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Easy run question (Read 1344 times)

    I have taken your advice to heart and have planned an easy / hard schedule for myself.  Last night was my first run and it was scheduled as an easy run.  I went out easy making sure to take my time and having a comfortable conversation with my wife and daughter as we went.  I ran the entire route of 4.8 KM as planned with the only break to wait for a signal. 

     

    I noticed 2 things.  Firstly, my legs love me today.  They feel better than they have in weeks.  It really helped the recovery.

     

    2nd  I ran with an overall pace that is only 10 seconds per km slower than what I have been doing when blowing my brains out. 

     

    My question is this.  If I am not running much slower but holding a comfortable pace for the entire run finishing feeling like I could do the entire run again.  (remember easy run here) am I running slow enough or should I still slow down more?  I feel like I am running slow enough but I thought that before.

    My sport's your sport's punishment

     

    2012 goals

                  

    100 Km month         150 K month      200K month

    5K run    10K run     20K run              30K run

    sub 30 min 5K         sub 55min 10K


    Why is it sideways?

      Sounds like you ran easy. I am not surprised that your average pace was almost as fast--it's because you didn't go out too fast and die at the end. Try as hard as you can at this point not to sweat the pace. Someday soon there will be a day when you run slower than you think you shoulda. When that day comes, remember this day.

       

      Cheers!

      npaden


        I'm a newbie runner myself, but the only way to really tell is to use a heart rate monitor.

         

        Another way that seems to work pretty well is Greg McMillan's Running Calculator.

         

        http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/index.php/site/calculator

         

        If you plug in your goal 5K time of 30 minutes in there it will give you your optimal training paces.  It shows 11:40 - 12:10 per Mile or 7:15 - 7:30 per KM as the recommended pace for you on an easy run.

         

        Looking at your log you may still be going too fast based on that calculator.  It's pretty hard to jog that slow so you may need to throw in some planned brisk walking in there on planned intervals.  An easy run should require almost no effort when it comes down to it.

         

        An easy run should have you smack dab in your aerobic zone where your body can actually burn fat instead of carbs to keep you going.  When you get done with an easy run you shouldn't be noticing an increased appetite because your body was able to burn fat to keep up.

         

        I've been using a heart rate monitor and my fat burning aerobic zone is right in line with McMillan's easy run guidelines.

        Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)

        Current PR's:  Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)

        AmoresPerros


        Options,Account, Forums

          ...When you get done with an easy run you shouldn't be noticing an increased appetite because your body was able to burn fat to keep up.

           

           

          Really?

          It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.


          Why is it sideways?

            Reading a chart on the internet to tell you whether or not your pace was easy is like googling to find out whether the hurting of your hand when you touched a hot stove is really pain.

            xor


              Easy is, well, easy.

               

              And I am hungry after easy runs, sometimes.  Except when I'm not.  I think a lot of that might have to do with time of day and what I had previously eaten (or not eaten).

               

              Also, if I run by the pizza place or bakery, I tend to be more hungry after.

               

              Damn.

               

              Now I'm hungry.

               

                My question is this.  If I am not running much slower but holding a comfortable pace for the entire run finishing feeling like I could do the entire run again.  (remember easy run here) am I running slow enough or should I still slow down more? 

                 

                Keep doing it like this. 

                 

                Heart rate monitors are for data geeks like me. 

                  Fat burn is probably immaterial for runs under an hour.


                  A Saucy Wench

                    I generally am hungrier after easy runs than I am after hard effort. Like today, easy run, walked in the door starving. 

                     

                    Hard effort for me is an appetite suppressant - I generally wont feel the need to eat at all for several hours, an easy run generates hunger and a long walk?  Just walk me straight to the buffet table.

                    I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                     

                    "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

                    npaden


                      Reading a chart on the internet to tell you whether or not your pace was easy is like googling to find out whether the hurting of your hand when you touched a hot stove is really pain.

                       

                      Comparing an interactive chart compiled by a highly regarded running coach with decades of experience and probably thousands of individuals to knowing whether your hand is being burned on a stove makes a lot of sense.  I also stated that the only real was to know was with a heart rate monitor anyway.

                      Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)

                      Current PR's:  Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)

                      xor


                        Many of us run easy every day without a heart rate monitor.

                         

                        And "know".  Well enough to act upon it.

                         

                        Knowing what "easy" feels like comes more naturally to some than to others... and HRM is a tool to help.  But the only way to really know?  No. Way.

                         

                        I think you turned his words back around on him.  I don't need "an interactive chart compiled by a highly regarded running coach with decades of experience and probably thousands of individuals" to know what the heck "easy" feels like.  It ain't that hard.  For me.  It is for others, so ok.  But figuring out easy vs comfortably hard vs hard w/o technology and charts is a nice little skill to acquire.  Then you can do it anywhere, anytime.  You don't have to... but it helps.  And some of us do it.  It is possible, yup.

                         

                        npaden


                          I guess I missed it on the fat burn.  It sure holds true to me that the long slow workout leaves me less hungry than a more intense workout.  I attribute this that I am burning fat on my long easy runs.  I forgot that that doesn't really kick in on a shorter run.

                          Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)

                          Current PR's:  Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)


                          Why is it sideways?

                            Comparing an interactive chart compiled by a highly regarded running coach with decades of experience and probably thousands of individuals to knowing whether your hand is being burned on a stove makes a lot of sense.  I also stated that the only real was to know was with a heart rate monitor anyway.

                             

                            In my humble opinion, intelligent running begins with learning how to listen to your body. 

                             

                            McMillan's charts are useful guidelines, but eventually a runner will have to learn how to listen to his or her body. My opinion is that this learning is something that should be embraced from the very outset. That's the general place that my advice comes from. I worry that when runners substitute pace charts or even heart rate monitors in an attempt to shortcut this learning, they are delaying the most important piece of learning how to train.

                             

                            I could be wrong.

                            npaden


                              Many of us run easy every day without a heart rate monitor.

                               

                              And "know".  Well enough to act upon it.

                               

                              Knowing what "easy" feels like comes more naturally to some than to others... and HRM is a tool to help.  But the only way to really know?  No. Way.

                               

                              I think you turned his words back around on him.  I don't need "an interactive chart compiled by a highly regarded running coach with decades of experience and probably thousands of individuals" to know what the heck "easy" feels like.  It ain't that hard.  For me.  It is for others, so ok.  But figuring out easy vs comfortably hard vs hard w/o technology and charts is a nice little skill to acquire.  Then you can do it anywhere, anytime.  You don't have to... but it helps.  And some of us do it.  It is possible, yup.

                               

                              I agree that most experienced runners probably have this figured out.  The guy asking the question is not an experienced runner though.  He is very similar to me about 6 months ago when I was working out way too hard and thought I was working out easy.  A heart rate monitor really helped me figure that out.  It is a huge crutch for me right now while I'm figuring out how to understand what my body is telling me.  Mine broke last week and I struggled without it.

                              Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)

                              Current PR's:  Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)


                              Kalsarikännit

                                 

                                If you plug in your goal 5K time

                                 

                                From McMillan:

                                 

                                The calculator is designed to prescribe training paces that advance your fitness above your current race times. Therefore, if you put in your goal time instead of your current time, then the suggested training paces will actually be faster than necessary for your goal time.

                                I want to do it because I want to do it.  -Amelia Earhart

                                 

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