Why Am I Forced to Run Slow?

The Frustration of Slow Runs

Does running slow make you feel like you’re going backwards? I get it. There is nothing like feeling like you’re flying and finishing a fast run with a heavy breath, a sweaty face, and oozing with pride from exhaustion. But in actual fact, the only way we can make those fast days count is by taking it super easy on your recovery runs.

“Make your easy days easy, to make your hard days hard.” 

Understanding Periodization

It is all about periodization. Yes, another technical running word that sounds way fancier than it actually is. Periodization is essentially a way to balance training intensities and training loads to get the most out of your body (and mind). Ultimately, we want to reach 85-90% in intensity on some days and 40-50% on others. If we can periodize appropriately, then we can ideally get consistency and guide the body to adapt without getting injured or burning out. 

Why Easy Runs Need to Be Easy

BUT the only way that we can do that is if we RUN OUR EASY RUNS EASY. Let me draw this for you below.

You see, the only way for us to reach the peaks on the hard days is to allow the body to recover enough on the easy days. And if we end up running too fast on the easy days? Well, that is just sacrificing the effort you could be putting in on the days that really count.

How Slow Should an Easy Run Be?

SO how easy is easy? Well, it should be very, very easy. Ideally, you’ll be running at a pace that feels like a jog. It should feel like you could hold a conversation, and that at the end of the run, you could turn around and do it all again. For example, as an elite athlete with a 10km race pace of about 3min30sec per KM, my easy pace is +1.5 mins, making my easy pace anywhere from 5min to 5min15sec per KM. I would not go any faster than this on my recovery run days. This is what I would encourage all my running athletes to do.

Adapting to Your Body’s Needs: A Woman’s Perspective

Lastly, the most important thing to consider as a woman is our unique physiology and acknowledge the impact of our menstrual cycles. Even during an easy or recovery run, we need to listen to our bodies and understand what they need. Your easy pace should have a range, and it is important to stick to the lower end of the range when in a phase that feels like your energy levels are affected.

The Bottom Line: To Get Faster, Slow Down

In summary, the purpose of your easy run is to allow the body to absorb and adapt to the training that you’re doing, and if you want to get faster as a runner, you need to slow down.