Forums >General Running>What Range of Paces Do You Train At in a Normal Week?
Hey, I wasn't intently trying to give you a hard time. Yeah, I agree runs can have more than one purpose but don't agree all purposes can be had in one run, at least not wisely. To build upon dnephin's comment about context, I'd add it would also be interesting to learn what percentage of people's running is done at these different pace ranges.
When I posted I shaved off the top and bottom percentages because they are outliers and would distract from the real range of paces I run most of the time. Similarly I wouldn't necessarily call a run a hill workout just because it went over a hill along the way.
If it makes you feel better, I had a Lagunitas ipa last night. That's probably to blame for my punchiness. I think they lace it with something. You should see me when I'm drinking Colt 45.
I noticed a lot if people with similar easy pace ranges who can run 5:00 or faster pace for intervals. If I am lucky I can do a few at 5:30 but I don't recall ever getting below 5:15 even for a single 400.
Then you should run some 200s or 100s. By all means do what it takes to get yourself to 5:00!
Nah, I'm going to tape masking tape to my shoes.
Are we there, yet?
Normally my paces range from about 8:40 (5K RP) to 12:30 (recovery pace) to give it some context. I rarely go under 5K pace anymore unless I'm training for middle distance races.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
rather be sprinting
If it isn't a thread derail, I'd almost be more interested to hear what % of weekly mileage people run at what pace. For example, Jack Daniels recommends no more than, what is it, 5-8%? of weekly mileage at 'R' pace (so those 200s for you, Cecil).
Right now I'm coming off of an injury, so 100% of my weekly mileage is run between 7:50 and 8:30 pace (aka easy, but probably a wee bit faster than 'easy' would be if I were also doing speedwork, and, thus, more tired).
When I am training I have, in the past, run way more sprints than I probably should even training for 800m, particularly as a % of weekly mileage. I mean, sometimes I would do 14 x 200 @ 35 each (4:40?) AND 8 x 400 @ 77-8 (5:15?) AND 3 x 1k @ 3:55 (6:40s?) all in one week, which is simply asinine on 25 mpw; that's almost 20% of weekly mileage at 'R' pace!
What I'm going to try when I come back to speed is 1 tempo/threshold run per week and 1 hill sprint day and that's it. With hill sprints obviously actual pace matters less than effort, so no way to quantify it. I may actually start with just some strides even before hills. For strides I'd accelerate up to a pace that's hard but still running, not sprinting, aka mile pace or so.
PRs: 5k 19:25, mile 5:38, HM 1:30:56
Lifting PRs: bench press 125lb, back squat 205 lb, deadlift 245lb
delicate flower
9:30 to 10:15 when I run with DW.
8:20 to 9:30 for easy recovery/shakeout runs.
7:50 to 8:20 for my medium effort runs. This is the majority of my miles.
7:30 to 7:50 for my tempo runs.
5:30 to 7:30 for speedwork, intervals, hard effort, progression etc.
Give or take a few seconds.
<3
Most runs are ~7:40 - 8:30 for me these days. If I'm feeling good, I might finish in the 6:50s once or twice a week.
If I'm doing 1200m to mile repeats, ~6:00-6:10. Tempos for me are ~6:20-6:30. If I do either of these uphill, they are slower . I rarely do shorter intervals.
I, however, have slower runs to run with friends. My 20 miler last weekend was with some ultra buddies I'll be pacing this summer. It was ~9:30-10:00 a mile, and I loved it. I really enjoy those runs when I'm between cycles.
My favorite pace is whatever feels easy. I actually do not like running hard (or "moderate" or "comfortably hard"). The only reason I do them is because I do enjoy running fast during races. Last night, I ran at ~8:20 and it was glorious. If we're putting it in terms of compared-to-racing, I just ran a 1:24:27 half, so about two minutes slower than half pace.
"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." Emil Zatopek
Why do you ask? I see you're getting numbers, but I they lack context unless you look at what the poster races. One person's 7 is another's 9. Or 10. Age might also be a factor. Aside from track work & trail, I hover @ 7:15-7:45. And that may be too fast. But, since I find myself there -- or think I do, w/out log examining -- I guess that's typical. That's training runs. Sundays I run trails in a park. I guess it's training, but it's fun and we just do whatever: Mainly in the 10+ish range. So, maybe, including short speed work, 4:20ish to 11ish, track to trail? Favorite: All of them.
