Summary

Easy runs are an important part of your running training and should not be underestimated.  They provide a number of benefits that I outline in this week's video.  The 6 key areas covered are summarised below.  Easy runs help to:

1. Build Injury Resistance - spend time running without putting too much stress on the body
2. Strengthen your heart - by the time you reach around 60% of your maximum heart rate, your heart will be beating at close to maximum force.  Beyond this, your heart will beat faster to increase stroke volume, but won’t beat with any significantly greater force.  So, during an easy run, you are working your heart at maximum force without feeling like you are working very hard
3. Improve delivery of blood around the body - a.k.a. Increased vascularisation, you will be opening more of the tiny blood vessels that feed the exercising muscles, thereby getting more blood and oxygen to them
4. Promote improvements in muscle fibre characteristics - your muscles respond to the increase in blood and oxygen being delivered by making changes in the muscle fibres that allow the muscles to accept more oxygen and convert more fuel into energy in any given period
5. Increased confidence - running at an easy pace means you can run for longer which increases your confidence and mental strength as you demonstrate to yourself that you are capable of running for a long time [Pillar #7 - Mindset]
6. Increase running time without adding too much additional stress on the body - so when increasing weekly mileage to build endurance for longer race distances, you should use easy runs so that you are still able to perform during your tougher technical sessions
   
   

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Full Transcript

[The following is the full transcript of this episode of the BE Fit Coach "Let's Talk Running" show.  Please note that this episode, like all LTR episodes, is usually unscripted and unedited and features Barrie talking about a subject that we believe runners will find useful and interesting.]

Easy Runs are just what they sound like, runs that feel easy. Here at BE Fit Coach we use our 7 Core Pillars of Running approach in all our coaching programs, and easy runs are a part of pillar #1 which is all about your Running Training, and pillar #5 which covers getting adequate rest & recovery.

Hey runners, I’m Barrie Evans the owner and creator of BE Fit Coach where I provide running coaching programs and assessments that allow you to run at your best. In this video, I am going to be talking to you about the 6 reasons that you should never skip your easy runs! So if you’re ready, let’s get started with reason number 1 - Building injury resistance.

Easy running allows you to get the physcial benefits of running without adding too much stress on your body. This means that you get better and stronger without risking injury, which in turn reduces your chances of getting injured. So make sure you’re giving your body the best chance of avoiding injury by including those easy miles each week.

Reason number 2 is that easy runs strengthen your heart! By the time you reach around 60% of your maximum heart rate, your heart will be beating at close to it’s maximum force. Beyond this, your heart will beat faster so that you increase the amount of blood pumping around your body, but it won’t beat with any significantly greater force. So, during an easy run, you’re working your heart at maximum force, thereby increasing strength, without feeling like ‘you’ are working very hard.

Reason number 3. Easy runs improve the delivery of blood around your body. Also known as increased vascularisation, you will be opening more of the tiny blood vessels that feed your exercising muscles, thereby increasing the amount of blood and oxygen that get delivered to them.

Reason number 4 is that easy runs promote improvements in your muscle fibre characteristics. All the improvements that are made through the previous reasons mean that your muscles respond to the increase in blood and oxygen being delivered to them by making changes in the muscle fibres that allow the muscles to accept more oxygen and convert more fuel into energy in any given period.

The last but one reason, number 5 is the increased confidence and mental strength that comes from running at an easy pace. Easy runs allow you to run for longer which in turn, increases your confidence that you are capable of running for a long time. Mindset is a very important part of your development as a runner, so much so that we have given it its very own pillar in our 7 core pillars of running. Pillar number 7 is all about Mindset. Getting the right mindset can be as effective in your running as learning to develop your physical body.

Finally, reason number 6 is that you will be able to increase the amount of running you do without adding too much additional stress on your body. To train effectively, you will need to be completing a range of running sessions, all of which ideally will need to be based on your total weekly mileage. Typically, the length of time that you can spend working on different session types will be calculated as a percentage of your total weekly mileage. Easy runs are a great way to increase that total without adding too much additional stress and therefore allowing you to complete an effective training program.

The coaching programs we offer here at BE Fit Coach, such as our “Run Faster, Run Better - Online Coaching Program”, are designed to ensure the time you spend at each training pace fits within your overall weekly mileage so that you can develop fully without risking injury. We also provide you with very clear and specific pace targets for your different session types based on your individual capabilities. You can find out more about our programs on our website, be-fit-coach.co.uk.

Many of the physical and mental benefits of easy running come from the length of time that you are running for, and that is far easier to do when running at a pace that allows you to go for longer periods, far longer than running at harder paces anyway.

So how do you know what pace to use for your easy runs?

Well, easy pace running typically means running at an intensity of about 59 - 74 percent of your VO2Max which is about 65 - 78 percent of your maximum heart rate, but sometimes you’ll feel comfortable going a little faster or a little slower. The most important thing is to ensure you maintain good running mechanics, especially at slower paces.

It’s important to note that if you are feeling particularly tired or feel that something isn't quite right with your stride, then it can be a better option not to run and avoid ending up with a minor injury.

If you’re using your heart rate as a training guide then you also need to understand how environmental conditions can impact your heart rate for any given run. For example, in hot weather, your heart will work harder at any given running pace because whilst the same amount of blood is being sent to your working muscles, there is an increase in total blood flow as more blood is diverted to your skin for cooling. Therefore, if you are trying to use heart rate to monitor pace, the pace will actually be lower than anticipated. Similarly, for running into a headwind, on hilly terrain, or over rough or muddy terrain; the pace will be slower for the same HR as on a flat, comfortable, low wind condition surface.

Please note, that if you do want to use HR as a way of monitoring intensity for an easy run then you will need an accurately measured maximum HR in the first place. The formula that is typically suggested of 220 - Age, can work for some people but it’s certainly not for everyone. And unless you’ve actually tested your maximum, you won’t know which category you fit into.

My own experience is that at 48 years old, my max according to that formula should be around 172, but I know from testing and experience that I can still reach over 200 beats per minute. If I was using the 172 as my max then my pace would be a lot lower than necessary for all of my training runs and I wouldn’t be developing myself to my full potential.

If you want to find out your maximum heart rate then I strongly advise that you speak to your doctor BEFORE pushing yourself as the process is stressful for your body.

One method you can use is to warm up thoroughly, and then run uphill hard for 2 minutes and check the maximum your heart rate reached during the interval. Then jog back down and do it again. If your heart rate doesn’t get any higher then you have likely reached or come close to your maximum. If your heart rate is higher on the second interval, then you need to jog back down and do it again. Keep doing it until your heart rate doesn’t go any higher than your previous interval.

If you don’t have a long enough hill to test this on, then you could simulate a similar response in your body by running 800m flat runs, or treadmill runs, with about 2 minutes of rest between intervals.

When it comes to easy runs thought, the simplest way to check your running at an easy pace is to ensure you can always comfortably hold a conversation out loud - even if that means you look like you’re talking to yourself :)

Alternatively, join one of our running coaching programs and we will provide you with clear pace targets that work for you to ensure you are always running at your best regardless of the session type.

I hope you’ve found this week’s video useful, I’ve certainly enjoyed making it and would love to hear your feedback. If you have any questions or thoughts about anything covered in this week’s video, please feel free to leave a comment or message me directly.

Until next week, happy running :)

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