Does easy run pace really not matter?

Nothing matters..........nothing.......

Someone here once said that anything slower than a 10 minute mile pace is junk and bad mechanics. Unless the runner is an absolute newbie. I might agree.

It's best to impress everyone with a fast easy pace. You don't want to be called a hobby joggers.

Go run your 10, 11, 20min miles. See how much better you get. Do you honestly believe there is no upper limit where running slower isn’t doing much for a wannabe competitive runner? Why not just walk slowly then? Use common senses. Like I said… for a sub 5:00 miler, over 10min pace… and likely over 9min pace is pretty much gaining any fitness

I don't believe in junk miles myself. Your experienced runners can do some progressive pace or do easy out, tempo back. Your rookies, whatever easy is good enough for them. But you gotta get em out early if the wet bulb is brutal.

Listen, if you are worrying about this that much, just sit back and think: You need to be right in that zone is your easy runs where it’s before that first hard breath of air. Just check your heart rate for this.

1/10. Slipping in the definition of a tempo run as a daily pace is a nice touch, though.

Easy days matter a lot more than people think and you can definitely screw them up by running too slow.

women only want men who tick the 3 6's. 6 figure income, 6ft tall and 6min/mile easy pace

Do we really have to have easy run pace threads every week?

I read every training advice thread on this god forsaken site and never did a 4:30 miler get recommended to run 8:30, 9, or 10 min miles. It's usually some 19min 5k highschooler who tempos his every easy run who gets told to chill out.

clearly you haven't

people were saying it was ok to run easy pace at 8:30-9 minute pace (which is ridiculous imo if you are a 4:30 guy). This specific thread is probably why we are getting these questions recently

Be careful about generalizing. One of the very best training methods on earth recommends that you run different speeds in practice because you use the muscles differently that way. Of course if you want to run a fast pace in a race you must spend some time working on speed, but be open to new ideas. You will get more out of your kids if you can get them to enjoy their running.

Okay, explain Tom Cruise.

I see this in my area, 15:40 xc runner out doing 4 runs a week in summer at 8 minute pace and being told thats fine its sumner runs. Then see the group picking routes that purposely have 7 or 8 streets to cross so they get breaks. Should have just stayed home and not put 6 or 7 junk miles on their legs. Then always same disappointment when they dont run times they wanted. Also hsve seen post after post on here saying summer runs dont matter. Bet not many top runners in their given state have this approach or do their coaches. But for the kids who are out just for fun and the bonds they may make then sure paces dont matter. Not all kids have the desire to be a front runner which is fine as well

I think sometimes people fail to see the difference between recovery runs, where you're worn out from a hard workout the day before and probably can't go too slow. That is different than easy runs, where you need to keep the pace up a bit, solidly in zone 2, to get the most out of it.

For many years, i was just as skeptical of slow easy runs, but I'll offer a little perspective as a masters runner that is still in sub-5 mile pace, but no longer as fast as I was in HS.

Last year, my wife took up running for the first time. When she started, her runs were in the 9:30 - 10 min/mile range. I would join her to offer support, but it was truly uncomfortable to run that slow. Long story short, including 1-2 runs per week at that pace improved my overall training and help me get my fitness back to the best it has been in years.

I can't explain it, but I am now i true believer in the value of running miles far slower than race pace.

I disagree with the sentiment but understand a sub 5 miler likely not running 9 or 10 minute pace. The goal of easy running is to stimulate mitochondrial efficiency and increase mitochondrial density. If you run too hard you aren’t going to stimulate it as efficiently. I remember reading Billy Orman’s(the AZ 3200 and 1600 record holder for some time) azmilesplit training journals and remember him running easy days at 9 or 10 minute pace, so there are certainly people this works for. He was a close to 4 flat miler and 8:40 low 3200 runner before super spikes. I think getting hung up on easy day pace is bad coaching. Unless you are going for a different, specific stimulus, easy day pace doesn’t really matter imo.

Easy run pace doesn't matter one bit. Instead, it needs to be an easy effort. This means that the pace of an easy run in 90 degree temperature, over hilly terrain, and the day after a workout, will be much different than an easy run in 55 degree temperature on flat ground. When I ran 4:23 1600, my easy run pace tended to be around 8:15, because that was what my easy effort level dictated, because of all the high mileage I was doing and long workouts. Similarly, if I had done 40 mpw, with short workouts, no doubt in my mind my easy pace would be faster. Disregard easy pace completely and instead aim for a lax effort. About 150-155 hr is a great range if you are under 20 for easy runs.