A question for Sam.
I noticed that for Emma's long run next week she has 10 miles in 100 minutes which isn't that much slower than marathon pace for a 4.15 finish. I've always been told that long slow runs ought to be at least MP+ 60 seconds if not more. Is Emma's quicker because she is faster over short distances or do I need to reevaluate my idea of an 'easy' pace?
If 9:44 is planned marathon pace, it seems a bit fast to be doing the LSR at 10 min pace. Is that the pace suggested for all the long runs? I'm doing my long runs by HR at the moment, and they're much slower than that (I'm aimng for 4:00-4:15).
Do the runs slow down as distance increases?
Hi everyone... lots of discussion about long run pace here so I'll try to clarify.
The 'long slow run' pace is 10.45-11 minutes per mile and runs at this pace are described on the schedule as 'slow'.
Long runs described as 'easy' are slightly quicker, 10-10.30 minutes per mile.
I'm quite a believer in doing some long runs (or bouts of long runs) at a faster than LSR pace - not so much for a first timer just trying to get round but for those looking to achieve a new PB. So the schedule varies the long run pace from LSR to Easy (and later on to some specific MP, too)
So the answer to tricialitt's question is no, the pace doesn't necessarily get slower as the runs get longer, though I normally suggest the LSR pace when I significantly up the length of the run (eg. by 2 miles).
Another factor is the surface of the run. I generally recommend doing LSR pace runs off road so you don't 'pace watch' as much. Just run slow and enjoy it! And that brings me to USBs point about Emma's long run - next week she has 10 miles in 100 minutes which isn't that much slower than marathon pace for a 4.15 finish. I should perhaps have put 100-105 minutes to stick more closely to the pace range I have outlined for 'easy' runs ie. 10-10.30. And for the 'easy' pace long runs, I recommend a more level, firm surface so you can monitor pace more easily. (This surface variation is also good for strength, stability and injury resistance.)
No one aiming for the same kind of time as Emma should worry if they are at the slower end of the ranges suggested. If you feel the pace suggested for the 'easy' runs is too fast, you could try doing a 'slow start, faster finish' long run, in which you do the first half at the LSR pace and the second half at the easy pace. That goes for you too, Emma!
I hope that helps. Will check back tomorrow morning to see if I need to clarify further!
