What is an easy run?
As a resource for my athletes and anyone who stumbles upon my page, I am writing a series of posts describing fundamental principles and target intensities for those interested in training with purpose.
There’s no better place to start than easy running, which should take up the majority of your time as a runner.
While many of us love the rush of a hard workout or a race, the foundational volume of easy running supports and elevates our fitness and performance over time.
I like to think of easy running as background music. It’s not the part of the song we remember, but without it, we can see that we’re missing something!
And while easy running might not be the most important part of training when you’re in the thick of training, it accounts for far greater benefits in the long run!
This intensity allows for sustainable improvements in your overall aerobic development. It takes longer to reap the benefits because making those internal changes takes time, but there’s no question that it leads to significant progress.
With this all being said, let’s talk about the specifics.
Purpose:
Improve your aerobic endurance ability and teach your body how to use the right fuel sources as fuel
Allow you to recover effectively between sessions
Reduce your injury risk
What easy running is not:
The fastest sustainable pace possible
A set pace
The main focus of your program
Something that should be ignored in favor of faster workouts
Physiological benefits:
There's plenty of proof out there that easy (or zone two in some systems) running is a cornerstone to distance running, and many people explain it better than I do, but here is the physiological appetizer of how easy running makes you a better runner.
1. Mitochondrial Growth: Easy running boosts your mitochondria, enhancing energy production for better endurance. More mitochondria = more efficient internal processes = faster running.
2. Increased Capillaries: More capillaries mean improved oxygen delivery to muscles, enhancing performance. Oxygen is good!
3. Aerobic Enzyme Activation: Easy running ramps up aerobic enzyme activity, optimizing energy production pathways. The more available energy, the more you get to put that to use.
4. Improved Fat Burning/Metabolism: Easy running promotes fat metabolism, conserving glycogen for longer efforts. The longer you can go without depleting your reserves, the faster you will be (and the better you'll recover).
5. Cardiovascular gains: Consistent easy running sessions enhance heart efficiency, improving oxygen delivery to muscles. Most important in my opinion.
6. Muscle Fiber Efficiency: Easy to Moderate running trains slow-twitch fibers for better endurance and performance.
How to gauge your intensity for easy running:
1. HR Data: Aim to keep your heart rate between 60-80% of your maximum. While sticking to the middle of that range is generally recommended for most easier sessions, feel free to push towards the higher end if you're feeling particularly recovered or energized during your run. I like to start most runs slow and finish faster. I don't make these runs a "workout" but naturally my pace will improve throughout a run if I'm not too tired.
2. Effort Test: Rate your effort level on a scale of 1 to 10, with 3 to 4 being the sweet spot for easy runs. Occasionally, it's acceptable to creep up to a 5, but try to maintain a comfortable pace overall. Be honest with yourself here and use some of the other points in this list to determine what is truly easy.
3. Talk Test: A good rule of thumb is to keep your pace so that you can comfortably hold a conversation with a training partner. If you're struggling to chat, you might be pushing too hard.
4. Evaluation of Workouts: Keep an eye on how your faster workouts are going. If you're consistently hitting your targets, that's a good sign. However, if you find it challenging to meet your goals, reassess your pacing on easy days. Consistently running them too fast might hinder your performance on harder training days. For most runners, there’s no such as being too slow.
5. Daniels Calculator: For a more precise estimate of your easy pace, consider using the Daniels calculator. It provides tailored recommendations based on your race results and individual fitness level without the need for internal estimations. I will add that this calculator works well for most people's easy paces, but it can have its limitations (often giving values too fast).
Easy running is probably the simplest part of training, but it's where runners go wrong....a lot! Keep in mind some of the points I made in this post when you're out there training. You don't want the easiest part of your program to prevent you from reaching your bigger-picture goals.
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