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I've been following several marathon training programs. Some 26 week programs and even a 52 week plan. My question is this. What pace should I be running on runs that aren't speed runs but aren't my long runs either?? Almost all of the training I've read relates training pace to marathon + pace or at pace.

What should I run when there is nothing specific? Usually I run -30 to 1 min slower than marathon pace.... is this correct??

Thanks for your help!

Gotta love running!! :)

A reader's question

Answer by Dom: Programs often spell out only the key sessions, so what to do on the days between is a fair question. Your 30 seconds to 1 minute slower than marathon pace is the fast end of easy running. It works on some days, but for most of your none-speed runs I'd like you to go slower.

Here's how I'll break it down:

1. Why every run in your week has a purpose
2. Your easy runs: how much slower than marathon pace
3. The talk test: pace by feel, not by watch
4. Recovery runs versus easy runs
5. When easy running should NOT be easy

Give every run a purpose

The best way to go about your training is to have a purpose for every little piece of it. So here's a short recap of why you do certain runs.

You do your long runs to build up your aerobic capacity, to burn fat more efficiently and to get used to the length of the marathon.

You do your tempo runs to increase your lactate threshold.

You do your intervals to increase your maximal oxygen uptake (VO2)Max. You cannot maintain a peak VO2Max for months and months, which is why this type of training is usually left until a later stage, closer to race day.

You cross-train to get a stronger overall physique while giving your running muscles a rest.

That leaves your none-speed short runs. These are your recovery runs and your easy runs, and they make up most of your weekly mileage. Both are done at easy pace. They are not meant to exhaust you.

Easy runs: how much slower than marathon pace?

A fixed gap is a rough guide, not a rule. My advice to you: aim for 60 to 90 seconds per mile (about 40 to 55 seconds per kilometre) slower than marathon pace, and treat 30 seconds as the absolute fastest you go.

Take a runner with a marathon pace of 9:00 per mile (5:35 per km), a finish time of just under 4 hours. Their easy runs would sit at 10:00 to 10:30 per mile (6:10 to 6:30 per km). Your 30 seconds to 1 minute slower would be 9:30 to 10:00 per mile. That's not wrong, but it's the quicker end of the range.

Why does the gap matter? Marathon pace is a hard, sustained effort. Run only 30 seconds slower on your easy days and they stop being easy. You arrive at your next tempo run or long run still tired, and that's where niggles start.

Slower runners often need a smaller gap, and faster runners a bigger one. At a 12:00 per mile marathon pace, 60 seconds slower is already plenty.

Use the talk test, not just your watch

Easy pace is conversational pace — the pace at which you could chat with a running partner in full sentences. If you can only manage a few words at a time, slow down.

Your pace will wander with the weather, the hills and how well you slept. Let it. Hot day, tired legs, headwind: you'll run slower and the effort stays the same. Listen to your body and judge by effort first, numbers second.

Here's a simple check. After an easy run you should feel you could have done the same again, and you should feel fresh the next morning. If not, you ran too fast.

Recovery runs versus easy runs

Both sit at easy pace, but the job differs. An easy run builds your aerobic base. A recovery run loosens your legs after a hard session or long run, and it's the slowest and shortest run of your week.

For recovery runs I'd go at the slow end of your range or even slower — 90 seconds to 2 minutes per mile off marathon pace — for 20 to 40 minutes. Nobody will check your pace, so there's no shame in a shuffle. If your legs feel dead, walk breaks are fine.

My rule of thumb: the day after a long run or a hard session is a recovery run. Your other easy days can run a touch quicker and a touch longer.

When easy running shouldn't be easy

There are two sensible exceptions. Both are in addition to your key sessions, not instead of them.

• Progressive finish: once or twice a month, run the last 1 to 2 miles of an easy run at close to marathon pace. It teaches you to run on tired legs without turning the run into a workout.
• Strides: after an easy run, add 4 to 6 relaxed bursts of 20 seconds, with a minute of walking in between. Quick, smooth, never a sprint.

Beyond that, keep the easy days easy. The hard days only work if you arrive fresh for them.

Also check out my page on base running for some more info and my running training section which describes some other workouts as well.

Best of luck with your running!
Kind regards,
Dom