Why do you ask?
I see you're getting numbers, but I they lack context unless you look at what the poster races. One person's 7 is another's 9. Or 10. Age might also be a factor.
Aside from track work & trail, I hover @ 7:15-7:45. And that may be too fast. But, since I find myself there -- or think I do, w/out log examining -- I guess that's typical.
That's training runs. Sundays I run trails in a park. I guess it's training, but it's fun and we just do whatever: Mainly in the 10+ish range.
So, maybe, including short speed work, 4:20ish to 11ish, track to trail?
Favorite: All of them.
Agreed.
That said, my easy runs are about 2 minutes slower than my recent 5k pace.
Today I did a 23-minute "tempo." It came out to 20s/mi. slower than that 5k pace.
My favorite pace is any pace on a given day where I feel like I had pushed my fitness forward with the time I had. If I have an hour to run and I run easy for the whole hour, that's a good day/pace. If I have half an hour and I groove a good tempo, that is a good day/pace.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
Latent Runner
I've been trying to figure out how to respond to this thread and am still a little unsure if I have anything of value to offer.
Givens:
With the above in mind, I typically run between 8 to 10 trail miles per week day (after dark these days), and 10 to 15 on weekends. A "fast" 10-mile training run for me will be in the 8:30 to 9:00 minute range, and a "normal" training run of the same distance will be done at closer to a 10:00 pace.
Fat old man PRs:
What are the fastest and slowest paces that you typically train at, in a normal week of running?
Hmmm, what is "normal" week? In winter, I might be on snowy hills or icy flats. In summer, I might be power hiking up mountains with 20% slopes (specific for my races). I'n the few months when it's not snowy and I'm not doing mountains, a typical pace range on rolling hills might be 14 min/mi to 19min/mi depending on goal and temperatures. Some of my faster runs on flatter, smoother terrain might have work parts of intervals near 10min/mi if I believe my gps data. (I think a 300-ft stretch takes about 30sec on lumpy grass or snowy pavement. 300ft rather than 100m since that's the approx distance my gps says it is between two poles of the fence. When doing the shorter, faster stuff I aim for something that takes about 20-30sec under that day's conditions.). Deep snow or mountains pushes me closer to 30min/mi or slower.
Favorite pace might be around 17min/mi. If I can run faster, it means the course is boring (flat, straight, no roots, etc). If I'm slower, I'm having to work a lot more, but usually there's a good view on top the mountain.
There is a reason I use HR, uphill, and duration as primary metrics in my log.
(FWIW, about 83% of my time in 2013 was in the 70-80% HRmax range, about 10% in GA/SubLT, and the rest harder or easier.)
Oh, and 66F. Trail running for about 11 yrs.
Pace Prophet
It varies depending on what I'm training for, but, fastest is probably around 6:15 (short intervals) and slowest is probably around 11:15 on technical trails. My favorite is around 9 minute pace, my normal/easy/GA type pace.
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Most weeks I ptobably hit every pace between about 4:45 and 10:00. The lions share or that is easy mileage between 7 and 8 pace. Favorite pace? Conversational I guess.
Most weeks I ptobably hit every pace between about 4:45 and 10:00. The lions share or that is easy mileage between 7 and 8 pace.
Favorite pace? Conversational I guess.
Pretty much the same for me, except I'm a bit slower than him.
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
My paces usually range from maybe low 7s for my faster speedwork (and a little faster than 7 for things like strides or very short bursts when doing fartlek) to 10ish pace or sometimes slower for recovery runs. The runs at paces slower than 10:00 to 10:30 happen sometimes because I run with a group that has a lot of people new to running, so on days I run with them I run slower than I normally might on my own. My favorite paces when my legs are feeling pretty good would probably be 8:20 to 8:40 range. If I'm not feeling quite as zippy, but not super tired either, my "natural pace" seems to be around 9 to 9:20ish these days.
PRs: 5K: 21:25, 10K: 44:05, HM: 1:38:23* (downhill), M: 3:32:09
Depends on the hills. Routes can vary from 400' climb per hour to 1800' per hr. 7:25 to 9:20 pace.
6:40 for the short stuff 3 to 5 min. I have been running sprints in a field as part of short runs but not timed.