easy pace is 9:40-50. what are your easy paces and prs

4:45/17:20

easy in a phase where im not doing any crazy workouts or races is like 7:50/mi

easy in a phase where im doing quality almost every other day is like 8:30/mi

i dont run slower than 9:00/mi unless im running with hot girls

8:47 3200m

7:15 - 7:45

15:17 5k

8:48 3k

When I’m in shape easy is 7:45-8:45. Getting back into shape it’s more like 9:05-9:50 pace

I'm amazed how slow a lot of these easy run paces are, my PR is 19:17 for 5k and I was probably running my easy runs at about 8:30 give or take when I was in that shape.

I'm currently really out of shape after not running for several years and just recently getting back into it, ran 21:48 a couple of weeks ago and my easy runs are about 9:30 give or take.

I feel like I'm having to chop my stride and not really running if I get any slower than that, it feels genuinely uncomfortable and like I'm having to force myself to run wrong, I'm amazed you faster guys can run that slow. When I first started back easy running was about 10:00 and I hated it.

Once and Future wrote:

I'm amazed how slow a lot of these easy run paces are.

Well, that's how people who understand the purpose of each run, train. The better the athlete, the slower easy runs compared to PR's. A general rule (not always the case).

Post 30 PR's:

4:58 Mile

17:30 5K

29:55 8K

My easy pace is usually 8:15 pace and no slower than 8:40. I do find myself hitting 7:40's when I'm feeling very good.

Little unfair to claim that it's a lack of understanding here. I run using feel and heartrate as a guide when I'm doing my easy stuff. I'm not doing anything other than trying to add mileage and/or recover depending on the day. I'm certainly not pushing them at all, I'm just surprised that much faster people are running that slowly. Maybe it's linked to higher mileage and being more beat up as I don't and never have ran particularly high mileage. Also claiming that ability is intrinsically linked to understanding of training is just wrong. Unless you think everyone has exactly the same potential and it's just training that lets some people down? I should have realised that any admission of not being a sub elite runner on here would just result in a flaming.

Once and Future wrote:

Also claiming that ability is intrinsically linked to understanding of training is just wrong. Unless you think everyone has exactly the same potential and it's just training that lets some people down?

Some have more potential for sure but knowing why running easy enough is important unless you want to take unecessary risk of running to hard on easy days and risk ending up on the wrong side of the optimum balance. Ending up on the wrong side and an injury is probably coming and will risk ruining the chances of continuity which is the single most important factor for progress.