Easy to moderate run

Hi!

I already explained you what easy run and moderate run were and why those were effective, right?

Today, I want to explain you easy to moderate run because you can train and recover at the same time by easy to moderate run. So, read it through to the end and it’ll help you. Sounds good to you?

First of all, what is easy to moderate run?

How to do it is very simple. You start with easy pace and then you increase the pace up to moderate pace according to your feeling. This is the simplest way of easy to moderate run.

Some runners prefer to make an even pace. So, they just run faster than easy pace and slower than hard pace.

For example, if your normal easy run pace is 5:40/km and your normal moderate run pace is 4:50/km, your easy to moderate run pace would be around 5:15/km.

But no matter whether you increase the pace to the end or make the even pace, basic training effect is same because the average pace would be almost same. So, you can choose a more preferable way.

The basic idea is very simple. Basically, this workout is used for recovery, but you put a little bit more training stimulus on your body. So, this workout should never be hard for you and your body.

From this point of view, the increasing the pace way is more preferable for me because this workout is basically easy run. I create easy run first, and then I increase the pace if possible. Before I start running, I don’t know how slow I should run for recovery.

So, I start running with surely easy pace and then, I increase the pace according to my feeling. For me, it makes more sense than starting with too fast pace and then slowing down.

Once I’m sure this pace is slow enough, I increase the pace from around half point to put a little more training stimulus on the body.

In other words, you can change the length of moderate sessions according to your feelings. That’s why I like to start with easy pace and then go into moderate pace according to my feeling.

I usually use this workout in the special period.

In the fundamental period, the main workouts are moderate run. So, you better focus on moderate run more and easy days should be easy because the frequency of moderate run is very high. If you don’t do easy run on easy days, there is no easy days in your training program.

On the other hand, main workouts are very hard in the specific period.

So, you want to focus on hard workouts more and recover from hard workouts more to adapt to those training stimuluses. And to achieve that, workouts between hard days should be easier. In this case, you have less chance to do moderate run and easy to moderate run.

While in the special period, main workouts are harder than main workouts in the fundamental period and easier than main workouts in the specific period. Somewhere between.

So, there are more chances to do easy to moderate run.

I’ll give you an example.

Now, if you are preparing for a 10km race. And you do hard workouts twice a week. One is a hard speed workout and another one is a hard endurance workout. Then you still have 5 days. 2 days out of the 5 days should be easy.

So, you train easily or take a day off after hard workouts. Now, you still have 3 more days. Those 3 days would be easy to moderate run including a long run.

Also, I very often put a long run at easy to moderate pace in a beginner’s training program because running long itself is still hard for a beginner.

So, I don’t put a long run at moderate pace or hard pace in a beginner’s training program. No matter how long it is or how short it is, your body needs to the distance first and then you can run faster gradually.

Otherwise, you start hating running.

Also, I like to use easy to moderate run very much when I am not sure about my body, for example after injury or illness, tired but not like I need to take a day off yet, I have a little pain but it doesn’t bother me stop running completely etc.

In this case, I start running slowly and if I’m OK, I increase the pace while if I’m not OK, I don’t increase the pace, I just stay in easy pace to the end. From this point of view, easy to moderate run is very convenient.

No matter whether it is easy run, moderate run or easy to moderate run, subjective effort is the most important factor. If you don’t feel that the pace is not easy, it’s not easy pace anymore and if you already feel hard or feel pressurized before running, it is not moderate run anymore.

In other words, practical aspect is the most important thing because running is not something academic but something practical. If you have been running for 20 years, you know much more about running than any scientists who have never run in their life.

However, I know what you guys want to ask me now.

How fast easy to moderate run should be, right?

The abstract answer is again, you start running with the easy pace based on your feeling and increase the pace to the extent that you don't feel hard. If you feel hard, the pace is already too hard, run slower until you don’t feel hard anymore.

More specific answer is, the average pace would be 90 seconds to 60 seconds per kilometer slower than your 3km or 5km race pace and the average heart rate would be 70-75% of your maximal heart rate.

If you stick to this rule, you don’t make a big mistake. I guess your heart rate is more reliable than physical speed.

However, you’ll know what easy to moderate run is naturally if you repeat it over and over again.

If you don’t recover well between hard workouts, it’s already too fast. And if you always run as slow as your easy run, it’s not easy to moderate run anymore.

Finally, you will know what easy to moderate run is naturally and what you know finally is your easy to moderate run. Nothing else.

By the way, what I call easy to moderate run is moderate run for some athletes and coaches.

But basic idea is the same. It’s recovery run but clearly faster than easy run. That’s what some top athletes and coaches call moderate run.

Where does the difference come from?

The difference comes from whether we think of moderate run as main workout or not.

I mean, I clearly use moderate run as main workout (training), in other words, I know moderate run makes amateur runners faster dramatically over the next several months and years.

While main workout (training) means only hard workouts for some athletes and coaches.

But, they know that doing only very hard workouts and very easy workouts is wrong based on their experience. That’s why they draw a line between very easy recovery run and not very easy recovery run.

But for them, recovery run is recovery run. It’s not main workout (training). That’s why their moderate run is easier than my moderate run.

What I call moderate run is definitely main workout (training), but not hard and I know more frequent moderate run makes amateur runners faster than very very hard workouts only twice a week, especially in the beginning. In a sense, almost all amateur runners are beginners because they don’t reach 90% of their genetical potential ability yet.

Genetically speaking, we human beings have more potential than we usually think. If you are still 30 years old and not run faster than marathon 2:30 for men and 2:45 for women, you still have a plenty of space of improving.

While top athletes are already very close to their genetical limit. This is the reason why they need to put more emphasis on hard workouts than beginners.

Anyway, I really hope that you use easy to moderate run as a very convenient workout and improve a lot.

Thank you for reading!!

Lastly, if you want to learn more about how to run faster, please click here to download my free E-book 'Three things you should know to get faster dramatically without any injuries and overtraining'.