Why are my EZ runs so slow?

you said it yourself, you're keeping your pace to where you want your hr to be. perhaps your training partners who you already said race slower than you are that way because they are running their ez stuff too fast.

They are more efficient at running at low HR than you are, that's mostly a function of consistent training over years. They probably have been running a lot longer, and as a result have a larger base. However, its far more likely they are just running them too fast.

Anyway, who cares who runs the fastest easy runs. That's like comparing your resting heart rate. It doesn't matter at all.

My last race in November was a 36:34 10K yet almost all my runs are 8 minute miles and they often feel quite tough. I typically run for an our or more. It's weird. There's people a lot slower than me who are always training a minute faster.

You are probably racing faster BECAUSE you are running slower in training.

That's your slow pace. And it doesn't matter how slow it is, you still get the training benefit.

You run your workouts harder, so you need to run your easy runs slower. That allows your next workout to be faster, which requires more recovery during your next easy run. Repeat cycle and you're faster on race day.

What would you gain by running everything at medium pace like them, with faster easy runs, and slower workouts? Nothing, except slower races.

I think there's a point where easy runs become too slow. If you tell a beginner with no knowledge of the sport to run super easy, they're just as likely to run at 12 minute pace.

What's wrong with that for a beginner? Ever tried walking 12 minute miles? It's rather quick.