Running club runs in my "grey zone" pace

Club runs are always too fast. If you want to run a sane easy pace you pretty much have to run alone. The only exception is if you're running with people aged 60+.

Run alone. Then you can go whatever pace you deem appropriate. I never understood why people trained in a way that they knew wasn't in their best interest just because someone else was doing it.

I really like running alone. My day is full of dealing with people, and running is a great time to unplug and be alone with my thoughts.

This is actually true at almost every level. In a typical group run someone is going to be running too fast and too slow. I guess if the group is big enough and it breaks up into sub groups during the run it can work.

Nonsense.

You run a 20:30. What kind of recovery do you need?

Which one does it provide me? I'm genuinely not sure. For me it really seems to be about the pace I'd run if I did everything at the same pace that wasn't really easy or hard.

Enough to have hard days fast enough for me to get faster and make up for my lack of running in high school.

That's in your "marathon pace"/light tempo range. Stick with the club runs, and run with the faster group if you can. It will make you a better runner. Plus it's regular schedule with reliable training partners that will push you a little but not bury you. Sounds like a good situation to me.

Forget about zones. Faster runs with the club will add to fitness even if it falls between zones.

Since I am fairly new to running and haven't built up all that much of a good areobic base, my half marathon to marathon drop-off is huge. They said they do their long runs slower, like 8:30 so that might be an OK pace. They run 3 days a week, and having 2 light tempo days, 1 interval day and only leaving 2 for truly easy days seems like a lot. Maybe I could only run with them twice a week?

Is it a club only with 17min 5kers or are there other people where you're currently at. Would be better to break up into groups. Running at half marathon pace is a workout.

Fwiw I've always found run clubs to be like this and sometimes it's the people with the 20min PBs turning it into a race effort.

Does the club have dedicated workout/easy/long run days or is it all easy runs? I've found that structure to be helpful. I ran with a great group that wasn't a part of a run club where we would run together for a mid week workout, an easy run on the weekend, and a long run on the weekend. Everyone had similar PBs & knew the drill for each session. It can be better to run with people but you gotta find people with similar PBs & similar goals.

this is trolling. no self respecting 20 min 5k person would call themselves a hobby jogger or term faster guys doing 17:30 hobby jogging.

In high school I just ran that pace with the varsity guys when I was a 20:30 guy until it was easy. It doesn’t follow the accepted rules of training but it worked.

Are you a guy? Are you ages 18-22? Run 740s, recover and get used to it. You are most welcome.

No runs actively aid recovery, that is a myth that refuses to die. The physiological responses to training exist on a continuum that is exponential with intensity and more linear with duration. Your runs don't have to be easy or hard or meet a certain duration to still be effective stimulus.

Most people aren't running frequently enough so a short moderate intensity run that won't seriously impede recovery would be a good addition to their training, especially if they do another session on the same day in a fatigued state.

I thought anyone running for fun and not pro or at least on a college team was a "hobbyjogger"

i also find it hard to believe a 20 min 5k person is actually fussing over the supposed tweener nature of their practice schedule. it's a sophisticated complaint for an unsophisticated output. like a JV or rec soccer player arguing about whether the coach does actual conditioning or just sees running as incorporated into the practice structure and playing of soccer. which is a pro or high level college complaint.

hobby jogger is a perjorative used by people who either think others are slow or fear they too have become so. it is not how someone trying hard and running miles and putting up high teens or low 20s would see themselves.

How long are they doing the runs at 7:40 pace? Just pick a day and go challenge yourself to run with them. Don't search for the perfect fit into your schedule. It's kind of like JV runners tagging along with varsity runners. It's OK to be on the limit a bit. Running with faster people is a great way to get faster & more fit.