Matt Fitzgerald explains how to run easy runs right: let your pace shift based on how you feel, use the talk test (recite Green Eggs and Ham to check you're not going too fast), and leave your ego behind. Easy runs are for recovery, not for chasing yesterday's time.
Here are 3 tips to help you get the most out of easy runs. 1. Allow your pace to fluctuate between and even within easy runs. Always aim for the pace that feels most comfortable at the moment, which will vary based on your fatigue and energy levels. 2. Use the talk test to keep yourself honest. I do not like them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am. You should be able to recite these classic lines of Dr. Seuss comfortably throughout every easy run. If you can't, you're running too fast. 3. Leave your ego at home. Easy runs are not the proper time or place to try to beat yesterday. As I always say, slower on Wednesday, faster on race day.
Hosava Kretzmann: Live from Dream Run Camp, Hopi/Diné runner and Flagstaff local!
Chris Thornley: The Story Behind Squirrel’s Nut Butter: Funny Name, Serious Lube
Nick Arciniaga: Running Plateaus, Chasing the Olympic Marathon Team, and Supershoes!
