceed 75% of your max. If you don't know your max, run an 800 all out, check your hr, take 2:00 rec, and then run a 400 all out and check hr again.

no harm in giving it a try and seeing how you feel. Pete Magill's "fast 5k" book (key 4: "slow down your distance runs") gives, for a 20:00 5k runner, these pace ranges:

easy/recovery: 9:10-10:55/mile

distance pace [regular runs, essentially]: 8:15-9:35

As these wide ranges imply, I think there's a lot of variability in what makes sense on a given day -- how tired you are, recent or upcoming workouts, the weather, hilliness of course........and much to be said for paying more attention to how you feel than to one specific target pace.

good luck with your training and racing.

pegasus2020 wrote:

I do the majority of my runs at 8:20-8:30 pace with a heart rate around 144. My 5k is 19:50-20:10.

Would I get more aerobic benefit from dropping down to 9 minute miles?

I don't go slower than 8 minute miles because it feels awkward to me - like I am shuffling my feet. Sometimes I have to stop myself from dipping into 7 minute miles on easy runs especially when my legs are fresh. I don't really know what pace I should be aiming for...

You should run your easy normal runs at just sub 9 or 9 pace out from your best 5 k race times, but

to me it looks you have a much better capacity at 5 k when you can easily run 8:20-8:30 mile pace and still just have a pulse of 144. That points more to an ability to run 5 k at 18-18:30 min . So, it looks you are fine with 8:15- 8:30 mile pace when running easy distance , but I guess you don`t know how to best complement with maxVO2 and LT intervals to reach that racing times.

1. If you don't have a chest strap to measure heart rate, and you are only using an optical measurement from a watch, then don't take the reading too seriously. You also won't be able to get an accurate measurement during the time of running an 800 like suggested as a test here.

2. According to your 5k PB: if that is your current fitness level, then, according to McMillan's calculator, your easy pace should be 7:15-8:15. So it makes sense that when you feel better, you naturally drop into the 7's. Just run by feel. If your pace is in the 7's that's okay, if it's in the 8's, that's okay too. You shouldn't need to make a conscious decision to force yourself to slow down or speed up on an easy run. Just let the pace be what it will while you run easy. Just run, baby.

3. You are not going to get any aerobic benefit from forcing yourself to slow down. You will have trouble recovering if you are lying to yourself about what feels easy and running too fast. However, depending on how you feel on any given day, your easy pace could be 7:15-8:15. According to McMillan, your recovery jog pace (within a day after a hard workout) could be 8:20-9:00.

(Note: My comments reference:

https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

, which I have found to be pretty helpful.)

Sorry I had to create a new account again to post.

I was looking back through my runs.

Today was 6 miles at 8:25 pace with a hr of 144.

Wednesday I did a 13.2 mile run at 8:21 pace with a hr of 145.

On Monday I did a 7.8 mile run at 7:38 pace with a hr of 156.

My last 5k was a month ago but it was 20:07 with a hr of 162.

The maximum heart rate I have seen is 165, but it seems to be going down over time. Since April I've doubled my mileage from 15 to 30 mpw. I threw in a 45 mile week last week.

Thanks

Yeah I've been trying to do just that; run by feel. Thanks for the suggestions!

No way his easy pace is 4'30-5'05/km when his 5k pace is 4'/km.

I don't know this calculator but it is either complete BS or you are doing something wrong with it.

OP is running all his runs way too fast.

144 vs 162 HR in 5k race confirms he is way too fast.

Assuming you have something like 170MHR.

You easy run should be around 120. Even less on recovery days...

Easy should be an effort not a strict pace. It should be at a conversational pace that feels comfortable. You shouldn't be straining.

We don't know anything about OP. I infer that he's fairly new to running and that his weekly mileage is fairly low. If these are true, then he doesn't need to worry about recovery as much as if he were running higher mileage. Also, if he is just starting aerobic development, then maybe there is no running pace where he can keep his heart rate down at 120.

We also don't know age.

I've been saying "he" because most posters here are dudes, but for all we know, he's a girl.

How long does it take to achieve significant aerobic development?

I have been hitting at least 30mpw for 11 weeks now. Improved a lot but I've read that this is a process that takes months / years.

I'm 32, 5'10, 138-145 lbs.

when was your last 5k and was it an all out effort?

It was about 4 weeks ago; 20:07. It was close to a max effort, but I pace myself and I also have to slow down for traffic, run onto verges to get around pedestrians etc.

I pace myself by aiming for 1:36 for the first 400m, then 2:24 for 600m etc (basically sticking to 6:26 pace). Then after the first mile I try to speed up.

So you might do low 19' in better conditions and with your shape improving.

But still you are running too fast every day.

Training and races are very very different.

Normally I disagree with JS, but yeah, if 8:20-30 is indeed your regular easy pace and that 144 BPM is under 75% of your MHR, then you're in much better shape than a 20-mins 5k. When I just broke sub-40 for 10k, my easy pace hovered around 8:30-9:00 (and 9:30+ when I was tired).

pegasus20202 wrote:

It was about 4 weeks ago; 20:07. It was close to a max effort, but I pace myself and I also have to slow down for traffic, run onto verges to get around pedestrians etc.

Now it really sound to be suspicious ;) )) You chose to do a TT where you have to look out for traffic and pedestrians, and you have told it feels almost like a walk to run 9 mile pace and you can`t run slower than 8:20-8:30 pace with a pulse of 144 when your MHR seem to be around 165 ?? There is something wrong here....... )) A troll thread? I can only see 2 options now.. 1) this is a troll thread 2) You don`t do any quality work as maxVO2 or LT intervals.

George213 wrote:

[quote]Jan Stensson , Coach JS wrote:

[quote]pegasus2020 wrote:

I do the majority of my runs at 8:20-8:30 pace with a heart rate around 144. My 5k is 19:50-20:10.

Would I get more aerobic benefit from dropping down to 9 minute miles?

I don't go slower than 8 minute miles because it feels awkward to me - like I am shuffling my feet. Sometimes I have to stop myself from dipping into 7 minute miles on easy runs especially when my legs are

Normally I disagree with JS, but yeah, if 8:20-30 is indeed your regular easy pace and that 144 BPM is under 75% of your MHR, then you're in much better shape than a 20-mins 5k. When I just broke sub-40 for 10k, my easy pace hovered around 8:30-9:00 (and 9:30+ when I was tired).

Didn't understand 2 things from this thread:

1. How does one have 165bpm HR as Max for 5k unless it's not allout effort? Shouldn't it be around 180-190 by end of 5k? ( 30 yr old)

2. Also, in which way 144bpm is under 75% of MHR when OP posted his MHR for that particular 5k is 165?

Jan Stensson , Coach JS wrote:

I can only see 2 options now.. 1) this is a troll thread 2) You don`t do any quality work as maxVO2 or LT intervals.

Yeah, obviously he's pretty new to running. He might not even know what those terms mean. Or maybe he has heard of them but never applied them to his own training.