Getting the idea of these "easy" runs! - Couch to 5K

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Getting the idea of these "easy" runs!

Bazza1234 profile image
Bazza1234Graduate
4 Replies

I have been running for over 10 months now - all kinds of running - C25K intervals, fastish 5k's , run/walk 14K's , Zombies Run!! :)

But it has only been in the last few weeks that I am really getting the feel of "easy" running as I start to increase my non-stop running from 5K to 10K. The object being to build a solid aerobic base. It is quite slow - around 8min:20 secs per Klm - but that fits nicely into the recommendation for someone like me who runs a 5K in 35 minutes. I utilise a 4/4 breathing pattern and , even after only 3 weeks, I am feeling it becoming easier and easier. I am breathing in through my nose and out via mouth - and at the end of an 8K run today , my breathing was hardly raised at all.

I have been reading this electricblues.com/html/runa... - where the writer recommends 16 weeks of this easy running of 2.5 hours per week ( 3x30 minute runs and one 60 minute run) - with no attempt to run any faster than my 8:20/k (for me) -- no speedwork, no hills, no tempo runs, no intervals -- just 2.5 hours per week of slow & easy for 4 months!!! -- it does feel about right so far.

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Bazza1234 profile image
Bazza1234
Graduate
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4 Replies
Tomas profile image
TomasGraduate

I think it depends on what you want to get out of it. Running comfortably slowly for four months will definitely make it easier to run comfortably slowly. It will let you get the miles in and burn a lot of energy.

Well done for completing 8 km with hardly raised breathing. That certainly goes to show that it's working.

Bazza1234 profile image
Bazza1234Graduate in reply to Tomas

My understanding re easy running is that it improves cardio fitness , but takes quite a while to do so. Also, as it improves cardio fitness, your pace actually increases for the same effort/heartrate. I can't help but think that perhaps I have been seduced into running faster than I should be ( too soon??) I see people at parkrun all the time who try to break PBs each week - and do no other running training during the week - it is a bit of a trap.

notbad profile image
notbadGraduate

I agree, it's what you want from it, and what you enjoy doing of course, which is the important thing. I run one easy run a week at conversational pace, but mix it up with faster sessions at other times, I love easy pace long runs best of all though.

I agree, I think a lot of us feel that we have to make improvements all the time, I think that goes with the programme. Think how we improved as the weeks went on - I'm not sure if that is realistic to keep up for a long time. I think I've said to you Bazza about swimming - I use a website that advocates increasing your 100MT time by as little as a quarter second per week....they call it building your diesel engine. How about just running for the pleasure of it? If we didn't have all these clever gadgets with GPS we wouldn't know if we had knocked a few seconds off our last time...

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