Are you making this common running mistake?

Happy Thursday friends!

For any of my long time blog readers and any newbies that stumble upon this post, I work as both a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) AND a UESCA certified running coach. I practice as a RDN through my own private Amanda Wagner Nutrition PLLC and I work as a certified running coach through another woman owned business called Filla Endurance, LLC! I’ve been running on/off for 17 years, including competitively at the division I college level and am still chasing some big running goals in adulthood! As much as I love my own training and racing, I love supporting other runners in their training just as much or more and was able to make it official when I took the UESCA Running Coach Certification Course and passed my exam in December 2023. I’ve been coaching runners since January 2024 and excited to keep growing both my dietitian business (which I officially opened in September 2023) and as a Filla Endurance, LLC running coach. Both roles fill me with so much joy and there is always the option to work with me both as your dietitian AND your running coach.

Up until today I was primarily using this blog to write about nutrition with the occasional running post sprinkled in, but now I want to change that! I want to start regularly include running and coaching content in addition to sports nutrition, plant-based nutrition, and other nutrition topics. My hope is that regardless of what you are here to read that you will stick around! 🙂

So onto the topic of today’s post-are you guilty of this common running mistake?! 🙋‍♀️

I used to be. 😢 Especially when I was still a competitive collegiate runner. 🤪 But as I got older (& perhaps wiser) I learned that going too fast on my easy run days was actually SABOTAGING my training. 😩 Going too fast on easy days contributed to burnout, injuries, & me walking away from the sport after college for a couple years. 😭 And as someone with big running goals that was the last thing I wanted to do! 🙅‍♀️ But thankfully I’ve been back for a while & ready to stay in the running game for the long haul! 👌🏻

Read more about easy runs & how to make sure you are nailing them to reach your running potential below. 🤩

Many runners, new and veteran alike, run too fast on their easy run days.

But why is this a problem?! Many athletes, especially those that run a couple days per week versus 5+ days/week, struggle with the concept + execution of easy runs. They want to go fast every time they run and finish all their runs completely gassed out. Or some runners find themselves in the grey zone on most runs, where they aren’t running fast, but also not going slow enough to recover between runs. This can lead to a dreaded training plateau.

Easy runs should actually be the foundation of your training! They allow you to become more efficient and fitter over time. Easy runs also allow you to safely increase your mileage without increasing injury risk if done properly.

A special type of easy run called a recovery run (an extra slow pace) that is done ~24 hours after a hard workout can help you recover more quickly while still building the miles!

So coach, how do I know I AM running my easy runs easy enough?!

Remember that easy is a feeling, NOT a specific pace! In fact, it should be a range of paces! The pace should be modified based on weather, fatigue levels, etc. A good rule of thumb for easy runs is that you should be able to carry a full conversation if running with other people. If running solo, it should be a 3/10 effort or even easier.

If you are someone that trains by heart rate, your heart rate should be under 140 beats per minute (bpms). I want to emphasize that how the run feels is the most important, especially because not all heart rate monitors are accurate. Said another way, don’t stress about the exact heart rate and rather focus on the run feeling easy. For some people this may mean they need to integrate walking breaks.

Easy pace may be 2-3 minute/mile SLOWER than your 5k pace. For example, my personal 5k PR is around 6 minute pace, so I do my easy runs between 8-9 minute pace. And most runners can expect 75% of their weekly training or more to be spent running easy. So easy runs are TRULY the foundation of your training!

So, are you nailing your easy runs? Or is there room for improvement?

If you want additional guidance around your running I am happy to share I still have run coaching openings, but they are filling fast! 💨 Now is a great time to hire a coach if you have any races scheduled, have hit a plateau, or are coming back from an injury! You can inquire about working with me via Filla Endurance, LLC run coaching by emailing me coachamanda@fillaendurance.com or filling out the interest form.

What questions do you have? How do you ensure you run your easy runs slow enough?! Comment below!👇🏻