Slow easiness wrote:
My PRs are 19:01, 39:12 for 5k and 10k respectively. According to what I've gathered, my easy pace is supposed to be in the vicinity of 8:00-8:30. However, I do most of them at around 9:00-9:30, sometimes even 10:00. For the past few weeks, I' tried to run them at the "correct" pace (i.e: right around 8:30), and I've been beaten down this week with pretty sore legs and now I have to revert to the usual 9:30-10:00. So, title says it all. why are my easy runs so slow? I know a guy with a slightly faster PR (18:30-ish 5k, 38:30-ish 10k), and he rarely goes slower than 8:00. What gives?
26, M, if that matters at all. (the guy I mentioned is also in his 20s)
Easy pace just varies a lot for people. For example, I can't remember who but a few years ago there were a pair of 2:11-2:12 marathon guys that were training partners but they never ran easy runs together because one guy ran his easy days at 6:00 pace day in day out like clockwork, and the other guy did his easy runs at 7:00-7:30 pace and ran poor workouts if he tried running faster on his easy days.
Point is, run the right pace for you on easy days. Easy runs should be at a conversational pace. If you can't hold a regular conversation you're going too fast. It varies a lot from one runner to another even if they run identical race times.