I ran in january almost only easy pace (below 135bpm). My pace raised in this month from 7min/k to under 6min/k. My rest heartrate dropt from 65bpm to 55bpm. That was a huge benefit for me!
“be the voice you would want to be to a friend” is brilliant advice. That’s a real big deal for me. I’m taking that one with me on my run later today. :-)
I've been base building by heart rate recently and it makes such a huge difference for how I feel after a long run! used to be totally knackered and now i can run errands or do whatever (so long as i eat a big meal). another game changer for me has been aquajogging for active recovery-it's zero impact and gets the blood moving, so it makes any soreness disappear after a day
I finally got the easy running through my thick stubborn head and I’m seeing insane results when it’s time to pick up the pace. I cut my 4 mile time by 32 seconds down to 26:18 in 2.5 weeks. 😮
I really like these types of videos. It doesn't matter what type of runner you are, from elite to beginner, we ALL go through the same things with body and mind. These are very helpful!!!!! Thanks for doing them.
I was attempting to run 26:30 at Parkrun yesterday, which would be a massive pb. I ‘only’ managed 26:48, which was 2 seconds under my pb. I should have been thrilled but was a bit deflated. So I’m obviously doing this from the wrong perspective. Fantastic reading this today, as it has reset my way of thinking. I did a fabulous run yesterday ☺️
In terms of trying not to be a perfectionist I think that perspective really helps. Maybe I'm slower than I wanted to be today, but I'm still a minute faster than I was this time last year. The fact that I'm disappointed with running at a speed that I used to think I'd never even be able to achieve shows how far I've come
I've been running for a long time, and I'm still learning to slow down (even more) on recovery runs and also to not be so down on myself after tough workouts and races.
Really great advice Phily!!! Although I no longer run races, I still set goals for runs per week /month/year. Your advice for easy days is very insightful, I bet most average runners try to hit it hard every day. Rest is so important if you want to run for the long haul. Listen to Phily, rest and enjoy the grind.
I'm glad to be seeing this video, especially today. I ran 21k yesterday for the first time in years, because I'm following a pretty tough training plan for a race in April. It wiped me out pretty hard, to the point that sleep wasn't great, and my legs, especially calves/shins, are pretty sore still. But that plan calls for an 8k easy run with sprints today. I was torn between suffering through it, or listening to my watch, which claims I need 80+ hours (!) of recovery... but I think I'm just gonna do 3-5k super easy, maybe even less if my body complains too much. So thanks :) Love your videos :)
Philly, I ran past you on the canal near Marple today! I was with a big group - I looked like I was dying 🥵😂 it made my run! Might also see you at Trafford 10k 🏃♀️🏃♀️
Agree with much of what you say about training (my biggest error was assuming that doing 10-15% more training would result in me running10-15% faster. Idiotic!) but racing is all about results. If you do not achieve what you set as your goal on the day you have chosen for the attempt does mean failure. Not permanent failure, not a failure in life but on that day as a runner you have failed and will feel pretty awful. But 'tis OK and normal to feel awful in those circumstances. For example, I have a goal to run a certain time in my local park run in September when I actually become a pensioner. If I don't achieve that (and at the moment I can't run at all!) I will be disappointed and no doubt feel pretty bad for a short while. But, hey, I feel bad and disappointed when United lose or my local cricket club don't win. Life's like that, nobody feels good all the time. The trick is to compartmentalise your life so disappointments at running don't ruin the vast majority of the day/your life when you aren't running. Something I never was able to do as a young athlete; not winning at the English Schools used to make things pretty miserable for several days, probably not a good place for a teenager to be in!
top tip I was given for easy runs is dress for slightly colder weather, if you start to feel too warm then you are probably pushing beyond YOUR easy zone.
Great video..I was way off target paces last week and the weather was really bad. But I felt down and should really give myself a break.. you are so spot on with that one. Always the next session to try and get closer. Sub 20 5 k is my target. One day it will happen. 😰
This was awesome and the perspective of the non-professional athlete was good to see. I really hope Philly cooked!! Let's do more videos with Daniel. Hope you feel better Philly
Listening to the advice in this video is very difficult because of how true all this is for me XD. I need to start doing actually easy runs. One question: I am coming back from sickness, just before then I had gotten to about a 23 minute 5K but now that sort of pace seems impossibly hard. Do you have any advice on how I can adjust my effort levels accordingly?
I had to use a pace calculator instead of relying on feeling the pace. It was faster to see I had to do slower than 12.40 per mile for an easy pace and use a watch to keep beeping at me to slow down over a few weeks to adapt. At the start it felt strange to run slower than my walking pace. Of course it doesn't help that I then try and up my cadence and make the runs harder...
hey Phily! I was wondering what your thoughts are on a period of complete or almost complete rest every so often - e.g. between training blocks or just every x weeks. Do you think it's a good idea and if so how easy, how long, how often? cheers!
One thing I struggle with when going “easier” is that my coach gives our easy runs in mins not miles and I worry that I won’t reach a mileage target? Would you recommend to let go of mileage targets? And is it better to go slower, but longer to reach a set mileage or faster but less time on legs?
