You may have heard the phrase “take your easy run easy”, but what does that really mean? What if that easy run doesn’t feel easy? How easy should you be taking your easy runs? For many runners, these easy runs that we’re talking about can be surprisingly difficult. Not because the physical effort is demanding, but because it takes discipline to hold back. When you feel good, it is a natural tendency to let your pace gradually increase, sometimes without realizing it. While you may feel good, a few miles later you may realize you are running considerably faster than planned. The run feels productive because the pace looks good on your watch, but what if that wasn’t actually the purpose for that run?
Let’s start with defining what an easy run is. Easy runs are low-intensity runs that build aerobic fitness without putting lots of stress on your body. For long distance runners, these runs are an important part of training as they allow you to accumulate mileage while still having enough energy to recover and complete tougher workouts. Easy runs should feel comfortable and controlled. Your breathing may be elevated but you should be able to hold a conversation while not feeling out of breath. They are not runs that you are trying to finish as quickly as possible!
We like to use the phrase “easy effort” as these runs are also relative to each individual runner. All of us will have different ranges of what we would categorize as “easy”. An experienced runner might comfortably run 8 minutes per mile on an easy run day, while another runner might run 10 minutes or 12 minutes per mile. Neither pace is easier than the other when you are focusing on an individual and their unique training experience. What matters is the effort and how your body feels. Temperatures and seasonal changes can impact these effort levels as well, but for this article, we’ll focus on the general importance of easy running.
Let’s break down three important aspects about these easy runs to help you understand better about why they are so crucial to your development as a runner.
Easy Runs Build Your Aerobic Base
When you hear someone say, “keep your easy runs easy”, it means staying at a comfortable pace where you are not constantly pushing your body to its limit. Easy runs are meant to train your cardiovascular system, improve your endurance, and allow your body to become more efficient at using oxygen and energy. As mentioned before, you should be able to hold a conversation and not be struggling to catch your breath. Even though the pace may feel slower for you, these miles are extremely valuable because they build the foundation that allows you to run faster and longer later on. Running fitness doesn’t improve only when you train hard – it will improve when your body is able to recover and adapt to the stress that training creates. Easy runs are a huge part of that. We also stress limiting your running in what we call the grey zone, where you’re in moderate-intensity effort (not easy pace but not quite as fast as race paces). This would be Zone 3 running with heart-rate training. It is too fast to build recovery and your aerobic base, yet too slow to trigger high-end speed adaptations. Accidentally turning easy days into this uncomfortable middle ground creates excess fatigue and ruins hard workout recovery.
There are so many factors that contribute to feeling strong during a workout. Fueling is a huge one, but so is feeling recovered! Easy effort runs help with that.
Easy Runs Allow You to Recover Better
Keeping easy days truly easy gives your body time to recover between harder workouts.They allow you to accumulate mileage and spend more time running without creating excessive fatigue. It provides movement and cardiovascular load without adding the same level of stress. Running too hard an effort during your easy days can leave your muscles tired and your nervous system fatigued, making it harder to perform during tougher workouts such as intervals, tempo runs, or long runs. When you slow down and allow yourself to recover on an easy run, you can approach your hard sessions with more energy and better form. Your body will have the ability to increase blood flow and support recovery, repairing the small amounts of muscle damage that occurs during training. Easy running is not about doing less, it’s about making sure you are ready to get the most out of your training and allowing your muscles, tendons, bones, and tissues to get the recovery they need to adapt to the versatility of running.
Easy runs are an important part of training!
Easy Runs Aren’t About Proving Fitness
They’re about maintaining consistency. Easy runs are less demanding, you can train regularly without constantly feeling exhausted and depleted. It can be tempting to run every workout faster because a faster pace can make you feel like you are improving. However, constantly turning easy runs into moderate or hard efforts will eventually lead to excessive fatigue, poor recovery, and possibly injury. Keeping your easy runs easy allows you to handle more training consistently over weeks and months. Practicing slowing down when necessary takes discipline, but it is one of the most important habits a runner can develop in their training and running journey.
It’s a great feeling when our running and recovery are supported.
Easy runs help you become strong enough to keep training, so that you can feel even stronger when the more intense workouts come in. When you allow yourself to slow down and really stick to easy effort, you give your body the opportunity to recover while still building your aerobic base and creating forward progress.
