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Easy runs

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Run genuinely easy to build an aerobic base.

What coaches agree on

  • Easy pace is an effort, not a fixed number. Use the talk test — can you hold a full conversation? — or a heart rate around 60-75% of max to find it, and expect the exact pace for that effort to shift day to day with your sleep, heat, and fatigue.
  • Make easy running the large majority of your weekly mileage, roughly 80% by most coaches' count, because it builds the aerobic base of mitochondria, capillaries, and cardiovascular capacity that your harder workouts and races actually run on.
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  • Recovery runs and easy runs are different tools: a recovery run stays very light, under about 60% of max heart rate, just to shake out fatigue between hard sessions, while a true easy run runs up to about 75% of max heart rate and is where you build aerobic fitness.

Common mistakes

  • The single most common error is running easy days too fast, usually because you're chasing a mileage total or pace number instead of your effort, which leaves you too tired to actually hit your hard, key sessions.