For sure letting go of an arbitrary "mile" figure is a good thing, at the end of the day it really means nothing - 60 mins is 60 mins whether its 7 miles, more, or less
My head believes you and all the other pro runners and coaches but. Y make ego and middle-age crisis and natural competitive brain wants to ignore you! I am trying to run easier though on my long runs. One serious question though please. I have a full-on job. I’m lucky if I can fit in 4 runs per week and I, therefore, push quality over quantity. So even my long runs will maybe have some Fartlek element or maybe be a third in high zone 3. My reasoning is that if I’m limited to 40-50k pw then I have to make them harder than if I could ru. 6 times a week and do a double session day etc. Any thoughts on real-world running for people who can’t drag their arse out of bed at 6am for a run before work? Thanks and keep up the great videos. 👍
Great advice as I am definitely a perfectionist while also being very analytical. With that being said, I feel as if my heart rate zones are completely off which make my easy run says the most confusing lol my Garmin says zone 2 caps at 129! If I even begin to jog I'm in zone 3 lol help!
That's mad, that your easy pace is 7.30 - 8mm but your 10k pace is 5 - 5.15mm. My easy pace in training is also 7.30 - 8mm but I can only hold 5.30mm for one mile, and then I am DEAD! I've run for 18 years and run 29 marathons. How can I improve this? I already do the classics - consistency, long run, hills, speed sesh etc. Really appreciate your reply xx
I’d say based off that, your easy runs are too fast! Slow down the easy runs and focus your efforts on those intervals and hills you mentioned! There’s some great calculators out there - e.g. Daniels running calculator, that will give you your “easy” pace, along with tempo, intervals, marathon etc, based on a recent 10k race time
I ran in january almost only easy pace (below 135bpm). My pace raised in this month from 7min/k to under 6min/k.
My rest heartrate dropt from 65bpm to 55bpm. That was a huge benefit for me!
“be the voice you would want to be to a friend” is brilliant advice. That’s a real big deal for me. I’m taking that one with me on my run later today. :-)
I've been base building by heart rate recently and it makes such a huge difference for how I feel after a long run! used to be totally knackered and now i can run errands or do whatever (so long as i eat a big meal). another game changer for me has been aquajogging for active recovery-it's zero impact and gets the blood moving, so it makes any soreness disappear after a day
I finally got the easy running through my thick stubborn head and I’m seeing insane results when it’s time to pick up the pace. I cut my 4 mile time by 32 seconds down to 26:18 in 2.5 weeks. 😮
I really like these types of videos. It doesn't matter what type of runner you are, from elite to beginner, we ALL go through the same things with body and mind. These are very helpful!!!!! Thanks for doing them.
I was attempting to run 26:30 at Parkrun yesterday, which would be a massive pb. I ‘only’ managed 26:48, which was 2 seconds under my pb. I should have been thrilled but was a bit deflated. So I’m obviously doing this from the wrong perspective. Fantastic reading this today, as it has reset my way of thinking. I did a fabulous run yesterday ☺️
Never beat yourself up on getting a PB…it’s a small win that will take you to much bigger ones. 👏
@@csalt5235 I was pleased to get it, but wanted a ‘better’ pb. Which is silly. I need to change my outlook 👌🏼
In terms of trying not to be a perfectionist I think that perspective really helps. Maybe I'm slower than I wanted to be today, but I'm still a minute faster than I was this time last year. The fact that I'm disappointed with running at a speed that I used to think I'd never even be able to achieve shows how far I've come
Phily for Olympic gold 🥇….or B goal… silver 😊
watched 2x to get this thru my thick head ..... Ty Phily !!!! Hugs and Love from across the pond Really needed this..
I've been running for a long time, and I'm still learning to slow down (even more) on recovery runs and also to not be so down on myself after tough workouts and races.
Really great advice Phily!!! Although I no longer run races, I still set goals for runs per week /month/year. Your advice for easy days is very insightful, I bet most average runners try to hit it hard every day. Rest is so important if you want to run for the long haul. Listen to Phily, rest and enjoy the grind.
Dr Phily!! Love the psychology - Less pressure, feel lighter already! Thank you!
Good advice, I always try and stick with the 80/20 rule, so 80% of your runs in a week are easy and 20% hard.
