Is there a thing as going too slow on an easy run?

title answer : no

if you feel worse when slower that is because you never run slow enough so your body is not used to it. Do it more often after hard workouts and you will be fine

Mk123 wrote:

So a 6 mile that should only take you 45 minutes or less being done in a longer duration is bad.

Is what I'm saying correct or have any significance?

Run by time. Don't increase time on your feet on a recovery day. If you plan to run for 45 minutes, then don't run longer than 45 minutes. If you run slower, then you won't run as far. That's okay.

I would say that there is no such thing as going too slow on an easy run until you aren't running.

If 7:30 is truly your easy pace on most days, then I can't imagine that you would ever comfortably run 9:00-10:00 min./mi. If you feel really beat up or tired, I would guess that you might float up to 8:30+ some day, but I doubt that would happen very often. You shouldn't have to consciously think about slowing down and try to run slower. You should just minimize the effort that you're putting in and the pace will result from that.

I would guess that you can go out and start running at 7:30 pace then slow down and running will feel easier. Then if you continue slowing down, eventually it will not feel like it's getting any easier. You don't need to slow down any more than that.

Well yes, if you were jogging at 14 min miles or something like that.

One of the most annoying runs I ever went on was a three mile run after a bunch of intervals on BYU's indoor track. Bundled up because it was cold and getting dark outside one winter day. Went for a three mile cool down run with Doug Padilla and Paul Cummings (RIP) and a few others. Paul and Doug ran sooo sloooooow. Not sure what the pace was as I never ran that slow. It wasn't even close to 8:00 mile pace. Didn't use a watch because it was just a recovery run.

Slow run wrote:

One of the most annoying runs I ever went on was a three mile run after a bunch of intervals on BYU's indoor track. Bundled up because it was cold and getting dark outside one winter day. Went for a three mile cool down run with Doug Padilla and Paul Cummings (RIP) and a few others. Paul and Doug ran sooo sloooooow. Not sure what the pace was as I never ran that slow. It wasn't even close to 8:00 mile pace. Didn't use a watch because it was just a recovery run.

I'm in 16:15 5k shape atm, and ran a 55 min easy run today in 8:45/mile. If you do workouts right, you wouldn't want to run any faster on your easy days. These days are when recovery takes place after quality workouts.

Sure, I could run around 6:50/mile every day for 50 mins if I wanted to (not doing any workouts), but that wouldn't be efficient training. I'd just condition my body to run 6:50/mile, and if I had to enter a race at say 5:10/mile, I would fall apart after a few minutes.

What? I ran my over distance at 6:30 to 7:00 pace and could race at a much faster clip. John Walker was said to have done much of his easy running at 5:30 pace, but could still manage to run a little faster than that in races.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

LateRunnerPhil wrote:

I'm in 16:15 5k shape atm, and ran a 55 min easy run today in 8:45/mile. If you do workouts right, you wouldn't want to run any faster on your easy days. These days are when recovery takes place after quality workouts.

Sure, I could run around 6:50/mile every day for 50 mins if I wanted to (not doing any workouts), but that wouldn't be efficient training. I'd just condition my body to run 6:50/mile, and if I had to enter a race at say 5:10/mile, I would fall apart after a few minutes.

What? I ran my over distance at 6:30 to 7:00 pace and could race at a much faster clip. John Walker was said to have done much of his easy running at 5:30 pace, but could still manage to run a little faster than that in races.

Rupp/Farah did easy runs at ~5:30/mi too, Cain did them at 6:30/mi. All roughly ~80-90s/mile above 5k race pace. Sure, they are getting a lot of bang for the buck, but it only works if they can recover and still hit their key workouts.

These are runners with VO2MAX values in the 80s (70s for female), or in other words - their aerobic system is extremely strong. Because they can still recover and hit key workouts running 80-90s/mile above 5k pace on their easy days, doesn't mean the average Joe can. Someone who only runs a 15-20 min 5k, has a lower VO2MAX, in the 50s-mid 60s, and will need a slower easy pace to recover from key workouts.

I assume muscle fibers also have to do with it, someone with lots of ST can run long and at a decent clip, a FT guy will struggle with faster paces on a daily basis since he can't always just recruit his FT fibers. Farah and Rupp are obviously very ST, but the average Joe might be a 50/50 mix and unable to do easy runs in 7:30/mi if his 5k race pace is 6:00/mi.

The goal of an easy run is purely to strengthen the heart and build the mitochondria and that happens at a pretty low heart rate. If you keep that in mind, and as long as you're actually running and using good form, then no, there's really no such thing as too slow. Usually if people are sore after going super slow its because they were using bad mechanics (increased ground contact time, swaying hips, buckling knees). I'm in 14:35-14:40 5k shape rn and I'll do at least one run around 8:20-8:30 a week. There are pro's that regularly run 9-flats or slower (Cheptegei). If they can do it, we absolutely can. Whatever it takes to feel good for the workouts i guess.

