I try to keep my regular runs as a very easy jog in 8 minute mile pace. Is this appropriate for an 18 minute runner (hoping to reach 17 minute 5k in the near future)?
I do a tempo, an interval session and a long run each week, and I usually feel tired to go much faster than 8 pace.
Forget about the pace, if you need it one day to run intervals well enough go for it.
Easy pace sounds about right to me. But if you are very tired, maybe consider -
- Did you recently increase mileage? Possibly a bit too much too soon?
- Could you benefit from a down week? Have you done one in a while?
- Is your long run at a slightly slower pace than your easy runs? Advanced runners will have faster paces for all or part of their weekly long runs, but imo probably not the most productive for 17-18 min runners. I'm not an expert but I believe this is correct.
- Is your long run overly long for current fitness? Have you increased it too much too soon recently?
- Is your tempo run at the right pace, or are you pushing it too hard?
- Is your tempo run possibly too long for your current fitness?
- Are you hammering your interval session too hard?
- Are you possibly running too many extra miles before/after your tempo/interval sessions? Some runners will benefit from the extra easy mileage, some are just wearing themselves out with unhelpful slow jogging/slogging. Depends on you, and your current fitness.
- Too many strides during the week? With 3 hard sessions, at your level (17-18 min) you could probably just do a few short sprints after the tempo session.
- Do you have 1 day off per week? As a 17-18 min runner, I'd suggest that this would yield better results than one more day of running, given that you have 3 hard days per week. Remember that rest/recovery is part of training.
- Could you benefit from converting 1 easy day to a cross-training day, say maybe alternating bike / pool / elliptical / whatever? Some runners will actually do better with this, because the running-specific movement gets a break but you are still getting basic cardiovascular training.
- Are you also lifting? That can be tough with 3 hard sessions, but it may be ok if you keep leg days away from easy run days and off days.
Just some thoughts, hope this helps.
Easy is easy, not a pace. As long as your are hitting workout paces, easy run pace does not matter. If running 30 seconds slower per mile on your easy day allows you to go 5 seconds per mile faster on workouts, that is definitely worth it.
I run 7:30-8:30 paced easy runs but my workouts are fast. I’ve ran low 14s 5k.
I see other schools doing “easy” runs at 6:30-7:00 yet they’re doing slower workouts and even slower races.
Even look at Molly Seidel, high mileage, quality workouts, and not afraid to post 8-9 min pace runs. That’s why she’s the best women American marathoner.
Mid 15s. Recovery runs are 8-8:40, easy runs are 7:20-8. If anything you are running too fast IMO.
52353463 wrote:
I try to keep my regular runs as a very easy jog in 8 minute mile pace. Is this appropriate for an 18 minute runner (hoping to reach 17 minute 5k in the near future)?
I do a tempo, an interval session and a long run each week, and I usually feel tired to go much faster than 8 pace.
If 8 minutes feels very easy and you're going hard during your workout days, then I think it's fine. You need recovery days balance your hard days, so if you're not going to take days totally off, then they need to be easy, that is easy enough to be recovering, not trying squeeze one more half-workout day.
What I do on my easy days is not look at the pace on the watch at all. At least not until I'm done.
Remind yourself that for every bit you go too fast on your easy days, you're stealing from your workout days.
52353463 wrote:
I try to keep my regular runs as a very easy jog in 8 minute mile pace. Is this appropriate for an 18 minute runner (hoping to reach 17 minute 5k in the near future)?
I do a tempo, an interval session and a long run each week, and I usually feel tired to go much faster than 8 pace.
No it might be too fast actually. 8 pace is your high end easy pace. 820-830 is absolutely fine. Don't worry about listening to your body. Don't look at pace during easy runs.
52353463 wrote:
I try to keep my regular runs as a very easy jog in 8 minute mile pace. Is this appropriate for an 18 minute runner (hoping to reach 17 minute 5k in the near future)?
I do a tempo, an interval session and a long run each week, and I usually feel tired to go much faster than 8 pace.
Yes. I run what is comfortably easy for the legs and try to stay always under a max HR (77%). The day after workouts this is really easy. When more recovered a little faster, but still easy. Very little to gain from running a tad faster on the in-between days, other than risking heavy legs on the three important ones