if you're running too fast, or if your natural pace has improved?  I've always considered my average pace to be around 11:00/mile.  Today, I ran a very comfortable 10:15/mile for 3 miles.  I was surprised I felt as well as I did, and was really trying to take it easy because of my race on Saturday.  Some days I feel really good at this pace, and others I feel like I never ran before in my life.  I just was wondering what your experiences have been as your pace has improved.

I use my HR as an indication.  For example, when I started my last marathon training, I would run close to 12mm with 147 HR.  At the end I was doing 11mm at 142.  So there was definitely less effort with the better pace, especially since the 12mm was in 80F and the 11mm were at 96F.

So effort is one way to figure it out, but HR if you run with a HRM.  It's nice to see data weeks later and compare.

I have problems with this all the time, and usually it’s a matter of energy/effort. On days that I’m feeling better/more awake, easy pace is faster than other days, but I’m definitely pushing harder, but it’s just easier to push harder without being grumpy about it. It also depends on what other workouts I’ve done during the week, how much sleep I’ve had, how many cups of coffee I had to drink, what I’ve eaten, etc. 

I run by effort as well.  Almost all of my runs are just at whatever pace feels comfortable.  Sometimes it's fast, sometimes it's slower.  But so long as I don't have to push to maintain the pace, then I call it easy.  My easy pace has dropped by about 3:00/mile as my running has increased. 

Pace has been a struggle for me too. Like others here, I run by perceived effort but I do keep an eye on my splits.  Often I'm surprised by my speed.  Either I'm going faster or slower than I feel like I'm running.

Aside from the things mentioned by others is rest.  If you've been cutting back your mileage to prepare for a race, then it's not surprising that your "easy" pace is faster today than it is when you are running more.

This is one of those things I disagree with.  I think too many people end up running their easy runs as recovery jogs.  From a health perspective, that's perfectly acceptable and, if the new studies are accurate and I think they probably are, better for you over the long term.  If your objective is to run faster, then you need to do your easy runs, as Ryan Hall put it, "easy but not too easy."  I think the "laughing and joking" effort is "too easy."  Anywho, here is my take on paces.

 

Recovery jog - You should be able to talk in sentences.  You should feel throughout the run that you are holding back.

 

Easy run - You should be able to talk in sentences but you should have to catch your breath for a few steps in between.  These are your staple runs and should constitute about 80% of your total mileage.

 

Marathon pace run - This is a "stretching out the legs" effort.  You shouldn't feel fatigued before five miles but if you're not fatigued by eight, you're doing it wrong.  If you were talking, you'd be able to get out short phrases and you'd need a bit of recovery between phrases.

 

Tempo run - This is no longer just "stretching out the legs."  Now you are pushing the pace the whole time.  About the only thing you'll have energy to say is to yell "screw you" at the driver who nearly ran you off the road and you'll quickly regret wasting the energy on that effort.

 

VO2max intervals - Hard.  Just hard.  Your focus should be on sucking in as much O2 as you possibly can.  Talking is the farthest thing from your mind.

 

Speed Reps - These aren't so much hard as they are fast.  You have to concentrate to run this fast.  All of your focus should be on maintaining good form and running these at the right pace.  

Immensely helpful!  Thank you so much!

So basically, if I'm running a 10:15 mile, and can still carry a conversation, then I'm doing it right.  And if I'm running 11:00 mile and don't feel like I need to catch my breath after a few sentences, then it's safe to pick up the pace.  Am I understanding this right?

For me, it's effort.  I feel it mostly in my breathing - mostly that if I'm thinking about it too much, I'm probably running too fast.  When I think about it, I'm usually breathing 3-4 steps in, 3-4 steps out on an easy run.  And this is only if I'm breathing like that totally naturally - because if I'm really stubborn about it, I can run way too fast for an easy run and still breathe 3 in, 3 out, but only because I'm sitting there thinking about it, counting the duration of each breath, and actively trying to take the deepest breaths I can.  Just because I can still maintain that breathing pattern does not mean necessarily that I am running easy enough.

Pace depends on what type of runs I've done recently, how I slept, what I ate, what time of day it is, whether I'm on the treadmill or outside, weather, and probably a million other stupid factors.  "Easy" for me usually falls in the realm of 9:45-10:30, depending on all of these.  

Marathon pace run - This is a "stretching out the legs" effort.  You shouldn't feel fatigued before five miles but if you're not fatigued by eight, you're doing it wrong.  If you were talking, you'd be able to get out short phrases and you'd need a bit of recovery between phrases.

I'm glad to read this.  I did a 16 with 10 at MP a few weeks back, and halfway through the MP portion was feeling pretty darned good, and was actually finding it easy to go a little bit faster than I had intended if I didn't purposely rein it in a bit, but by the end I was getting pretty tired.  Not excessively so - I could have kept going at that pace if I'd wanted to, but was definitely feeling the cumulative MP miles by that point.  My husband started after me and caught me right near the end, and I could get out stunted conversation for the last half mile or so while he ran next to me.  Here's hoping that MP feels even easier once I finish training and taper.

No advice, sorry, cuz I NEVER have that situation!