Is an 8:30 easy pace too slow for a 16:00 5k runner?

First of all zone 2 can be different for everyone. When I was in low 15 shape most of my easy runs would be 7:30 pace. I do think most people get easy pace wrong and go faster then they should. 8:30 pace for you seems slower then I would have thought but nothing wrong with going that slow.

Nothing wrong with that at all. Just run what feels easy, and if it varies it varies

Put the pace in km per hour not whatever crazy unit of measurement that is

Put the pace in km not whatever crazy unit of measurement that is

I would guess 7min-7:45 pace is well under 160bpm for 15-16min 5k types. Probably going to run in the 140s for most, maybe into the low 150s. Age matters. But the point is that you have it right. Maybe those guys should be floating some days in the 130s, which likely means > 7:45 pace. I'm a 16:0x runner turned triathlete. I had a good long run Saturday & then did an ez swim/bike/run on Sunday. I was cooked & ran 8-flat pace w./ a 130s heart rate & that was with a good bit of heat/humidity. Who cares really. When I was younger I used to try to run everything under 7min pace. My workouts & PBs were worse. I wasn't recovering well. My training paces & race paces blurred too much. Now the hard sessions are hard & the easy sessions get me ready for the hard sessions. 8:15-8:40 pace might be a little slow but if you're still improving & workouts are going well then I wouldn't mess with anything. You're still young. There's probably some endurance gains to be made in your future & your recovery pace might naturally come down. You might experiment with harder easy days at some point but most runners your age take easy stuff too fast & end up working against progress.

jes normal, i run 15:58-16:08 multiple times and do easy runs at 730 to 830 if i train by hr. Ofc 7.00 or faster still feel easy to the muscles for some time but hr goes over 150 quickly. I train for speed only most of the time and 5k is not good for me. i can run 1.51 800 and when i get in shape my easy pace get even worse if i go by hr.... also i cannot break even 35 for 10k...
some friend of me is also vo2 monster only from 1500-5000. All the power in the fast pace but not the slow end

That possibility that speeding up your easy runs will lower your 5K time is vanishingly small.

2-3 mins off 5k pace is easy running for almost everyone. If you are doing less than 6 hours of training per week you can go a bit faster. If you are running 10+ hours, you can go a bit slower.

And plenty of people have run fast on lower mileage and tons of zone 3 type runs. They give you better gains for the same amount of time. Zone 2 just lets you run even more if you want to.

pluttrell3.wixsite.com

Mistake #1: Running Too Fast On Easy Days

Paul Luttrell

Recreational runners perform their easy runs at a much higher relative intensity than elites. A look at why this isn't a winning strategy.

Open link

read this. You are doing just fine. Keep doing what you’re doing

Frank Shorter did more than half of his 140mpw at 8:00-9:00 pace for his whole career, and he ran sub-13:00 for the 5k as well as sub-2:10 for the marathon.

Is this really true? Do you have a source or quote to back up this claim?

NobFrabk shorter didn’t run sub 13 for the 5k. Everything I have read was easy runs in the 6-7min range. Things like 20 miles in 2 hours were standard. I have no doubt they warmed up som easy runs with 8 min miles but like the Kenyans they normally picked it up.

But sure if you are running 120+ go as slow as you need. Only doing 70, you can’t depend on volume as much for your training effect.

I’m in a similar situation; I’m a sub 15 5k guy who usually jogs and LRs at ~5min km /8min mile pace. My hr is usually low/mid 140s. Am I going too slow? I usually do 3 sessions per week if that changes anything

you know what is truly easy for your body

what is the point of speeding up your easy runs beyond a truly easy pace if it eats into the time/energy that you can expend on future LT efforts?

let’s not pretend that a 16:00 guy can truly feel comfortable running 7:00-7:30 easy days while maintaining high mileage in hopes of future success

you are a 16:00 guy, only 19, breaking 15 is not out of the question within the next year, I know several people that increased mileage to around 70-80, spent 5 months doing pretty much solely LT as much as they could, and suddenly became sub 15 and sub 9 guys next cross and track seasons, remember to prioritize mileage and LT and recovery over easy run speed, 8-8:30 is perfect for what your goals should be, 125-130 HR sounds about right, but could vary as all things do

are we going to pretend that our Op is running 120mpw? for people running like 60mpw, it is easy to run 7:15 every day when you are a 16:00 runner. Every one did that in HS. It was the getting uppity and dropping 6:15s that was pushing it. But that was only like 1x week. Could call it a sub T day to be more modern🤣

That’s just fine.

As long as you are running with proper running mechanics and your perceived/measured effort level is at the right place you’re doing it right. I would argue you’re getting one up on those that are pushing their easy paces. You can stack more miles and recover better.

The fastest I ever did “easy runs” consistently was 6:40-6:50 pace, that’s when I was in 17:00 shape. When I ran sub 15:00 my easy runs were typically 7:30-8:00, and in hindsight I would’ve made it more like 7:50-8:20.

6:00 miles aren’t teaching your legs to run 5:00 miles. 7:00 miles aren’t teaching your legs to run 5:00 miles. 8:00 miles aren’t - you get what I’m saying. What all of those do for you though is help your capillaries grow and iron out your running economy, so when it’s time to run 5:00 pace you can meet the oxygen demands better. The faster you run the more sore you’ll get, so don’t worry about taking those miles slowly.

Easy, common but not necessarily smart

Shorter never broke 13:20 or 2hr10.

what do you think is smarter? Running 9 miles at 7 min pace or running 8 miles at 8 min pace? It isn’t like we had the option to hobby jog at 8 min pace for 10 miles. and nobody was getting up at 5:30 for an easy 30min run before school.