How long did it take you before 7 minute pace was your easy pace?

Jack Daniels pacing chart shows that an easy run of 7:00/mile is appropriate for someone racing a 5k in 17:00

I just kinda run on easy day, varies from 7-8 min miles. Throw out the Garmin, just run and take it easy. Don't lie to yourself

John Utah wrote:

Jack Daniels pacing chart shows that an easy run of 7:00/mile is appropriate for someone racing a 5k in 17:00

I run 8 minute pace and I can run a 16:30

Evdawg wrote:

senior track - ran 4:56/10:59 - equivalent to 7:05 e-pace, ran throughout the summer around low 7:10 range, late summer I started doing 7:00-7:10 more often.

11 min two miler should not be doing anywhere close to 7 flat for easy runs. You should be doing closer to 7:30 or 8 on easy days. No wonder you have had so many injuries. In response to original poster, as many others have said, easy run pace is not something you should be comparing or trying to improve. Work on race pace and tempo pace. Actually go easy on easy days so that you can recover enough to hit workouts and races hard. Training at any kind of real mileage without taking easy days easy is not sustainable.

Ian smith wrote:

John Utah wrote:

Jack Daniels pacing chart shows that an easy run of 7:00/mile is appropriate for someone racing a 5k in 17:00

I run 8 minute pace and I can run a 16:30

I think JD's concern would be with running too fast on the easy runs, not too slow.

The point of running slow is to avoid the negatives of hard running (injury, mental burnout, recovery for the hard workouts, etc.) while still receiving the cardio benefits. Certain cardio benefits don't actually improve beyond an "easy" threshold, so why not go slow and avoid injury and burnout? At least that's his theory.

you're overtraining wrote:

Evdawg wrote:

senior track - ran 4:56/10:59 - equivalent to 7:05 e-pace, ran throughout the summer around low 7:10 range, late summer I started doing 7:00-7:10 more often.

11 min two miler should not be doing anywhere close to 7 flat for easy runs. You should be doing closer to 7:30 or 8 on easy days. No wonder you have had so many injuries. In response to original poster, as many others have said, easy run pace is not something you should be comparing or trying to improve. Work on race pace and tempo pace. Actually go easy on easy days so that you can recover enough to hit workouts and races hard. Training at any kind of real mileage without taking easy days easy is not sustainable.

Jack Daniels pace chart shows 7:49 to 8:02 easy pace range for 3k race result of 11:00 .

Ian smith wrote:

John Utah wrote:

Jack Daniels pacing chart shows that an easy run of 7:00/mile is appropriate for someone racing a 5k in 17:00

I run 8 minute pace and I can run a 16:30

Im in the same ballpark. Id estimate maybe a 16:40 for me and i run most of my easy runs around 8:00. Pushing the easy pace is for insecure runners that have to prove something to themselves with every run

Never.

I ran a 16:30 5k up to 2:40 marathon and 8:00 was my "easy pace". I did do a 100-mile week once at 7-flat average but it was pretty dang hard.

Mike from San Diego wrote:

After six years of consistent training I finally managed to push my easy run pace down to 7 min/km.

If you are pushing its not easy...

Run what is easy for you. The fact that you care what your easy pace is shows a lack if knowing what is important. Nobody cares if you can run 7 min pace easy runs or not. Run easy on easy days and worry about pace for workouts.

I would say around 2 years, right when I started running in the 4:20's for the mile.

30 mpw, maybe 50 highest

7 felt easy when I could run under 19 for 5k

lots of endurance, no speed

7 min easy pace during heavy training periods I’d have to be in 1520 shape or better.

7 minute pace while not working out a ton and feeling fresh I could just be in 1630 shape.

In the old days, EVERYTHING you did aside from warm ups and cool downs, was interval work on the track if you were a college runner. I've had weeks with a dozen track sessions, When I started doing a lot of distance work on my own seven minute pace immediately felt easy even though at that stage of my running life it was pretty close to my six mile pace.

2.00, 4.34,16.46 , easy pace 8/8.45 depending on how I’m feeling and surface I’m running on.

This sounds about right.

That said, 25F here running 7:35-7:20 easy pace by mid-season for marathon training (@85-95mpw).. Depends on the day.

However after one 10mi race, I did a 5mi cool down at 8:00-9:00pace, and tbh it felt quite nice the next few days. While 8-9min pace is often suggested, I always got too bored and just ramped up the pace a little... seems like the slower pace is better for the body though :/.

My best season was sophomore high school. 15:3x 3 mile off of 50 mpw at 7:20-40 pace

7 minute pace was probably my easy pace when I did my first run over 30 minutes.

I was a sprinter in high school and didn't do long runs.

I moved up to the 800 and easy run from there was 7 minute pace.

Now my easy runs are 8 min pace, though as I am older.

I'm run 9:30 in the 2 mile and my easy pace is like 7:10-7:20