SIGNS YOU SHOULD SLOW DOWN YOUR EASY RUNS

Easy runs - they aren't glamorous, but they sure are crucial to run training!

I want to begin with a personal example of when I started to take my running journey seriously...

Prior to this time, I would typically go out for every run around 8:30 pace which for me was definitely a moderate to challenging pace.

The thing was that even though I was running a pace that I thought was pretty hard, I was never getting any faster...

That was until I started working with an awesome running coach of my own who taught me to slow down my easy runs!!

When considering a full run training week, typically a coach will include a mixture of "easy/recovery" runs, workout-based faster runs, and a long run.

The easy runs can serve the following purposes:

1. To allow your body to actively recover from harder, faster runs

2. To toughen up your legs to be able to handle the pounding of running

3. To improve your aerobic base and running efficiency

However, when do you know if you need to slow down your easy run pace???

Typically, some signs that it's time to consider running slower on your easy days include the following:

1. You're recovering from a significant race effort

2. You're feeling increased overall fatigue consistently that won't go away

3. You're starting to feel the development of a pain or injury

4. You're not feeling rested during your workouts and you're consistently unable to hit your prescribed paces

5. You're unable to hold a conversation during the run

One of the best ways to improve your running performance is to not overly run at a "medium" effort level...most of your running should actually be at both slower and faster efforts!

The trick is to make sure that you don't go so hard on your easy runs that you're not able to get the appropriate benefit out of the faster workout runs!

To recap from my personal running journey, doing all of my runs at the same medium-effort level was actually plateauing my progress!

I didn't see significant results until I started taking my easy runs truly easy which for me is at a pace where I can still hold a conversation (that puts me around a heart rate of 140bpm).

If this is all intersting to you, you have any training questions of your own, you have been struggling with a nagging pain or injury, or you are just looking for someone to bounce some ideas off of... click the button below and reach out!

I'm a running-specialist physical therapist and endurance running coach who aims to provide unique services designed specifically FOR RUNNERS, BY RUNNERS!

This is my passion and I'd love the chance to help support you in your running journey!

I'M INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE

Happy running,

Dr. Greg Lowe PT, DPT, cert. MDT, CSCS, BFR cert., 3D RGA Spec.