Easy runs faster?

No

I second the first no.

I agree with the doc

Can someone explain why? Or why not?

I'm trying to understand this myself.

you essentially get the same stimulus at 820 as you would at 730, only with less tax to the body (caveat is that 820 may be worse if you run with worse form at 730). you would usually be better off to add volume at 820 and/or save yourself for targeted sessions.

edit: worse at 820 if you run with better form at 730

because easy mileage is easy mileage. easy mileage is a necessary stimulus for building capillary beds. no need to expend yourself, save it all for the workouts & long run. hard days hard, easy days easy. of course there is a limit, 8:00-8:20 is fine, but you don't need to run 9 minute pace every day unless you feel super cooked.

Your HR doesn't really tell us anything unless we know your max (and possibly also your HR at LT2).

I am in about the same 5k shape as you, and also run my easy runs at roughly the same pace. My HR is typically around 120bpm on these runs.

I should also add that I understand the temptation to run faster on easier runs is fairly strong, given that just about every other person tends to run theirs too quick. Almost all of the runners I follow on Strava that are more than a minute slower than me over 5k run their "easy" runs much faster than I do. These people never improve though.

You'll get a far greater training effect by increasing your overall training volume, and the volume and quality of your workouts.

Leave the "vanity runs" to the people more concerned with Strava kudos than actually improving.

That's quite a nice pace you got there. I would recommend you to increase it step by step and gradually you will reach your desired speed.

Maybe, quite possibly.

7:30 falls in line more with your easy pace/5k time. Might actually be too slow. Depends on what else you have going on. No workouts? All your runs should probably be sub 7 min pace.

3:10 off 5k is way too slow. It does depend on 'context' a bit (a hilly recovery after a hard workout vs an easy run on completely flat concrete) though.

What's your max HR? When mine was 210, I'd run easy at 145-150 at ~6:50 pace.

Context matters a lot. I run my easy days on hilly gravel/dirt trails. My 5k PB was set on a flat road course in super shoes. 3 minutes per mile off my 5k PB is definitely appropriate for my easy days given that context.

How do you make yourself run slower? I get that’s kind of an “obvious” question and answer, but even without pushing myself, I find a limit on how slow I will go naturally. In my prime I was sub-15 and did the easy runs around 7:00. As an oldster today I run 18 minutes for 5k and tend to run the easy days at 7:45. I could probably stand to slow that up a bit but I seem incapable, even if it’s just a mental thing. Any advice from the crowd?

I learned true easy pace after I fried my legs in the early summer. For me it's just running with no watch. Then again I weigh 184 pounds. If I weighed 140 I might look at speeding up easy runs.

I'm going to say "it depends" on what your training week looks like. Contrary to what other said there are benefits to going a bit quicker eg max fat oxidation is typically closer to LT1 than the pace you're running them, and then the running form is better. So it can improve running economy/efficiency. It does however come at a cost, LT1 is mechanically pretty wearing as a faster runner. If you have 3 easy days in a row then sure, do the middle one just below LT1. However if you have multiple workouts per week and it's the day after a workout, then the goal is to get an aerobic dose whilst recovering, so go as slow as you feel necessary.

As you get fitter your easy runs will become faster BUT you don’t get fitter by running your easy runs faster.

Get a running partner and carry on a conversation. That will keep the pace slow enough to be an easy run.

Absolutely right !

8:20 for a 16min 5k runner is just a FORCED slow pace and bad for running economy and form ! Wouldn't do it !

7:30 is a much more natural pace and when you don't do workouts a Sub 7 Pace is totally OK, too !

But downvoters, do your Slogs if you enjoy them !