Steady State Runs are a Hidden Gem

Yes. This is the exact type of run our team does when we aren't doing a workout.

No need for big mileage or slow paces because the goal is to run 3.1 miles with guts. Many big mileage slugger guys I've talked to end up failing.

Yep. Eradicate Easy and Tempos because Steadys take care of both really. Then just focus on interval work on the track like 200s, 400s, or whatever in preparation for your event.

Sure. Just run too fast everyday. That will work out well over the long term.

Sure. Just run too slow everyday. That will work out well over the long term.

fastboy77 wrote:

Yep. Eradicate Easy and Tempos because Steadys take care of both really. Then just focus on interval work on the track like 200s, 400s, or whatever in preparation for your event.

I disagree. You still need a tempo. For mental strength training. Plus, it's the one workout that best simulates a race.

Get quick bro.

I see that you understand either extreme is a bad idea.

I'm not familiar with the concept. Sounds like the pace is faster than easy, but slower than tempo. Marathon or half marathon kind of pace? Coach me up, fastboy77.

It's simply a pace that is not easy (like the traditional jog easy runs) but not hard (like an interval workout or a race). It can be maintained for the duration of your run but it leaves you feeling tired. So yes, you're right, essentially a pace in between easy and tempo that can be done basically everyday, especially during base building.

The point I was trying to make that its like an easy run-tempo run hybrid that you can do EVERYDAY. it has all the same physiological benefits of easy runs since it is all aerobic but the intensity is enough to build stamina like tempo runs. It's on the rise and the future of training in my honest opinion.

-fastboy77

Yeah I understand. Too slow is definitely bad. It feels terrible and takes forever. Too fast... errr you know immediately when you're running too fast. I usually get my runs right in that in-between effort zone for my steady runs so it never is or was a problem.

Do you agree though that steady running is basically a tempo run-easy run hybrid, with physiological benefits and increased stamina respectively?

wasnt these type of runs called "junk miles" by many?

The amount of people who think “junk miles” are bad but also think adding a 2 mile shakeout in the morning is going to catapult your fitness amazes me.

I refer to the pace sham and fastboy are describing “base pace”.

I think doing moderate long runs is somewhat fashionable these days [read or listen back to Canova] but runs between workouts seem to be still done at easy pace

Not sure what pace you are talking about, but I guess it falls linearly between easy pace and marathon pace? I tend to do some of my long runs on this pace, though after doing 13 or 14 mile on this pace I need more recovery time. A serious workout 48 hours afterwards, would be mediocre [e.g. if I would do 6x1200 on the track I need to run them 5 seconds slower, or do less volume].

So in practice, if I do not have time for a workout on Tuesday and would do it on Wednesday instead, I would tend to push it a bit more in my long run on Sunday.

I almost never do my easy runs in this moderate pace, unless I have a day where I need to hurry [e.g. I want to run a certain loop during the day in between other obligations].

I love steady state runs but I believe I do them to often. You wont train running econnomy effecticely unless you run at competition speed. I love them, but if you are to run a half marathon or anything faster I believe it wont be good enough

Not trying to invalidate your experience but steady state runs might work for someone but not for me. I've had time were I was grinding out really good steady state runs and thought I was doing well, but raced worse than expected. I became a low-key advocate of the Seiler "polarized" approach.

fastboy77 wrote:

Do you agree though that steady running is basically a tempo run-easy run hybrid, with physiological benefits and increased stamina respectively?

I agree that you gain physiological benefits from steady state runs.

I disagree that they’re an tempo-easy run hybrid in the sense that easy runs should be, in my opinion, done at a steady aerobic effort that still allows for recovery. For me this is between 138-152 HR whilst steady state for me is between 155-165. Steady state is as you’ve described it, not too hard not too easy however it still leaves my legs a little fatigued which means it isn’t viable for daily use.

Along with this, tempo runs in my opinion are there to build strength & aerobic power but also importantly used to train the bodies ability to buffer lactate for long periods of time. More efficient lactate buffering/clearance means increased ability to run at fast paces without building lactate. However, it takes a certain effort (168-178 HR for me) to reach this zone of building and buffering lactate at an almost 1:1 ratio and the steady state doesn’t reach that level of intensity unless done for a long time (I would steady state my whole long run).

I think it’s great that we’re trying to get back to good discussions on let’s run without resorting to name calling! ?

Depends on objective: improve running and do some road races§ Feel the social benefits along with improved health from persistent exercise? If so, this is the right forum.

However, if you want to race on the track or on CC course, then you must do so.

One way to prepare is to do intervals, literally break up the race distance into segments.

Interval training is so effective that those who do it correctly, or nearly so, can expect to easily beat anyone who does not. There are exceptions, of course.

Easy runs are useless, unless one means easy compared to their faster runs. To be competitive in HS, there is no point in running slower than 7:30 pace. This eliminates a lot of mileage for HS students, especially the HS fresh-soph.

Once a junior or senior in HS, to be competitive, nothing slower than 7 min/mile. Long runs should cap at 1 hour (probably 45 min for fresh-soph).

In college? To be competitive on track or CC? Nothing slower than 6:30 miles. Because CC is 10k for men in D1 (women are wise enough to only do 6k and Div III is only 8k), the mileage tends to go up substantially, concurrent with a much faster pace. This combination of high mileage at fast paces is why so many great HS runners "burn out" and why too many college coaches relied on African imports (much older runners) to run CC and to run the 5k and 10k in track.

International CC is 12k, and I've run a race or two, and that is much too long for me to race effectively. However, the older, experienced distance runners don't seem to mind racing that far.

I don't use the term 'tempo runs'. I guess that is what we used to call power runs. We would do a power run at least once a month off-season. A power run is nearly race pace for the distance run. This is very effective training, because all the runs can then be a faster pace for the same effort. However, we didn't do power runs even bi-weekly. The goal is to race fast, and once the season starts, there was at least one race every week.

Steady state runs should be the bread and butter of distance runners.

While doing long runs in a steady manner is a good way to prepare for a marathon. But the science shows doing easy runs in zone 3 has no more benefit than zone 1 or 2. And in fact maybe negative as the higher stress of them increases the chance of injuries. And they have no real benefit compared to work done in zone 4. It's best to keep easy runs easy. Now if you're in a base phase and aren't doing any workouts, just do a few progression runs a week. I.e. first 20-45 minutes easy and than progressing the next 15-30 minutes at a real good tempo.