Impala31 wrote:

title answer : no

if you feel worse when slower that is because you never run slow enough so your body is not used to it. Do it more often after hard workouts and you will be fine

You keep saying this on every freaking thread. You are wrong. You can run too easy. Say a 16:30 guy runs in the 9-10 min per mile pace. That is too slow to cause any adaptation. It does zero for you. It doesnt even help to circulate your blood to aid in recovery. I am an 18:30 guy presently (30 years past my 15 flat prime) and I jogged an 8:30 mile the other day for a cool down. My HR was about 65% max and I was litterally shuffling. That was probably the slowest I will ever run and still call it a run.

My gf has run under 31:15 for 10km and on easy runs she’ll poke along at 9+ minute pace.

My friend has run 28:08 and does his easy recovery runs at 8:40-9:00 pace.

So don’t tell me crap about how anything slower than 8:30 isn’t beneficial.

You please stop wrote:

My gf has run under 31:15 for 10km and on easy runs she’ll poke along at 9+ minute pace.

My friend has run 28:08 and does his easy recovery runs at 8:40-9:00 pace.

So don’t tell me crap about how anything slower than 8:30 isn’t beneficial.

Don't get so salty, bro. I didn't say anything to you. I'm calling out this Impala clown who acts like he's the bee's knees of slow running.

You please stop wrote:

My gf has run under 31:15 for 10km and on easy runs she’ll poke along at 9+ minute pace.

My friend has run 28:08 and does his easy recovery runs at 8:40-9:00 pace.

So don’t tell me crap about how anything slower than 8:30 isn’t beneficial.

I took some pride in my running and there was no way I was going to be seen in public running 9:00 miles. Anything slower than 7:00 felt kind of crappy. I defined jogging as 8:00 pace or slower and was irritated when people asked me how many miles I jogged each day.

Please Stop wrote:

Impala31 wrote:

title answer : no

if you feel worse when slower that is because you never run slow enough so your body is not used to it. Do it more often after hard workouts and you will be fine

You keep saying this on every freaking thread. You are wrong. You can run too easy. Say a 16:30 guy runs in the 9-10 min per mile pace. That is too slow to cause any adaptation. It does zero for you. It doesnt even help to circulate your blood to aid in recovery. I am an 18:30 guy presently (30 years past my 15 flat prime) and I jogged an 8:30 mile the other day for a cool down. My HR was about 65% max and I was litterally shuffling. That was probably the slowest I will ever run and still call it a run.

Impala is right and you are wrong.

Maybe you are right when it comes to your particular case but maybe you are not.

LateRunnerPhil wrote:

I'm in 16:15 5k shape atm, and ran a 55 min easy run today in 8:45/mile. If you do workouts right, you wouldn't want to run any faster on your easy days. These days are when recovery takes place after quality workouts.

You come here spouting your pseudo-Tinmanitis and saying things like "If you do your workouts right" and then mention one of your relevant examples.

How about your easy run at 6:09/mile pace? Is that doing workouts right as well?

Please Stop wrote:

Impala31 wrote:

title answer : no

if you feel worse when slower that is because you never run slow enough so your body is not used to it. Do it more often after hard workouts and you will be fine

You keep saying this on every freaking thread. You are wrong. You can run too easy. Say a 16:30 guy runs in the 9-10 min per mile pace. That is too slow to cause any adaptation. It does zero for you. It doesnt even help to circulate your blood to aid in recovery. I am an 18:30 guy presently (30 years past my 15 flat prime) and I jogged an 8:30 mile the other day for a cool down. My HR was about 65% max and I was litterally shuffling. That was probably the slowest I will ever run and still call it a run.

Yeah, Please Stop, you are just wrong on this. I’m a 16:50 5k / 2:49 Marathon guy, and my standard recovery run is in the 8:20 range. When my wife is doing a half marathon cycle, I’ll do 10-14 mile long runs with her at 10:30s, and I always notice a jump in my fitness from the extra couple hours a week at very low intensity. Slow and easy is a great way to build fitness with low stress.

this is interesting. I made a thread on this in the past 2 weeks as well. I don't know my speed, anywhere from 6 to 6:15 5k pace I would think at the moment. I typically run 8:15 to 8:40 on my easy runs when solo. But 2x per week, i run with some very slow people between 9:30 and 10:00 pace. I somehow manage to keep a cadence of 180 on these runs, and my heart rate ends up averaging 125 to 130. So I would guess that I am getting something out of it. IT does feel painfully slow--especially the first couple miles. But I feel pretty good through the week and I enjoy their company so it is like getting 15 free miles for the week.

I feel like you shouldn't even track the pace of your easy runs.

Run a loop you are familiar with or run for a certain time. But don't worry about pace. Just run an easy effort.

If you are tracking the pace it means you are thinking about adjusting your pace depending on how fast or slow you think you should be going.

That's not what the easy run is for.

That said. Yes, I do think you can go too slow because you eventually get some sort of rhythm even during an easy run. Shuffling your feet isn't running, even if that disqualifies you in a race walk.

No, you should run at whatever pace feels easy.

Don't overthink it

You please stop wrote:

My gf has run under 31:15 for 10km and on easy runs she’ll poke along at 9+ minute pace.

My friend has run 28:08 and does his easy recovery runs at 8:40-9:00 pace.

So don’t tell me crap about how anything slower than 8:30 isn’t beneficial.

Who's your GF? Molly Huddlel? Those times are bordering on world class...