Are Your Easy Runs Too Fast?
How to tell if you are running too fast on your easy days.
Many people run too hard on their easy days. Perhaps they are just unsure of the purpose easy runs serve, or, maybe, they worry about looking “slow” for all their followers on Strava.
Unfortunately, while you may look good for your followers on Strava, you are doing yourself a disservice if you are doing your recovery runs too fast.
Without a doubt, using Strava has made some runners more self-conscious of their pace (I definitely used to be, and I’ll be honest about that). At the same time, Strava, or any other similar kind of running app, is a great way to keep track of your running. It’s not a place to compare yourself to others because it is just a tool for tracking your own progress to become the best runner you can be.
When a training plan calls for an easy run, that is exactly what you should do in order to get the best results.
Sometimes, we need to run slow in order to get faster.
How do you know that your easy runs are, in fact, not so easy?
- Your heart rate is too high. When I race, my heart rate is around 175-180 BPM (or a bit higher). Therefore, if I’m supposed to be doing an easy run and my heart rate is in the 170s or higher, then I’m definitely going too fast. That number may be different for you, depending on your age, gender, whether you take certain medications, and your fitness level. During your easy run, your heart rate should be approximately 65% of your maximum heart rate. The simplest formula for calculating your maximum heart rate is 220-your age.
- You’re working too hard to keep up a certain pace. Your easy runs should feel easy, which is why they are called easy runs. I’ve definitely made this mistake many times because I was attached to a specific pace showing on my Garmin as opposed to a level of perceived exertion. Ideally, you should be able to comfortably carry on a conversation during your recovery run (and when I go too fast, I definitely struggle to talk).
- You feel drained after your run. The purpose of an easy run is to help you recover, both mentally and physically, so you can run harder and faster on a different day. Your recovery run should not drain you, and it should leave you feeling better. You also should not have a headache nor feel tired for the rest of the day after an easy run.
- Your heart rate is high all day. A recovery run should not leave your heart rate elevated for the rest of the day. If your resting heart rate is higher than usual after your “easy” run, then that means the run wasn’t as easy as you thought.
- Your easy pace is too close to your tempo (or even your race) pace. Your easy pace should be significantly slower than your race pace. For example, when I race a 10k, my race pace is around 4:20 per km (or sometimes faster). However, when I do an easy run, my pace is around 6 minutes per km (and sometimes even slower).
Why do we need to do easy runs?
- To help your legs recover from the hard runs you’ve been doing.
- To improve your aerobic fitness, which is why you need to focus on keeping your heart rate lower during your easy runs.
- To help you get used to running on tired legs. If you are preparing for a marathon, then this is very important.
As you can see, the purpose of an easy run is not to work so hard that it feels like you did another tough workout. It is also not to show your Stava followers how fast you are.
The rule of thumb is for your easy runs to be at least one minute per km slower than your race pace. Additionally, you should be able to comfortably have a conversation during your easy run.
What are some other ways you can tell if you are running your easy runs too fast?
