Every good training has easy recovery runs and longer distance runs at a steady pace. Here are my tips for getting these runs done at the right effort level:

Tip #1: Pick A Bad Route

I’m lucky to have miles of flat, well maintained bike trails around for running fast. I avoid this luxury on recovery days in favor of annoying routes that cross intersections, traverse curb cuts and brick sidewalks, and feature reliable puddles and other speed-sapping hazards. All these obstacles could ruin a tempo or threshold run, but they serve a valuable purpose on easy days in keeping me focused on a relaxed pace.

Tip #2: Avoid People

A lot of us run because we love competition. Trying to complete a recovery run on a trail full of other runners is difficult if you can’t resist the urge to race and get swept up in someone else’s pace. I too often fall prey to the urge to run people down ahead of me on the trail, so I either run at an unusual time when it’s not so crowded out or I take a less popular route (see Tip #1 above) where I’m more likely to be alone. If you’re more disciplined and mature than I am, then your normal routes are probably okay.

Tip #3: Talk to Yourself

Gauging your pace and effort level by talking out loud is simple and very effective on easy runs. If you’re struggling to string together a few sentences (the Pledge of Allegiance is commonly used for this “Talk Test”) without feeling short of breath, you need to ease off the accelerator.

Tip #4: Take a Walk of Shame

Running too hard on scheduled easy days leads to long term consequences that are not readily apparent. To motivate ourselves to slow down, we need some tangible, short term consequences. I invented the “Walk of Shame” punishment for running too fast. Say you are scheduled for 6 miles at 8:00/mile (a 48:00 workout). If you finish your run back at your house in 42 minutes, you’re 6 minutes early and you must walk at least 6 minutes back and forth to hit your 48:00 workout time. I usually double the walk time as an extra penalty. A long, self-imposed walk after a good run is frustrating, boring, and effective to get you to slow down on your next run. With no incentive to get home early, I’m much more likely to take it easy on the road and stay on top of my pace.

Tip #5: Don’t Focus on Average Pace

If your target pace is 8:00/mile, you should aim to run each mile at that pace. If you hit a 7:30, you should not run the next mile at 8:30 to get your average pace correct. Same goes the other way; don’t push for a 7:30 mile to make up for an 8:30. Get back to 8:00 pace and stay there. Intentionally yo-yoing above and below the target pace results in a long, low-speed fartlek, which is not the purpose of your workout.

Tip #6: Think About Tomorrow

Remember that recovery runs have a specific purpose; you are getting ready for your next hard workout. If you compromise your recovery, you won’t reap the full benefits of running hard when you need to. Missing interval splits on a Thursday because you’re too fatigued from blitzing your recovery run on Wednesday is a surefire way to torpedo your training and get off plan. You would never set a mile PR in the first mile of a 10K because you intuitively know the next 5.2 miles will be spent watching people pass you. The same principle applies on a larger scale when you consider how your recovery runs interface with harder workouts. Running too hard on an easy day prevents you from running your best on a hard day. This is why working with a coach to develop a structured training schedule can be so beneficial; you start to appreciate and understand how workouts complement each other and get your body to adapt and actually improve.