233. Does Slowing Down On Easy Days Actually Work?

Run4PRs

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Running is an aerobic sport! We need to train in the aerobic zones to improve at long distance running. The biggest mistakes runners make is going too fast on your easy days. Going too fast on your easy days puts you at risk of burn out and injury. It also prevents you from reaching your potential in the sport. Many people refuse to slow down and never are able to increase their mileage or long run duration because the speed they are running at is too fast to make additional stress adaptations like improving endurance and ability to run on fatigued legs.

Many people slow down on easy days compared to race day but they do not slow down ENOUGH to fully recover. Athletes often have a skewed perception on what ‘easy’ running means. Yes, running 1 min per mile slower than 5k pace is easier than racing a 5k, but is it slow enough to improve?

Social media. A lot of the big influencers are BQ athletes. They are showing their easy paces that are in the 8-9 min pace range. For them it could be easy but we want to make sure we don’t compare ourselves to others.

I have friends who refuse to run slower than XYZ pace might be a challenge if you have a partner who is constantly pushing the pace. We might need to make changes to who we run with if it’s holding us back from reaching our goals.

1. Easy running allows you to improve your aerobic base

1. Working the correct zones

Pacing: who is really in control

When you are mid-race you want to listen to your body and not what the watch says

The more practice you have listening to your body the more confident you can become

1. Easy running allows you to increase mileage

1. More miles = more aerobic development

2. Running easy allows you to recover between workout days

1. Workouts are important for lowering speed and threshold