How to Know if Your Easy Runs Are Actually Easy
Imagine a fictional man named John. John recently picked up running because he loves being outdoors and knows he could benefit from some exercise. He puts a half marathon on his calendar and begins to train. His stock plan gives him daily mileage, so he hits it every day. He runs so he feels like he is doing some work, the same intensity each day, and he comes home feeling satisfied that he accomplished a run. A few weeks later, an injury arises, and he has to take a few weeks off. “Runner’s knee” or plantar fasciitis. He gets discouraged more and more each day. When he does return, it feels so much harder to run that he gives it up altogether, or worse, he “runs through the pain” and increases his injury so that it prevents him from doing his activities of daily life. He no longer loves being outdoors.
Have you been there before?
Just like mine, I’m sure your story is a bit more complicated, but let’s discuss one problem here. John doesn’t know how to pace his easy runs so that he will recover enough for the next run. That feeling of putting in some hard work should not happen every day for a runner because our bodies do not adapt like that. Even the best distance runners around the world are only putting in 2 hard workouts each week, and when they do, it’s HARD, not just pushing a little bit. John was running in zone 3 every day, which should be used so sparingly in your training regimen that it’s a welcome treat when you get there.
A quick note on zones: I generally discuss zones as follows: zone 5 is sprinting and too short to get a reliable HR reading. Zone 4 is from your anaerobic threshold up to your max HR. Zone 3 is the space between your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. It’s “fun fast.” Zone 2 is the 10% below your aerobic threshold, and zone 1 is from 10% to 20% below your aerobic threshold.
As you can see, zone 3 is in the middle. John was more focused on running “fun fast” at his capacity each day, than prompting his body just enough to be able to continue integrating each daily run. So there’s the problem, what’s the solution?
First, you need to know how to pace your easy runs, and following through can be just as much of a challenge as running faster. Who is it hardest for? John. Little did you know, John had previously been frequenting a fun exercise group where the leader sets up a new high intensity interval training workout each day. He’s been going three or four times weekly, and he’s excited to show how much intense work he can do! The problem is that he has trained his body so rely so much on glucose rather than lipids that when he tests his endurance, he almost has to walk to keep it easy. He starts out running 15 minute miles, and his idea that he “should be running faster” is threatening to sabotage his endurance hopes.
How can you test yourself to make sure you’re run is easy?
I think the guys at Uphill Athlete have a great review of several tests. What we’re looking for is the highest HR that is still easy for your body. I respect people who prefer to use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) for many good reasons rather than HR, but I prefer the heart rate drift test because of its relative low cost and ease to repeat regularly, which is needed as your fitness grows. For John, and me, he needs to learn what easy feels like before he can measure it internally (with RPE). These tests are like calibrating our inner sensor, teaching us how our bodies are experiencing different levels of intensity. You don’t have to run by HR every day from here on out, but it can be very helpful to use for testing and to train your own perception of the intensity you’re putting out. Let’s consider several tests.
First, you might consider the MAF calculation for starters (180 minus your age = the HR at your maximum aerobic function). It is a good place to start, but does not take into account you as an individual. Second, many people know of the test where you see if you can only breathe through your nose while running or if you can hold a conversation with full sentences while running. These can be fun and helpful for some, but the variability in each person’s need for air at different states of fitness makes this one somewhat undesirable. Third, you can learn to test your blood lactate and prick your fingers for tests, but you have to be up for that and for buying a meter. Fourth, you can hire a lab to hook you up to a machine that measures how much air you breathe in and out while running various paces on a treadmill, but this is expensive to do once and prohibitive to do regularly.
I recommend the heart rate drift test where you look to see how much your pace and HR drift apart after an hour. There are specific instructions you should follow, but this is a reliable way to get a number that is close to your aerobic threshold, which can help you set out your intensity zones and assess (along with anaerobic threshold) your aerobic deficiency.
What you will need:
GPS watch or phone
Heart rate chest strap (not wrist-based!)
A path/trail with little to no elevation gain for 30 minutes of running each way
See this link with details for conducting this on a treadmill and further explanation.
Here are the steps:
Warm up for about 15 minutes at an easy pace.
Watch your heart rate towards the end.
Once it stays in place for 2-3 minutes, start recording on your watch/phone.
Record for 60 minutes, trying to keep that same heart rate no matter the pace.
Upload the data, note whether your intended heart rate was your average heart rate. If not, test again another day.
If so, calculate how much your heart rate dropped as a percentage of the starting pace. This is the % heart rate drift.
Assess your HR drift:
If 3.5-5%, congrats! Your initial HR is your aerobic threshold!
If 0-3.5%, add 5 beats per minute to your initial HR, and try again.
If greater than 5%, redo the test with a lower initial HR.
This test gives you the number of beats per minute to set for the top of zone 2. Subtract 10% to set the top of zone 1 and 20% for the bottom of zone one. Do not be discouraged about testing this multiple times (Uphill Athlete recommends every 6 weeks). Your aerobic threshold is not static. Training within the appropriate HR zones is key to consistency, and consistency is the key to reaching your running potential.
If you’ve read this far, thanks! I’m excited to offer you this little nugget to connect easy running with your spiritual path. Many of us approach running like we approach God. Consider this passage from Belden C. Lane’s book Backpacking with the Saints:
Wilderness spirituality classically begins at such a place--with the awkward, disturbing awareness that we have miscalculated our abilities, we are wholly unqualified for dealing with mystery. We’re like the religious enthusiasts Rumi described, so eager to capture rather than marvel at wonder: “The madmen have seen the moon in the window; they are running to the roof with ladders.” No sooner do they raise their scaffolding to the sky, however, than they realize the absurdity of the presumption.
