Hot take: I thought 'easy runs' were a waste of time until I actually tried them consistently
I was convinced every run had to be hard to count, pushing pace until I was miserable. What flipped the script was a minor shin splint scare that forced me to dial it back for two weeks. I learned that these truly easy, conversational-paced runs build endurance WITHOUT burnout and make the hard days feel more achievable. Now, scheduling three gentle jogs a week has kept me injury-free and weirdly MORE excited to lace up.