I'm glad to be seeing this video, especially today. I ran 21k yesterday for the first time in years, because I'm following a pretty tough training plan for a race in April. It wiped me out pretty hard, to the point that sleep wasn't great, and my legs, especially calves/shins, are pretty sore still. But that plan calls for an 8k easy run with sprints today. I was torn between suffering through it, or listening to my watch, which claims I need 80+ hours (!) of recovery... but I think I'm just gonna do 3-5k super easy, maybe even less if my body complains too much. So thanks :) Love your videos :)
Beautiful landscape, nice advice, thanks for sharing
Philly, I ran past you on the canal near Marple today! I was with a big group - I looked like I was dying 🥵😂 it made my run! Might also see you at Trafford 10k 🏃♀️🏃♀️
Agree with much of what you say about training (my biggest error was assuming that doing 10-15% more training would result in me running10-15% faster. Idiotic!) but racing is all about results. If you do not achieve what you set as your goal on the day you have chosen for the attempt does mean failure. Not permanent failure, not a failure in life but on that day as a runner you have failed and will feel pretty awful. But 'tis OK and normal to feel awful in those circumstances. For example, I have a goal to run a certain time in my local park run in September when I actually become a pensioner. If I don't achieve that (and at the moment I can't run at all!) I will be disappointed and no doubt feel pretty bad for a short while. But, hey, I feel bad and disappointed when United lose or my local cricket club don't win. Life's like that, nobody feels good all the time. The trick is to compartmentalise your life so disappointments at running don't ruin the vast majority of the day/your life when you aren't running. Something I never was able to do as a young athlete; not winning at the English Schools used to make things pretty miserable for several days, probably not a good place for a teenager to be in!
top tip I was given for easy runs is dress for slightly colder weather, if you start to feel too warm then you are probably pushing beyond YOUR easy zone.
Aw Philly - Your the best - that is all 🫶
Sound advice Phily.
Great video..I was way off target paces last week and the weather was really bad. But I felt down and should really give myself a break.. you are so spot on with that one. Always the next session to try and get closer. Sub 20 5 k is my target. One day it will happen. 😰
I must admit I ran a 5k pb yesterday and was disappointed. I think I need to up my hard sessions and make my easy ones easier.
This was awesome and the perspective of the non-professional athlete was good to see. I really hope Philly cooked!! Let's do more videos with Daniel. Hope you feel better Philly
Listening to the advice in this video is very difficult because of how true all this is for me XD. I need to start doing actually easy runs.
One question: I am coming back from sickness, just before then I had gotten to about a 23 minute 5K but now that sort of pace seems impossibly hard. Do you have any advice on how I can adjust my effort levels accordingly?
I had to use a pace calculator instead of relying on feeling the pace. It was faster to see I had to do slower than 12.40 per mile for an easy pace and use a watch to keep beeping at me to slow down over a few weeks to adapt. At the start it felt strange to run slower than my walking pace.
Of course it doesn't help that I then try and up my cadence and make the runs harder...
can you post the link for the calculator please ?
@@cscribby1349 google McMillan running calculator. It lets you put in a race PR across several distances and returns all sorts of training paces.
@@morgandoerflein4957 Thank you !!
Great! Reminders - I really needed this for my racewalking training. Thank you and good luck with your commitment...
thanks for the tips. I feel like I run easy runs too hard, 145 BPM still feels like hard work :(
hey Phily! I was wondering what your thoughts are on a period of complete or almost complete rest every so often - e.g. between training blocks or just every x weeks. Do you think it's a good idea and if so how easy, how long, how often? cheers!
Hmm, I do my 'easy' runs at the same pace Philly does, that should tell me I'm doing them wrong!
Christ my legs are killing me right now
One thing I struggle with when going “easier” is that my coach gives our easy runs in mins not miles and I worry that I won’t reach a mileage target? Would you recommend to let go of mileage targets? And is it better to go slower, but longer to reach a set mileage or faster but less time on legs?
For sure letting go of an arbitrary "mile" figure is a good thing, at the end of the day it really means nothing - 60 mins is 60 mins whether its 7 miles, more, or less
How do so many develop these “bad habits”🤔
My head believes you and all the other pro runners and coaches but. Y make ego and middle-age crisis and natural competitive brain wants to ignore you! I am trying to run easier though on my long runs.
One serious question though please. I have a full-on job. I’m lucky if I can fit in 4 runs per week and I, therefore, push quality over quantity. So even my long runs will maybe have some Fartlek element or maybe be a third in high zone 3.
My reasoning is that if I’m limited to 40-50k pw then I have to make them harder than if I could ru. 6 times a week and do a double session day etc.
Any thoughts on real-world running for people who can’t drag their arse out of bed at 6am for a run before work?
Thanks and keep up the great videos. 👍
Great advice as I am definitely a perfectionist while also being very analytical. With that being said, I feel as if my heart rate zones are completely off which make my easy run says the most confusing lol my Garmin says zone 2 caps at 129! If I even begin to jog I'm in zone 3 lol help!
same here my i run at very easy conversational pace but my garmin tells me im in zone 3 even 4 sometimes 😭
That's mad, that your easy pace is 7.30 - 8mm but your 10k pace is 5 - 5.15mm. My easy pace in training is also 7.30 - 8mm but I can only hold 5.30mm for one mile, and then I am DEAD! I've run for 18 years and run 29 marathons. How can I improve this? I already do the classics - consistency, long run, hills, speed sesh etc. Really appreciate your reply xx
I’d say based off that, your easy runs are too fast! Slow down the easy runs and focus your efforts on those intervals and hills you mentioned! There’s some great calculators out there - e.g. Daniels running calculator, that will give you your “easy” pace, along with tempo, intervals, marathon etc, based on a recent 10k race time
Mistake number 4: recording a running video while running in the snow on a slippery downhill slope ;-)
Glad that went Ok though.
cut your banana the long way and they’re easier to eat 😂