Improver · 4 min read
Why most of your running should be easy
The reasoning behind running around 80% of your training at an easy pace, how to judge ‘easy’, and why it makes you faster.
It sounds backwards, but running slowly most of the time is one of the most reliable ways to get faster. Many coaches and experienced runners follow a simple pattern: around 80% of running at an easy effort, and around 20% harder.
What easy running does
Easy running builds the aerobic engine that every distance from 5K to the marathon depends on: a stronger heart, better blood supply to the muscles and more efficient use of fuel. Because it is gentle, you recover quickly and can train consistently, which matters more than any single session.
How to tell if you’re running easy
- The talk test: you can speak in full sentences.
- Effort: around 3 or 4 out of 10, where 10 is flat out.
- It feels almost too slow. That is usually about right.
Make hard days count
Keeping easy days easy leaves you fresh for the sessions that are meant to be hard, such as intervals or tempo runs. The trap to avoid is running every session at a moderate, medium-hard effort: too hard to recover from well, and not hard enough to bring the benefits of true quality work.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor before starting a new training programme, especially if you have a health condition or injury, and stop if you feel pain, dizziness or chest discomfort. See our terms of use.