It doesn’t matter if you have a marathon training plan or if you just like to run for health. You should know that easy running days deserve just as much attention as hard training and intervals.
Light running is the part of recovery between basic workouts that is constantly ignored. This is due to the misconception that it is useless compared to, for example, interval training or tempo training. Therefore, it is seen mainly as a type of warm-up and warm-up. In addition, it is quite difficult to run slowly when you have been able to run fast and long for a long time.
However, incorporating light days into your training regimen will noticeably increase your numbers in the long run. This is a case where less will mean better.
Why it matters
It’s the best way to increase your aerobic capacity and strengthen your cardiovascular system, which is the foundation for speed and endurance. But the point is also that light exercise speeds up the recovery process.
If you make a proper training plan, rest days can be almost completely eliminated even for a beginner runner, replacing them with running at the lowest pace. The body will recover faster and overall fitness will increase. This also means that the risk of injury is reduced.
What does it mean to run easy
The tempo will be different for everyone, of course, but the main thing is that it should not go beyond conversational. The maximum can be considered your competitive tempo for 5K + 1 minute. But many sports physiologists believe that this is too fast. That’s why they recommend simply multiplying your pace by 2. That is, run twice as slow.
I recommend leaving the GPS at home, and in general all the usual running electronics, and devote time exclusively to the pleasure of running. Obviously, you should not choose heavy trail runs for light training. It is also better to avoid the usual sprint segments, if you have them on Strava and they are part of the mandatory route.
In general, the only word that should characterize a recovery run is ease.
